More lions killed, heads and paws removed
Three more lions have been killed and their heads and paws removed in Limpopo.
One lion was poisoned on a game farm in the Groblersdal area and two lions (male and female) were poisoned and shot and heads and paws removed on a farm in the Bela Bela area.
The police's Ronél Otto said there were investigating, but no arrests have been made.
"Anybody who can assist with information in this regard is requested to come forward and contact the police so we can follow up the leads provided," Otto said.
The National Council of SPCAs has condemned the killings.
Spokesperson Isabel Wentzel said there is some speculation that the lion parts will be used for muti.
"In South Africa the use of the whole parts like that is maybe not as common as in the rest of Africa, but why else would they be taking parts from lions and then go to the extreme to actualy poison and take the parts," Wentzel said.
Wentzel said the decapitation and mutilation of lions is a new occurance.
"There has been an incident near Rustenburg, but it was more a revenge killing than anything else."