EASTERN CAPE - KAROO LION CONTINUES TO EVADE AUTHORITIES

The Karoo National Park confirmed on Monday that the lion had not been spotted since the weekend when it was seen on a farm adjacent to the national park, but that it had disappeared moments after roaring at trackers who had been trailing the animal.

 

To date, the three-­year-old male lion had killed 13 ewes, one ram and a 150kg kudu on the nearby Marais Farm in the 11 days since it escaped through a hole in the perimeter fence of the national park.

 

The average price of a sheep varied between R4,000-R6,500, depending on size and weight.

 

The lion is believed to have been forced out of the park by older, more dominant males and escaped through a hole in the fence caused by flood damage.

 

According to Fayroush Ludick, spokesperson for SANParks, the search and tracking party was made up of 20 people which­ included a master tracker, five vehicles as well as a helicopter.

 

The lion was last spotted on a road that joins Leeu-Gamka and Fraserburg.

 

Ludick said a vet was on standby to come in via helicopter to dart the animal from the air once the tracking team had managed to pin down the lion’s exact location.

 

VIA - thenewage.co.za