Lone lion believed back in Kruger

SOUTH African National Parks (SANParks) representatives believe that the lone lion which escaped from the Kruger National Park a week ago has probably made its way back home.

Yesterday, Danie Pienaar, SANParks’ head of scientific services and acting head of conservation services, said the chances were that the lion had made its way back to the park, probably after hearing the roars of other lions and following their scent.

Pienaar added that the lion population in the park, which stands at 1 800, had fluctuated over the past 10 years.

Saturated

He said the number of adult female lions had increased from 420 to 600, which made the population saturated.

“This is because one female lion can have a number of cubs, and whether they survive or not will determine how that figure stands at any given time.”

Explaining how lions reacted in their natural habitat, Pienaar said 3-year-old lions were often evicted from the pride by the adult males, or faced being killed.

He said adult males within coalitions ruling a particular pride were often displaced when they were taken over by another group of stronger lions.

“When new adult males take over a pride, the first thing they do is kill all the cubs, because those are not their cubs. And when the females come into heat again, they mate with them and sire their own cubs.

“Animals that leave the park are animals that are vulnerable inside the park and are being threatened for natural reasons,” said Pienaar.

However, he said that was not the case with the five lions that escaped on May 8, as it appeared they had accidentally wandered out of the park.

Four of the five missing lions were eventually located and captured around 60km from Mananga near the border with Swaziland.

“They were 5-year-olds in good condition, and seem to have just walked through the river, because the park is not impermeable.”