Durban - Animal welfare organisation Four Paws says no effort should be spared to protect KwaZulu-Natal’s lion population, warning that the situation may become dire.
As the search for a lion that escaped from the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park continues, the organisation said greater steps should be taken to protect the lions as they are part of the country’s heritage.
Four Paws’ Elize Parker said they had noted the recent killings of escaped lions in KZN, calling it a worrying development that needed active participation from all quarters.
In July, six lions that escaped from the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park were found and euthanised by wildlife rangers after they attacked cattle.
Last month, another lion that escaped from the park was killed by community members after it killed cattle.
The lions and other wildlife were escaping from the park due to the porous boundary fence. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has said steps would be taken to deal with the fencing problems.
“The situation facing African lions is serious. Safeguarding them requires commitment from all stakeholders. To address this we are working together with lion-orientated organisations to pass legislation that will protect lions as well as other big cats against trophy hunting and exploitation,” said Parker.
She added that in some instances lions were killed by poachers for their body parts, which were used for medicinal purposes in other countries.
“We have found in a recent survey that most South Africans believe that trophy hunting has a detrimental impact on the conservation of big cat species and that conservation is the best way to preserve them for future generations. A total of 94% of South Africans in the study said that South Africa is a well-known tourist destination because of its wildlife,” Parker added.
She cited grim statistics which revealed that from 2011 to 2020, 7 311 lions were killed as part of trophy hunting, with 7 196 skeletons and 1 949 live lions exported.
In addition to this, statistics revealed that 1 927 of the 1 949 live lions that were exported came from captive-bred situations, while 557 live lions were exported to China, 160 to Thailand and 108 to Vietnam.
She pointed out that for tourism, lions were regarded as the main attraction within the Big Five family.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment also expressed concern at the emerging pattern of the killing of lions in KZN.
Department spokesperson Albie Modise said: “The overall impact on the lion population in KwaZulu-Natal is not extensive now, but the department is monitoring this situation as an emerging risk,” said Modise.
He added that Minister Barbara Creecy had discussed the matter with the KZN Environmental Affairs MEC Siboniso Duma and the chairperson of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and it was agreed that Ezemvelo can approach SANParks if they needed assistance.
Meanwhile, Ezemvelo spokesperson Musa Mntambo said the escaped lion had yet to be found.
He added that there had been no recent reports of cattle killed, which may suggest that the lion had returned to the park.
However, he said residents should remain vigilant and avoid going out at night or in the early morning.