Eight mutilated lions discovered at North West game farm
South African police have launched an investigation after eight mutilated lion carcasses were discovered at a private game farm.
"They were illegally hunted yesterday morning at one of the lodges in the vicinity of Swartruggens," said police spokesman Sabata Mokgwabone.
He added that "the snouts and paws were cut off from all the lions".
Poachers were thought to have fed the lions with poisoned chicken, but police did not want to speculate saying investigations were still underway.
"Apparently chicken carcasses were found nearby, so it's just a suspicion... that they might have been poisoned and the lions were fed with the chickens," said Mokgwabone.
"This matter is still under investigation," he said.
No arrests have been made yet and the motive remains unclear.
Some previous cases of lion killings have been speculated to be for the big cats' body parts which are used in so-called traditional medicine.
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