Lion on the loose in northern KZN (original) (raw)

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Northern KwaZulu-Natal residents are on high alert after a lion was spotted roaming near the R66 between Nongoma and Pongola on Sunday night.

A team of wildlife experts and trackers is searching for the wild cat.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife spokesperson Musa Mntambo confirmed the sighting.

“Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife was made aware of a lion seen roaming on the R66 around Nongoma and Pongola before the Vryheid turnoff.”

Mntambo said it was suspected the lion came from Mkuze Falls Private Game Reserve.

However, the reserve’s Thulani Dlamini said it couldn’t be one of theirs, as they had done a count and all their lions were inside their property, which is closed for renovations.

He said they were assisting in the search because there were several communities nearby.

Mntambo said there were no reports of cows or other animals being attacked and urged the public to report any wild animal sightings.

In January 2025 there was a lion call-up headed by a professional hunter after several sightings and livestock killings in Gluckstad near Vryheid.

A call-up is a method of attracting an animal to an area for capture, treatment or relocation.

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