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'Black Lions' Terrify Township
Nelspruit - Big black lions are said to be roaming the streets of
Matsulu township outside the Mpumalanga capital, terrifying residents
who say they are too afraid to walk outside at night.
Residents have been making anonymous phone calls to the Mpumalanga
Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) about "black lions" that have escaped
from the neighbouring Kruger National Park, said MTPA spokesperson
Jimmy Masombuka on Thursday.
"We have been receiving these calls from frightened residents who tell
us that they spotted black lions prowling the area," he said.
He said that while the MTPA took the phone calls seriously, no lions
have been found by officials sent to search the area.
"It is surprising for us to hear of black lions. But, although it's
hard to believe, you don't just dismiss these kind of things. Maybe we
are sitting on a great discovery," he said.
No reports of attacks
Masombuka said some people who said they had seen may have mistaken
the dark brown colours for black, or perhaps they had seen the lions
at night.
He said it was possible the lions could have returned to the park
without harming anyone.
"There have not been any reports of livestock being attacked by the
animals. But, if livestock was eaten, we would have to hunt down and
kill the lions because they would become a problem," said Masombuka.
He warned residents not to try tackle the lions on their own, but to
immediately report sightings to the MTPA.
He also warned people that if they came across dead lions, not to eat
the meat as lions carried diseases that could harm people.
Masombuka said the MTPA previously had had to kill lions that had
escaped from the Kruger Park into neighbouring communities where they
had killed and eaten livestock.
News24.com South Africa: 9th May 2008