No more escaping as Sylvester becomes king lion
SYLVESTER the escape artist lion is finally king – after being moved to a larger contractual area of the Addo Elephant National Park.
Arguably South Africa’s most famous lion after he escaped twice within months from Beaufort West’s Karoo National Park, Sylvester entered the larger Kuzuko Lodge contractual area of the park after his boma fence was cut on Saturday.
The boma he shared with a younger male lion, Fillies, with whom he developed a strong bond, joined the park’s two lionesses in the new 15 000ha area. The lionesses were released on Friday when a SANPARKS vet darted them and fitted one with a tracking collar which will indicate their location.
Addo Elephant National Park conservation manager John Adendorff said the lions were proving that they could survive well in the wild.
“On their first night out they caught a kudu and the very next morning a red hartebeest.
“This is confirmation that they can fend for themselves in the wild,” he said.
After Sylvester and Fillies’s release, a carcass was placed about 50m from a corner in the fence which saw him bolt out of the enclosure.
Sylvester started feeding on the carcass and was followed shortly after by his coalition partner.
“Sylvester is already showing signs of being the pride leader.
“On Sunday night he chased the females off their kill,” he said.
“Now it appears he finally has a place where he belongs, without threat, and that he has bonded so closely with the younger male, we are confident that Sylvester will have no need to ever stray again.
“His satellite tracking collar location is monitored regularly and easily gives us his location.”