Rangers have been deployed to locate two lions that were spotted roaming the Au Malazi municipality over the weekend.
- The people of KwaZulu-Natal reported that they spotted a lion and a lioness roaming in uMlalazi municipality.
- Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife did not find any lions in the area.
- Additionally, no livestock killings occurred in the area, according to Ezimvelo.
Rangers have been deployed to Nembe in KwaZulu-Natal to locate a lion and a lioness after three families reported they spotted wild animals roaming Umlalazi commune over the weekend.
Although Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife “can neither confirm nor deny the presence of the lions,” spokesperson Moses Mntambo said families reported sightings on Sunday.
“Ezemvelo immediately deployed its field rangers to the site to confirm their presence, track them down, and capture them. Unfortunately, Ezemvelo did not see any lion remains in the area. However, it is important to note that the Nembe area has a hard surface, which makes it difficult to detect any,” Mntambo added. Irregularities”.
He said the nearest game reserve, Hluhluwe-Impholozi Park, was more than 100 kilometers away.
“Recently, Ezemvelo has not received any reports of lions killing livestock. It would be a rare occasion that lions may have walked more than 100 kilometers without killing any livestock,” Mntambo added.
According to Ezemvelo ecologist, Dr Dave Druce, going from Hluhluwe to Mlalazi is a very long road, with a lot of developed areas.
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“When the lions left the iMfolozi section of the park in the past, they always followed the river, either the White Umfolozi towards oPhathe or the Black Umfolozi towards Babanango/Vryheid.
“I highly doubt that the animals seen were lions and I doubt even more that if they were there, they would have come from Hluhluwe Imvoluzi Park.”
Rangers have been deployed to locate two lions that were spotted roaming the Au Malazi municipality over the weekend.
Supplied by IFP KZN
However, with “recent strange incidents in other counties of people keeping dangerous wild animals as pets” or the risk of animals escaping in transit, Izimvelo said she could not ignore the reports.
“We appeal to community members to report to the nearest police station if they hear a lion roaring or see the reported lions.
They should also notify Ezemvelo if they find any animal carcasses, as this will allow Ezemvelo to determine if that dead animal was killed by a lion or other wild animals living outside protected areas.”
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Meanwhile, Queen Xulu urged Umlalazi Mayor Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife to expedite the search.
She also requested a “multisectoral approach to research” amid mounting “fear for safety in the community”.
These lions were spotted along the P710 road on Sunday around 10:00.
“As such, the level of fear and panic within the community is high, especially as the academic holiday for schools is coming to an end in the next few days,” Zulu said.
“We applaud the swift intervention by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in addressing this matter as a matter of urgency. However, we strongly believe that research efforts should be redoubled and escalated to the appropriate authorities and specialists with the necessary expertise to capture these lions.”
Zulu said lions have been spotted in residential areas along the Ambohelisa River.
“These wild animals are very dangerous and aggressive by nature. We call on our communities to be careful, to travel in groups and to watch over children. We also call on those who keep their livestock in the bush to collect them before they are eaten by lions.”