[LISTEN] Phalaborwa lions staying put
Last week news that 14 lions were roaming the area caused a stir with confusion reigning over who they belonged to.
The Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment, and Tourism's Zaid Kalla says the 14 lions outside Phalaborwa are meant to be there and are staying put.
Last week news that 14 lions were roaming the area caused a stir with confusion reigning over who they belonged to.
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Kalla has now clarified that the lions are roaming in their normal habitat in an area known for game and game drives.
"We realised as a Department there was no escape of any lions from any facility in the area - the lions were spotted in their normal area of roaming," said Kalla after it was initially believed that the lions might have escaped from the Kruger National Park.
"It's a huge area with various facilities that accommodates wildlife," he explains. "There are various companies operating there and as they operate there if each one were to put up fencing it will mean that certain animals will not be able to travel to access water...so they decided to keep the area open so that they can roam freely."
Kalla says the area in question is not near a town or village.
Listen to Kalla below: