The roaming male lion that was darted and captured at about 02:00 on Saturday, November 2, is being kept at a holding facility by the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA).
The MTPA’s spokesperson, Simphiwe Shungube, said the lion has not been released since its capture at Sekelbos Estate in Mbombela. “Our team is still conducting some health checks. Once the results are out, the lion will be released with a satellite collar. We have not yet decided where he will be released, but updates will be made available,” he said.
The lion’s origin is still unknown. Shungube did not respond to questions about this.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Wildebeest storm onto University of Mpumalanga campus
The lion was tracked from October 27, after first being spotted in the Hermansburg area along the R40 between Barberton and Mbombela. It was then seen in the Glenwood and Hilltop areas, before turning up at The Rest Estate at about 02:00 on October 30 when it was caught on the estate’s CCTV cameras.
Initially, it was believed that there could be more than one lion roaming in those areas, but Shungube confirmed that no additional lions have been found.
On October 29, a community member who owns a fixed-wing airplane flew it over the areas where the lion’s tracks had been found and where it had been sighted, but was unable to locate it. The MTPA also had a drone in the air to search for the big cat and tried to follow its tracks that same day, but also failed due to the thick vegetation and difficult terrain.
ALSO READ: Roaming lion captured near Mbombela’s Sekelbos Estate
“The MTPA would like to thank Sapphire Blue Drones, Chris Smith of Wildlifevets.com and the public for their support during the search period. These key stakeholders worked side by side with the MTPA team until the lion was successfully located, darted and moved to the holding facility for further management,” Shungube said.
Bongekile Khumalo
www.citizen.co.za
