Lion back in the wild
At the moment it looks like he is adjusting well to his new environment and he has been feasting on a rhinoceros carcass for a couple of days.
LYDENBURG – The Long Tom lion was successfully released back into the wild on June 11.
Local predator expert of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), Gerrie Camacho, told Steelburger/Lydenburg News that the cat has been re-released at Manyeleti Game Reserve, adjacent to the Kruger National Park (KNP).
“The lion did test positive for tuberculosis, but another test will be performed as these can often reflect a false positive.” He said this should not be a matter of grave concern as several lions in the KNP has been positively tested for the disease.
“The lion was also fitted with a tracking collar prior to his release in order to track his movements. At the moment it looks like he is adjusting well to his new environment and he has been feasting on a rhinoceros carcass for a couple of days.”
Camacho said he hoped to visit and see the cat next week. It was first spotted on May 29 about 10 kilometres from the Mbombela/Sabie turnoff. In four days he made his way over rough plantation terrain and was eventually darted and captured on June 2, about 20 kilometres from town.
When the lion was spotted for the second time, WO Ian Nel of the local SAPS and other officers made sure to keep an eye on the cat until members of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) arrived. Willem Pretorius, a local farmer, supplied his sniffer dogs to pinpoint the exact spot where the lion fled into the bush after the first sedation.
Des Jacobs, a local photographer, supplied his drone. Sedating and capturing the cat was a daunting task as members risked their lives when the sedation repeatedly wore off. He had to be sedated four times. Camacho said the cat can now be monitored to ensure tracking of his movement.
