New terror in town...and its not a new KTM......

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chicco

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Lion on the loose in Richards Bay
12 May 2011 - 11:39
By Lauren Holley
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife officials are warning residents of Meer En See in Richards Bay that a lion is on the loose.
It remains unclear where the animal could have come from, but it was first spotted in the Kleiklip Kloofie area around a month ago.

Ezemvelo spokesperson Frans Mthembu says the lioness might have escaped from Hluhluwe-Imfolzi Game Reserve which is about 90km north of Richards Bay.

He says there have been recent sightings of the lion.

"On the 6th of May, one of the community members in the Meer En See area phoned me and said he was in his house and his small dog started barking. When he went out, he saw the lioness walking outside of his yard and into the bush."

Mthembu says they are busy tracking the animal which was last spotted near Five Mile Beach.

"If we find where she is, we'll contact the people from Umfolozi or Hluhluwe to come and help us. But at the moment, we are still on her tracks.

Ezemvelo first heard about the purported lion from Richards Bay teacher Teboho Mongoato, who was driving along a gravel road when he spotted what he believed to be the predator.

"It was huge. As I drove onto the gravel road, a lioness came out of the bush onto the road and then disappeared into the bush again," he said.

"I definitely saw a lioness."

Zimu said wildlife officials in the area have not established where the big cat might have escaped from.

A tracker from Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve was brought in to track and capture the cat.

"At this stage, we cannot set up a trap because the area is very big and there are many other animals there".

Animal Rights Africa activist Steven Smit said that he hoped the lioness would be darted and returned to her home.

"I hope sanity prevails and the lioness does not become a victim of a macho search."

Over the years, residents have also claimed that cheetahs had been spotted on a stretch of road often used by walkers, joggers and cyclists.

Hippos and crocodiles from neighbouring game parks have been known to roam the streets of North Coast towns.

In 2008, residents of the quiet Mvutshini district spotted a leopard and called Ezemvelo to capture it before it killed their livestock.

In May of that year, a hippo caught the public's attention when it left its herd in northern KwaZulu-Natal and roamed residential suburbs. "




This is currently big news in Richards Bay. I convinced by oldest son that this would be a great story to tell his grandchildren so we set off on voting day in search of the lion. What we would have done if we actually run into this lion I dont know, but my wife had a couple of scenarios which all ended up in me being eaten alive.....

We followed the tracks all around meerensee past 5 mile and kleiklipklofie, then worked our way towards the the Mzingazi lake. it was a wonderfull day, no dust, no rain, partly cloudy...the perfect day to be eaten by a lion....

After spending the morning exploring all the little paths we gave up and headed for the local wimpy.
 

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