Three lions that strayed from the Kruger National Park (KNP) on Friday were captured on Monday and returned to the park.

They were darted from a helicopter near the Sabie Sand Nature Reserve.

“We received alerts from community members of their sighting on Saturday around 10pm. They moved out through the Paul Kruger gate towards Elephant Point and were seen in the farm area,” said SANParks spokesperson Ike Phaahla, adding that a search was launched.

How they were captured

Veterinarian Dr Lufuno Netshitavhadulu recounted the capture.

“It took us the whole day. We got there around 11am in the morning. We had community members who helped track them. In the afternoon some of the guys followed the spoor and found the lions deep in the bush. We decided to call in the helicopter, to dart them from the helicopter,” he said.

“It wasn’t easy because the bush is thick and they scattered in different directions. We darted the first one and the guys on the ground located it.

“We went for the second and it was a struggle. You can miss an elephant in bush like that, imagine a lion. It was getting late. We got the second one — they were lying together, the last two. It was a perfect dart and we moved on to the third one.

The lions' tummies looked full

“They were [found] around steenboks. We don’t think they killed livestock, we would’ve got a complaint by now. They didn’t look like they were compromised but they looked full.”

If it were to be in a certain country,these lions would have died from starvation and finally ended inside pot as pepper soup and stepped down with semi chilled bottle of hero lager beer.

I sha don't like all this rough play.

ahnie:
If it werw to be in a certain country,these lions would have died from starvation and finally ended inside pot as pepper soup and stepped down with semi chilled bottle of hero lager beer.

They could have killed somebody too

illicit:



They could have killed somebody too

Well said!

How were the Lions able to stray from the park in the first place

WannaHowzit:


The Kruger national park is the size of a country like Israel.

Omo

illicit:



They could have killed somebody too

But why end up in your pot is the main question and conundrum

In a jungle like Nigeria, they would have roamed freely while on killing spree.

Wurld:
How were the Lions able to stray from the park in the first place

The Kruger national park is the size of a country like Israel.

WannaHowzit:


But why end up in your pot is the main question and conundrum

So make e no waste nah

illicit:


So make e no waste nah

Do you realise there's an unspoken subconscious worldwide pact that we don't eat animals that eat other animals - or are at the top of the food pyramid

Simply put, it's disgusting to eat carnivorous animals like lions, hyenas, snakes, dogs and cats, etc etc.

WannaHowzit:


Do you realise there's an untold subconscious worldwide pact that we don't eat animals that eat other animals - or are at the top of the food pyramid

Simply put, it's gross to eat carnivorous animals.

I feel u but rather than let a lion roam around human space

I will prefer it being put down at first sight
And so not to just let it rot away
I will prefer it eaten

illicit:


I feel u but rather than let a lion roam around human space

I will prefer it being put down at first sight
And so not to just let it rot away
I will prefer it eaten

No need to have it put down when the community was forewarned to stay alert and inform the authorities of any sightings, which is what this rural community did - hence those Saturday photos.

The problem with your country is that you lack faith and trust in your authorities to respond, which is different in SA.

WannaHowzit:


No need to have it put down when the community was forewarned to stay alert and inform the authorities of any sightings, which is what this rural community did - hence those Saturday photos.
The problem with your country is that you lack faith and trust in your authorities to respond, which is different in SA.

This statement is a fact in Nigeria. Also Nigerians love bushmeat, that is exotic animals that live inside the forest/grasslands.

jamesversion:


This statement is a fact in Nigeria. Also Nigerians love bushmeat, that is exotic animals that live inside the forest/grasslands.

In SA we only eat very few wild animals coz we love and appreciate their value in job creation and tourism.

I think the only exotic meat we kinda have in very low volumes is deer (antelope), ostrich and some crocodile.

We call it game, not bushmeat.

Funny thing is that despite the hype of lions, Tigers are stronger.

WannaHowzit:


No need to have it put down when the community was forewarned to stay alert and inform the authorities of any sightings, which is what this rural community did - hence those Saturday photos.

The problem with your country is that you lack faith and trust in your authorities to respond, which is different in SA.

Well, accidents happen


I will rather see a lion dead than a human

Lion dey go on night stroll

Abeg o.

Make three lions no dey escape like that.

Not one, not two, but three?

Had it been it was in Nigeria.

The lions would've end up in a pot of soup

illicit:


Well, accidents happen

I will rather see a lion dead than a human

Ok. Different countries, different way of thinking. Keep that in mind when you japa so you don't end up insulting your hosts like you're famous for.

Very dangerous but thank GOD for high professionalism they are found and returned if not they could have turned into a killing machine .

WannaHowzit:


Ok. Different countries, different way of thinking. Keep that in mind when you japa so you don't end up insulting your hosts like you're famous for.

So you can xenophobic them abi.

WannaHowzit:


Ok. Different countries, different way of thinking. Keep that in mind when you japa so you don't end up insulting your hosts like you're famous for.

Coming from someone whose king kills a lion

Was he gonna eat it or he just likes to see it die

Thank God they were able to locate and dart all of them before it got dark, it's very easy to lose track of fast animals once night falls...

A feast of humans won’t fill them. They’d find what the lions ate eventually.