A female lion “cub” escaped from its enclosure at Mpongo Private Game Reserve on Wednesday night and is on the loose.
It is not clear how the lioness, named Sheba, who was sharing an enclosure with two other lions – Ozy, 18 months old, and Simba, 13 months old – escaped from the enclosure.
Eastern Cape police said yesterday the enclosure was still intact.
Cambridge police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said: “The of Mpongo Park, outside East London along the N6, Mr Martin Jansen van Rensburg, has reported a lioness which escaped from the enclosure last night.
“He has since assured the public that he has engaged all the resources at his disposal to recapture the cat.
“He insists that the lion is tame but the public needs to exercise caution and be vigilant”.
Jansen van Rensburg told the Daily Dispatch yesterday that Sheba was 13 months old, but an official statement from the reserve said she was between nine and 12 months old.
Reserve spokeswoman Kirsten Smith dismissed the police’s description that Sheba was a lioness, and instead called her a “cub”.
The Dispatch visited the reserve yesterday which is surrounded by heavily populated villages and thick bush.
Jansen Van Rensburg said the enclosure Sheba had been housed in had a double electric fence with 6600 to 11000 volts running through a 2.7m- high enclosure.
The reserve is home to six lionesses, two lions and five young cubs.
The adult lions were rescued from potentially threatening locations and situations and are housed in five lion camps, all of which are electrified as per regulations, the statement from Smith reads.
She said that following an inspection of the enclosure, it was found that human error was not involved in the animal’s escape.
“It is suspected that the cub was frightened because of a fight between two adult females and an adult male and escaped through the electric fence to get away from the chaos.”
Jansen van Rensburg said if any animal felt afraid, it would try and escape the situation. Management at the reserve immediately took action after being alerted to the missing cub.
Rangers, as well as the reserve’s 24-hour anti-poaching unit, started searching for Sheba using vehicles, while others joined on foot. Although the cub had been sighted, she kept disappearing into the undergrowth.
The search continued yesterday with assistance of tracker dogs and a police helicopter. However, high temperatures have made the search more difficult and it is believed Sheba would take cover in deep shade under trees and shrubbery to stay cool.
Smith said the public would be informed as soon as she was safely returned to her enclosure.
Villagers neighbouring the four-star establishment, however, reacted nervously to the news of the escape.
Fundiswa Bubi, 52, from Kwa Mpundu village said they were scared to leave their homes for work or school.
“We are helpless because there’s absolutely nothing one could do if confronted by the ,” she said.
Mzwandile Jakuca, 59, said he was concerned over the safety of children who played in the bush surrounding the reserve.
“Even myself, I walk a long distance through the bush to and from work,” he said. — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
Villagers in fear of lion cub on the run
It is not clear how the lioness, named Sheba, who was sharing an enclosure with two other lions – Ozy, 18 months old, and Simba, 13 months old – escaped from the enclosure.
Eastern Cape police said yesterday the enclosure was still intact.
Cambridge police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said: “The of Mpongo Park, outside East London along the N6, Mr Martin Jansen van Rensburg, has reported a lioness which escaped from the enclosure last night.
“He has since assured the public that he has engaged all the resources at his disposal to recapture the cat.
“He insists that the lion is tame but the public needs to exercise caution and be vigilant”.
Jansen van Rensburg told the Daily Dispatch yesterday that Sheba was 13 months old, but an official statement from the reserve said she was between nine and 12 months old.
Reserve spokeswoman Kirsten Smith dismissed the police’s description that Sheba was a lioness, and instead called her a “cub”.
The Dispatch visited the reserve yesterday which is surrounded by heavily populated villages and thick bush.
Jansen Van Rensburg said the enclosure Sheba had been housed in had a double electric fence with 6600 to 11000 volts running through a 2.7m- high enclosure.
The reserve is home to six lionesses, two lions and five young cubs.
The adult lions were rescued from potentially threatening locations and situations and are housed in five lion camps, all of which are electrified as per regulations, the statement from Smith reads.
She said that following an inspection of the enclosure, it was found that human error was not involved in the animal’s escape.
“It is suspected that the cub was frightened because of a fight between two adult females and an adult male and escaped through the electric fence to get away from the chaos.”
Jansen van Rensburg said if any animal felt afraid, it would try and escape the situation. Management at the reserve immediately took action after being alerted to the missing cub.
Rangers, as well as the reserve’s 24-hour anti-poaching unit, started searching for Sheba using vehicles, while others joined on foot. Although the cub had been sighted, she kept disappearing into the undergrowth.
The search continued yesterday with assistance of tracker dogs and a police helicopter. However, high temperatures have made the search more difficult and it is believed Sheba would take cover in deep shade under trees and shrubbery to stay cool.
Smith said the public would be informed as soon as she was safely returned to her enclosure.
Villagers neighbouring the four-star establishment, however, reacted nervously to the news of the escape.
Fundiswa Bubi, 52, from Kwa Mpundu village said they were scared to leave their homes for work or school.
“We are helpless because there’s absolutely nothing one could do if confronted by the ,” she said.
Mzwandile Jakuca, 59, said he was concerned over the safety of children who played in the bush surrounding the reserve.
“Even myself, I walk a long distance through the bush to and from work,” he said. — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
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