The lion that was spotted along the R511 near the Hennops Hiking Trail in the Centurion suburb of Pretoria on Thursday, is still on the loose.

Arthur Crewe of SRU Strategic Response Rescue Unit confirmed the search for the lion continued this morning.

“We are following up on information received and have regrouped. We are trying to get a chopper to assist in the search for the lion.”

Crewe said the lion was first spotted by a security response officer at around 02:00 yesterday. He added that they had a second sighting later on yesterday.

Crewe explained that all needed services were on the scene searching for the lion.

“The relevant conservation departments have been informed. Although it was spotted on the Gauteng side of the border, lions roam far.”

Crewe advised the public in the vicinity to take precautionary steps by staying indoors with their children as well as pets.

“We really want to get this lion back safely. That is our number one goal. We are actively looking for the animal and ask residents not to shoot or approach the animal should they spot it. Contact us immediately if there are any sightings.”

Crewe confirmed to Kormorant that they found spoor in the area of the first sighting. “But due to a rainstorm, most of it was washed away. Another sighting was reported around 07:00 and we also had reports of people hearing the lion. It is a large and very dense area, making the search difficult,” he explained.

Crewe added that it is still not known where the animal came from. “Facilities in the area have reported that all their lions are accounted for. The relevant conservation departments are also following up on information.”

Contact him on 083 703 7399 if you have any valuable information.