Search continues for escaped KZN lion

Wildlife authorities in KwaZulu-Natal are still on the search for a lion that is believed to have escaped from a Zululand game reserve more than two weeks ago.

The male lion‚ which was likely pushed out of its pride‚ has killed at least four cows. It was first seen about 30km from Ulundi in northern KZN two weeks ago‚ but a community member allegedly spotted it and alerted KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife officials at the weekend.

Ezemvelo spokesman Musa Mntambo said there had been "no new sightings" since.

"There were three cows killed in the Mlaba area and one cow killed at Biyela. We are requesting the community to contact Inkosi Zulu of the Biyela area on 0780247070‚ Induna uNgubane (in Mlaba area) on 0820579905 or Ezemvelo 's Benjamin Myeni on 0724300390 if they see the lion‚" he said.

Mntambo said that authorities would decide what to do with the lion depending on where and when it was seen.

"The preferred option is a live capture but if that is not possible it may be destroyed‚" he said.

This is not the first lion escape in South Africa this year. In July‚ three male lions that had escaped from the Kruger National Park came to a sorry end. One was shot by a farmer‚ and a second injured.

SANParks euthanised both the wounded cat and the third lion.

The animals had already killed and eaten a cow and a spokesman for SANParks said that‚ having gained a taste for cattle‚ there was a good chance that they would repeat their bad behaviour and make their way out of the reserve at the first available opportunity.

Another inmate of the Kruger‚ a lion named Sylvester‚ had better luck following his second escape attempt. He first got out of the reserve in 2015‚ wandered 300 kilometres and killed 30 cattle. He was tranquilised and returned to the reserve but managed to escape again a year later.

A comment from park that they would probably have to put the animal down was met with such a public outcry that Sylvester‚ like any cat worth its salt‚ used up another of its nine lives and was resettled at the Addo Elephant Park in the Eastern Cape.

In January this year a man died following an attack by two white lions which had escaped from their enclosure at Tree Top Lodge‚ a private game lodge in Hoedspruit. The lions‚ which had been part of a tourism experience of “walking with white lions”‚ wandered into the adjoining lodge and attacked Qebekhulu Justice‚ who died in hospital from diabetes-related complications.

IN 2015 six lions from KZN’s Hluhluwe-iMfolozi park made a run for it after a giraffe they were chasing kicked down the fence in a bid to escape from becoming lunch. All in vain for the giraffe‚ unfortunately‚ but the lions spent a couple of days on the loose until five were recaptured and one was put down.