Trackers, rangers search for elusive lion
SPECIALISED trackers and rangers from the Karoo National Park outside Beaufort West have expanded the search area for the lion that escaped from the park almost two weeks ago.
“Today’s 10-man team split into three smaller teams, in an attempt to cover a larger area of farmland,” said park manager Nico van der Walt.
SA National Parks (SANParks) said the police stock theft unit from Beaufort West assisted in the search on Tuesday.
“The teams searched on top of the mountains in an area called the Kleinboere, towards the north-east of the park. The section of the Kleinboere area the teams could not cover on Tuesday will be searched on Wednesday, and also north of that.
“This is between 15km and 20km from the park’s boundary,” said Van der Walt.
Farmers and farmworkers in and around the area have been requested to report sightings or evidence of lion spoor to the police or the park on 023 415 2828 or Van der Walt directly on 082 801 2109.
The lion is believed to have escaped from the park on February 15, and now has a team on the ground permanently leading the search for it.
By midday on Tuesday, the team reported to still not have found any fresh tracks, nor have had any recent sightings of the lion.
“The team comprises four trackers and four rangers, led by Karoo National Park’s senior section ranger.
They will remain in the area where they suspect the lion to be, making full use of the daylight hours available to them,” said SANParks.
Van der Walt said rangers believed the animal to be a two-and-a-half year old male.
“It’s believed he managed to escape underneath the park’s electrified fencing after heavy rain in the area washed away sediment along the boundary,” Van der Walt said.
Landowners on the farm Highlands, to the north-east of the Karoo National Park, were asked to be on the lookout for the tracks of the escaped Karoo lion.
This came after two search teams lost the lion’s tracks in the rocky harsh terrain that they were operating in over the weekend.