On Tuesday, June 27, the organisations got word of a lion along a busy road. “During our search operation for the lion, we incidentally came across a second lion on the same road. They slowed traffic until he could be safely darted and loaded onto the back of a vehicle to be transported home.

The operation was a collaborative community effort, which also included Ian Nowak, Dr Günther Nowak,  veterinarian of GKEPF; Logan van Zyl, warden of Grietjie; John Davies of Environmental Wildlife Trust (EWT); Phalaborwa Natural Heritage Foundation (PNHF) and Phillip Lowe. PNHF explained the importance of returning a lion to its place of origin to international followers on Facebook.

Also read: Foundation continues to fight poaching in Phalaborwa

“The idea of returning a lion to where it came from, may seem strange. Unlike other African countries, South Africa, and particularly the Lowveld, consists of managed wildlife reserves, meaning large areas are fenced and owned by various organisations or people.”

These lions are often part of an important pride, both genetically and in their overall impact on the environment. “Too many predators in one area can be detrimental to the population of other animals and plants; managed reserves ensure greater safety to wildlife from human-wildlife conflict and poachers.”