Nkomazi community requested to inform Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency if escaped leopard is spotted
The agency has urged the public not to take matters into their own hands and to contact them in case they spot this leopard.
The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) has sent out an alert to the communities of the Malahleka and Tjakastad areas, warning them of a vagrant leopard which had escaped from Nkomazi Game Reserve.
According to the MTPA, it escaped on or close to Monday May 6.
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On Wednesday May 8, Simphiwe Shungube, the MTPA’s spokesperson, said as soon as MTPA had received a complaint on Monday of the leopard that escaped from the reserve and killed a goat, it immediately dispatched its team from Songimvelo Nature Reserve.
This team was sent out to track and capture the damage causing animal, unfortunately without any success.
“A baited cage trap was set for two consecutive days, without any success. The entity has been on site since Monday trying to capture this dangerous animal. On Tuesday May 7, the Nkomazi Game Reserve made a helicopter available which searched the area for two hours and also was not able to locate the leopard,” he said.
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He said the MTPA team is currently still busy in the area where the leopard was seen to continue with the operation together with a specialised dog unit, to search for this dangerous animal.
He said the community is strongly advised not to try to capture the leopard on their own, and avoid walking in the mountains at night until the leopard is captured.
On Monday May 13, the newspaper was informed that the leopard had still not been found.
If the leopard is seen, the community is advised to urgently contact Nomcebo Kunene of the MTPA on 072 661 6718.
