BREAKING: There could be a lion in your garden! Be careful.
Lion on the loose near Fochville on the far West Rand. Residents warned to be on the lookout. Contact the Police if you see it.
A young male lion is on the loose in the Fochville area on the far West Rand.
This after he allegedly escaped from his enclosure approximately six weeks ago.
According to Drew Abrahamson from the Captured in Africa Foundation, it is still unclear at this stage who the lion belongs to and they are still trying to locate the owners.
It is alleged that the lion belongs to someone who does not have a permit to legally keep it. Drew told the Herald on Friday morning that they were informed about the lion in August and the police as well as wildlife experts‚ have been searching for it ever since.
“We immediately began looking for the lion, in partnership with specialised animal trackers from Pit-Track Canine Conservation,” said Abrahamson.
Proof of the lion’s activities came to light about two weeks ago when a farmer contacted them and the police and provided them with CCTV footage recorded at his farm gate.
Also Read: JUST IN: Lion roaming R’fontein streets
The team believes they have a good idea of where the animal currently is as they’ve come across a number of kill sites.
Drew told the Herald that the lion was spotted this morning and they are planning to safely capture it before the end of the day.
So far, the lion has killed several animals in the area, among them two donkeys‚ a cow and an impala.
The team has a strategic plan, which Abrahamson explained as follows:
“We will be tying bait‚ which is laced with a sedative‚ to a tree‚ and then will play the sounds of a wounded buffalo. We will be moving the sound around the area‚ enticing the lion to approach the bait. There‚ vets armed with dart guns‚ will dart it, after it has been semi-sedated from eating the bait,” said Abrahamson.
.@TimesLIVE Young male lion on the loose in Fouchville on the West Rand pic.twitter.com/7Z4I6SAY8B
The fact that here are no reserves‚ breeding farms or sanctuaries in the area suggests that the lion may be someone’s pet. Once it has been captured‚ it will be sent to the Lion Rock sanctuary‚ owned by Four Paws International, in Bethlehem.
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