LIMPOPO – Shamba, who is the main attraction at Marakele Animal Sanctury’s ‘Lion Mobile’ tour was shot dead after he mauled owner, Mike Hodge.
Read more: [VIDEO NOT FOR SENSITIVE VIEWERS] Man mauled by lion in Thabazimbi
Britsh born Hodge, is recovering in hospital with injuries to his neck and jaw.
After coming from the UK to South Africa in 1999, Mike and Chrissy Hodge began with their Lion project in 2003 on a farm 30kms from Thabazimbi and the Marakele Animal Sanctuary was formed in December 2010.
The ‘Lion Mobile’ attraction features a vehicle fitted with a cage in which tourists sit. Hodge is then known to throw meat on top of the vehicle on which, Shamba, would jump on.
According to information received, at the time of the mauling, Hodge opened the gate to exit after he had shown visitors around.
One of the tourists on the tour had a revolver on him and shot into the air to try and scare the lion off. When Mike’s daughter heard the shot, she ran to the scene and instructed the tourist to shoot the lion.
Review spoke to Anton van Wetten from the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism who said the behaviour of the lion could best be described as ‘playing’. He added that in order to kill a lion, one needs to have a permit.
Several attempts have been made by Review to contact Mike’s daughter, Emma, for comment but to no avail.
Meanwhile, South African National Parks (SANParks) have confirmed in a statement that the attack happened on a privately owned animal sanctuary and not Marakele National Park, as some media reports have suggested.
According to the park manager, Mphadeni Nthangeni, the park has been inundated with calls from visitors enquiring about the incident.
“We want to put on record that the incident happened in the predator park situated about two kilometres from Marakele National Park and it is not managed as part of the national park.”
He said Marakele National Park does not have animals in enclosures for tourist attraction and it is still open for tourist enjoyment.
