Johannesburg – A lioness which escaped while being transported in South Africa’s North West province was shot dead on Friday after it was spotted near a residential area, an official said.
A ground-and-air search was launched on Wednesday after the animal escaped while being transported between game reserves in a crate on the back of a pickup truck.
The lioness was shot on Friday morning near the small town of Piet Plessis, Jerry Matebesi, spokesman for the provincial department of economic development, tourism and conservation, told AFP.
“A local farmer took the decision to shoot the lion after seeing it roaming near a residential area,” Matebesi said.
DEDECT confirms that the lioness which escaped on Wednesday in transit from Leeubosch to Tlakgameng, has been located & fatally shot. It was discovered by another farmer in the Piet Plesis area who took a decision to shoot the lioness, as it was in a residential area #LionEscape pic.twitter.com/YdxUgrCu3P
— North West DEDECT (@NWPG_Dedect) February 24, 2023
“He felt it was posing risk and danger to the community.”
Matebesi said that the authorities had been inundated with worried calls from inhabitants after the lioness escaped.
According to Matebesi, the animal’s owner is a lion breeder.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Twitter/@NWPG_Dedect
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