Reported lion activity in Northern KwaZulu-Natal has prompted Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife to launch a search operation for these apex predators.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Communications Manager Musa Mntambo explained that on Friday, 17 January 2025, Ezemvelo Wildlife organised two teams to be dispatched to the Gluckstadt area, which falls under the AbaQulusi (Vryheid) Municipality, to search for lions.
This was in response to verified reports of livestock being killed by wild animals, believed to be lions.
“The Ezemvelo team working alongside a second team led by a private professional hunter conducted a lion call-up. The lion call-up commenced at around 7pm (on Friday) until after 1am on Saturday morning, 18 January 2024, but yielded no success,” said Mntambo. He further noted that the teams resumed their search over the weekend with the assistance of a helicopter to locate the lions, which are suspected to be hiding in nearby dense bushes.
According to Mntambo, there have been three recent confirmed sightings of the lions in the area. Additionally, three cattle have been reportedly killed by the lions, raising concerns about the safety of residents and livestock in the area.
Taking this into consideration, Mntambo emphasised, “Ezemvelo has issued a warning to communities around the Gluckstadt area to be vigilant and report any sightings immediately to the local traditional leadership or police station.”
Furthermore, he highlighted that it currently remains unclear from where these lions may have escaped. This information will apparently only be confirmed once the lions are destroyed.
With the above in mind, what are your thoughts on all of this? Share your views in the comment section below.
40 Responses
I don’t understand why they have to destroy them. Every time lions escape they kill them. Why can they not dart them and take them to a secure game reserve. It is so cruel to kill an animal that acts on natural instinct and knows no better
You are absolutely correct, why kill them?????? Take them to another reserve.
Why is a hunter involved, though these lion’s have escaped why not have a vet with to dart these lion’s and place them somewhere safe. There’s enough of killing of all animals they also have a right to live on earth. Humans should stop being cruel, heartless, and greedy. Save these lion’s instead of killing them
Meaning those who take care of this lions are careless or not doing their job
People who live in the area of reserves sometimes cut fences to kill for meat, or, poachers could also be responsible for cut fences. We should not be so quick to place blame on the rangers, most of whom are doing good work trying to keep our wildlife safe.
So true they have so far only being killing lions that have escaped instead of darting them and re locating them, and they give some lame excuse in my opinion on why they had to kill them. But I am not an expert this is just my opinion
100 percent agreed. No need to kill them. They hunt inside the game park what’s the difference. They haven’t killed any people.
Onc
I don’t know how or where the lions escaped from, but I bet it’s because some one is not doing their job. I suspect it’s the story of SA incompetent people not doing their jobs !!, and ultimately something or some else suffers.
I don’t know where or how these lions escaped from. But I suspect because Ezemvelo is involved, it is not private. Dare I say it, is it again the policy of Cadre deployment of incompetent people not doing their job ? So now it is animals that are just doing what comes naturally that suffer.
Do not kill them , enclose them
It’s deeply concerning to hear about the lion sightings in Gluckstadt, but it’s important that these magnificent creatures are not harmed. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife should prioritize humane capture and relocation efforts to ensure both community safety and the preservation of our wildlife. Killing the lions should never be the solution—let’s protect our natural heritage while finding effective ways to coexist.
Ĺook, whoever is involved in game farming in and around the area and has a pride of lions should do stock counting and take it from there. Otherwise you may have to pay penalties incurred by the lions that don’t belong to you. Further you may at your own peril destroy other people’s property.
I can only agree with Louis Bester. This is exactly what’s wrong with our conservation practies in this country. Incompetant cadres employed because of their polical affiliations and not their ability to manage any conservation areas. In fact why the ANC doesn’t disband Ezemvelo and call in a competant NGO to manage all game reserves areas in Kzn is a mystery and reeks of nepotism, when so many of the game reserves are so badly managed, and apparently Ezemvelo is bankrupt and barely able to keep themselves afloat financially 🙄
I agree with you.
💯‼️
Just because they killed a few livestock, humans feel it right to kill these lions. Why can’t they be captured and moved away from humans.
Humans torture millions of innocent animals every minute of every day, and according to the righteouness humans “IT’S OK TO SLAUGHTER ANIMALS”
What right has that HUNTER have to kill those lions. He’s a killer he has no feeling for animals.
SET THOSE LIONS FREE ELSEWHERE. THIS PLANET IS FOR LIONS TOO. WHERE SHOULD THEY LIVE. ON MARS.
Is it necessary to “destroy them”?. Why not capture and return to a suitable game park?. It’s very unhelpfu to just opt to kill an animal whose population is in steep decline.
I also say, this animals are innocent as they are hungry and to kill them is unfair. Rather dart them and take them where they can roam free
ly.
I agree with you.
Anything maintained by a Black man turns into corruption or hell.It s time we as Africans give Democratic Alliance a chance to make things RIGHT.Most of my African brothers and sisters ,steal once they are given power to manage.Look at Harrismith in Free State, it’s gonna look like a GHOST TOWN soon.ANC THIEVES,failed to maintain what the old regime government made.ANC failed just to maintain then yiu tell me I vote these thieves !!!!! I AM AFRICAN ZULU MAN ,but I use my brains to think …..
Please don’t kill the Lions. Rescue them and move them to a safer location away from people and livestock! I’m sure there are game reserves that will be willing to take them in. #dontkillthelions #donotdestroy
Lions left out in the open are the fault of its owners. They should rather be locked up for negligence. We feel more for these animals than humans who don’t know how to be responsible. Really sad.
It’s not nyc to say but i with the hunter get a taste of his own medicine just like a arm or a leg and we will see how he feels.
GOD BLESSED US WITH THESE AMAZING ANIMALS.
Why do these lions have to be destroyed surely they can be transquiized with dart guns
Who is the owner? Now these lions are killing off peoples livelihood, who is liable for that.
If the owner can’t own up. Kill them.
Once lions taste humans blood they will never again eat anything else except humans,humans meat is soft compared so that’s why they will kill them to protect community and cattle.
They haven’t attacked any humans – yet. Catch them before they do and prosecute the human/s who are responsible for the lions. They need to be held liable for the loss of livestock, negligence, and for endangering others. The lions are just lions and should be saved and relocated.
DON’T kill these magnificent animals !!
WE ARE TO BLAME !!! Manage them, and return them safely where they belong.
We will club in for the 1,2,3 cattle that has been eaten by the Lions.
We supposed to be the World leaders in Nature conservation ??????
Please set a example how things should be done ✅
DON’T KILL THOSE LIONS !!!!
Herman Hazyview
(Next to Kruger National Park)
In my opinion we are the human race invading they land ….animals and nature have always been hear before us ….
In my opinion I don’t think it’s fair killing animals is never the option…
Trying to provide resources to facilitate the lions would be a better….
Have a heart
I agree with every one and Sikulile.i am also a Professional Hunter and don’t kill Lions or other predators it is a shame. Dart them and relocate them to a safe environment. There must be a law that protect these animals , and our government must be hold responsible for not protect Lions and the big five if they are going to be shoot by trigger happy official and humans.
I started to crying my heart out. What a shame.
Register theirs names in a public book of shame with face photos.
Take away all licences of professional Hunters and Lion farms who kill Lions or any of the big five for the pleasure and money for trophy hunting.
Sad today.
Capture and sell them to a zoo…That’s prison for animals.
Please don’t kill these these wonderful creatures!!!!
It sad that these lions need to be killed, I do understand they are killing peoples livestock, but can these lions not be captured and returned to their natural habitat.
Sanjay Lalla
Natural instinct, I am hungry I need to eat, there is prey, eat. That is what Lions do, they did nothing wrong. They don’t need to be killed, just darted and moved to a safe location. Exactly like Cape Nature did with their lion that kept escaping.
He was relocated after escaping repeatedly.
Esemvelo come on stop taking the easy way out, start showing up for what you signed up.
The fences are being cut by the local population to allow their own goats to graze in the park, taken back out in the evening and hole in fence being left open, from where the lions “escape”… It’s all bull shit..!
Lions have already killed cattles. They must all kill it. Eye for a eye. Those dead livestock deserve not to be killed by lions. Lions must taste their own medicine.
Why kill the lions. They need to eat as we all do. Why not dart them and relocate to one of the KZN parks to be released.
Wild lions are in dire straits in terms of numbers. People in authority should know this.
Ke ya has a program where if a lion kills Masaai cattle. The lions are captured and relocated and Masaai compensated either in cattle or money.
What you doing is WRONG DESTROYING LIONS WRONG
There is no need to destroy them.
That’s always the easiest and cheapest response from Ezemvelo who has a very bad track record.
It’s usually because Hluhluwe/ Umfolozi parks fences are all falling down because all the money has been stolen.
Dart them and take them back, the only reason they are out is either they have been pushed out because there is no longer enough space or fences are in bad repair or broken and that’s very often the l9cal communities fault and then they complain when these animals escape.
I agree with everyone about not shooting the lions, what’s it with us humans that we are too trigger happy to kill these beautiful animals some years ago agriforum had a picture of a beautiful leopard that was shot because it was killing and eating sheep on some farm what a beautiful specimen was wasted by a bullet whereas it could’ve been tranquilised and taken elsewhere. If this earth still has a long future we will be showing our grandkids and great grand kids pictures of the beautiful lions and leopards that existed because that’s all we’ll have left…photos!!!