Pretoria - A Randfontein man was arrested for allegedly keeping three lions at a plot without a permit in Dennydale.
Randfontein police spokesperson Sergeant Carmen Hendricks said officers acted on a tip-off when they made the arrests.
“SAPS members from Stock Theft Unit, together with Nature Conservation and Endangered Species, followed up on information received about a man who is in possession of lions.
“The members went to the address given and showed them the lions. They found out that the suspect has been in possession of these lions for more than a year,” she said
Hendricks said the 43-year-old man was arrested after he was found in possession of the three lions – two males and one female.
Meanwhile, last week, an extensive search operation was under way to track and capture a lion which was spotted around the R511 road, near the popular Hennops Hiking Trail and areas bordering Gauteng and North West.
Arthur Crewe, on behalf of Strategic Response and Rescue Unit, said there was no information of from where it escaped.
He said facilities in North West had indicated that they were not missing a lion, and the search was also on to establish from where the feline escaped.
“It is only Gauteng at the moment. There is apparently a lot of facilities that have these animals with permits. Authorities are visiting those facilities to see if anybody is missing their animal,” said Crewe.
IOL