Lion On The Loose: Big Cat Spotted On Highway, Warning Issued

Authorities in the South Africa have asked the public to be on a lookout after reports of a lion wandering on a highway emerged. According to local media reports, the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) - the governmental organisation responsible for maintaining wilderness areas - has confirmed that a lion was spotted just 40 kms outside the city of Mbombela, close to Lydenburg, on Tuesday.

Lowvelder reports that the lion, a young male, escaped from the Kruger National Park and is still on the loose. However, the Daily Sun reports that a spokesperson from Kruger National Park said that the lion could not have come from the park because the distance between the park and Lydenburg was too big.

A video of the lion was taken by Xander Mulligan, who initially saw the lion on the Long Tom Pass and reported it to the MTPA.

Juan de Beer, acting senior manager of the MTPA's Wildlife Protection Services, urged the community to practise caution and avoid the area.

"We can confirm that the various reports stating that the lion was darted and relocated are untrue," said Mr de Beer, adding that they had no leads on where the big cat might be.
 

Mr de Beer said to Lowvelder that MTPA'S main priority was to capture the lion, and the last resort would be to kill it.