Lionesses kill South African conservationist at safari lodge

Peta Thornycroft

A RESPECTED South African conservationist was mauled to death in the bush yesterday by two mature white lionesses kept at his safari lodge.

The attack came after West Mathewson, 68, unlocked the gate into the enclosure where the pair lived to “take them for a morning walk”.

His wife, Gill, 65, attempted to distract the animals, but Mr Mathewson had already suffered a fatal injury.

The 400lb lionesses, Tanner and Demi, had already killed a man working on a neighbouring property after they broke out of their paddock in 2017.

They had been kept at the lodge since being rescued as cubs from a “canned” hunting farm – where lions are bred to be shot.

Many wildlife experts in South Africa say that it is not appropriate to try to domesticate or keep lions away from the wild as they are predators. At least 10 South Africans were killed by lions they were looking after in recent years.

Mr Mathewson’s daughter-in-law, Tehri Fergusson, told The Telegraph it was unclear why the animals had killed him and suggested his death might have been the result of “rough play”.

“We have to realise, West was not as young as he thought he was. We are still not sure what happened, but there was very rough play,” she said.

She said the lionesses had not tried to eat her father-in-law.

The Mathewson family run a popular safari operation, Lion Tree Top Lodge, about 280 miles north-west of Johannesburg and close to Kruger National Park.

The two lionesses were tranquillised following the attack and were taken to a local endangered species centre. They will be released into the wild.