FULL STORY: Full-grown male lion roams freely on roads
Nothing, however, prepared him for what he was about to see.
LYDENBURG – Since December last year, various sightings of a lion have been reported in the Ohrigstad/Lydenburg/ Pilgrim’s Rest area.
Monday night was the latest sighting of this animal and as Ephraim Lekhowa explained, this is a fully grown male lion. “I live in Burgersfort and have a farm in Pilgrim’s Rest. I was making my way towards the farm at around 20:00. At the Lydenburg/Ohrigstad/Pilgrim’s Rest turnoff, I turned off towards Pilgrim’s. I hit a pothole about 700 metres after the turn-off and got out to inspect my vehicle. After I made sure that I didn’t get a puncture, I proceeded driving. At the gravel road leading to Ohrigstad Dam, something caught my eye. I thought that it might be a buck and slowed down.”
Nothing, however, prepared him for what he was about to see. “There was this huge male lion standing next to the shoulder of the road. It walked into the centre of the tar road. I switched to my high beams to make sure my eyes were not playing tricks on me. It looked right at me and slowly began making its way to the other side of the road. There was this lion standing in front of me just as in the Kruger National Park (KNP) where we would often see them. I couldn’t believe it. He was huge as was his mane.”
Capt Alfred Moela of Lydenburg SAPS confirmed the incident. “We went to the scene on Tuesday. Various villagers confirmed Lekhowa’s sighting. We made contact with the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA). They are aware of the matter and giving it the necessary attention.”
Moela said in the meantime residents, villagers and road users are urged to immediately report any sighting of the lion to the Pilgrim’s Rest SAPS and the MTPA.
Local predator expert of the agency, Gerrie Camacho, confirmed that they were informed of the sighting. “There have been previous reports of a lion being seen in this area as early as December last year. The next sighting might not be at the same exact spot. Anyone who does see the animal can inform members of the MTPA.”
INFO BLOCK:
In June 2018 another male lion was spotted roaming the Long Tom Pass. Dubbed the Long Tom Lion, this cat was successfully darted near Hobs Hollow Brewery. After testing for illnesses such as tuberculosis, the lion was released back into the wild on June 11, 2018.
The animal was re-released at Manyeleti Game Reserve, adjacent to the KNP. The following MTPA members can be contacted with regards to any sightings of the lion: Camacho on 082-353-9097, Louw Steyn on 083-626-6792, Ferreira du Plessis on 082-901-3172, Tom Middleton on 072-405-2896 or Pilgrim’s Rest SAPS on 013-768-1122.
