Farmer ‘had the right’ to shoot lions
After escaped lions from Kruger Park killed his cow.
The Mpumalanga farmer on whose property the lions that escaped from the Kruger National Park (KNP) were killed last week said he did not act maliciously.
Barend Janse van Rensburg said that his brother, Isak, shot and killed one and injured another of the young males that escaped from the KNP last weekend.
The lions were discovered on Janse van Rensburg’s farm in the Crocodile River Conservancy last Wednesday. At first, four were reportedly sighted, but it was later confirmed that only three escaped from the game park.
Janse van Rensburg explained that an employee called him on Wednesday afternoon, saying he had spotted two lions feeding on a cow.
He said he was surprised, as earlier that day the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) had told him the lions were some distance from his farm, with a fence between them.
Suddenly, they were a kilometre from his house.
They found two and Isak shot one dead, while the other one fled. They didn’t have cellphone reception so could not call the MTPA, Janse van Rensburg said.
Early on Thursday morning, they went to look for the lions again. They found two and Isak managed to wound one before the brothers called the MTPA.
MTPA officials went up in a chopper to put down the wounded lion and to try and dart the third one. However, it proved impossible and it was also shot dead.
Veterinary surgeon Dr Ferreira du Plessis concluded the farmer acted within the law to protect his property but he should have phoned the MTPA sooner. – Caxton News Service
He was surprised as earlier that day the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency told him the lions were some distance from his farm, with a fence between them.