DURBAN - Two more lions escaped from the uMfolozi Game Reserve on Monday, the surrounding community say.
Residents in the area of Okhukhu in Nongoma, neighbouring the reserve say they called KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife when they spotted the lions.
“We spotted the lions yesterday morning and when we called Ezemvelo they came out in a helicopter and we showed them where we had seen the lions, they managed to re-capture one,” says a resident who does not want to be named fearing victimisation as he is still awaiting claims from Ezemvelo for his cattle eaten by the reserve’s lions.
He says they spotted the lions while on their daily morning walks to check if livestock was not eaten by escaped lions.
Earlier this month, the Daily News reported that after 8 of the 10 escaped lions had been captured by reserve rangers, community members discovered that five more had escaped and had devoured more of their cattle.
And a week after this the community of Ngolotsha area of Nongoma trapped and killed one of four more lions that had escaped.
At the time Ezemvelo spokesperson Musa Mntambo repairs on the reserve’s damaged fence would begin and after investigations those who lost cattle would be compensated.
On Monday night the a loose lion that had not been captured by rangers could be heard by residents roaring.
“Well into the night I could hear this lion. It roared until I could hear other lions responding its roars. So now it's out there with other lions,” says the resident.
He says repairs are underway and they can see a new fence being put up but the lions were on the community’s side of the fence and not in the reserve.
“On Saturday there was a meeting with the community and Ezemvelo however no real solutions came up, here we are still with lions roaming amongst us”.
While Ezemvelo was asked to confirm the recent escape of two lions, by the time of publishing the Daily News had not received a response.