Cape Town – Sylvester, the lion that has escaped from the Karoo National Park for a second time, will be put down once he is captured, South African National Parks said on Tuesday.
“We will not take him back to the park. Unfortunately this lion has now been identified as a problem animal and will be euthanised,” said SANParks spokesman Rey Thakhuli.
Thakhuli said a private helicopter would be sent from Port Elizabeth on Tuesday afternoon to assist a 14-man tracker team that has been looking for the three-year-old male near Beaufort West since early in the day.
“From the signal emitted by the tracking collar he is wearing he is about 20 kilometres southwest of the park,” he said.
“Given that he is in very rough mountainous terrain, a chopper from Port Elizabeth will be assisting the search team.”
Thakhuli said fortunately the mountains were not interfering with the signal.
Sylvester killed 30 animals last year and sparked a costly three-week search when he escaped from the park. It appeared that this time he got out by crawling under the electric fence.
Thakhuli said recent rains had eroded the soil, and added that he has killed a cow since breaking out the park.
“The lion has already killed a cow in another privately-owned farm.”
Last year, Sylvester was said to have killed 28 sheep, a cow and a kudu.
The search that ended in his recapture involved 10 trackers and police dogs. It cost about R800 000.
African News Agency
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