Four escaped lions from KNP shot dead
The MTPA confirmed this afternoon that the four male lions that have escaped from the Kruger National Park (KNP) were shot dead.
A farm owner in the Mara Valley shot one of the lions last night, and wounded another after they killed one of his cattle, the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) said in a joint statement with SANParks this afternoon, reports the Lowvelder.
Officials using a chopper, found the remaining three lions close to the carcass of the cow.
The teams said it was operating in a difficult and extremely challenging terrain which made darting a difficult option.
“We have a dedicated and experienced team on site that has been working tirelessly to locate and capture these lions,” said Abe Sibiya, head of biodiversity at the MTPA.
“Unfortunately after all efforts were made and the risk of having a wounded lion roaming around, a decision had to be taken to destroy them.”
Sibiya thanked SANParks, farm owners and the surrounding community for its support and alerts in finding the animals.
– Caxton News Service
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