Whose lion is it anyway?
Pictures of a lion on the loose spread like a wildfire on social media on Tuesday evening but authorities from Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape are unsure of its authenticity.
Is it even real?
☝🏻🙈 Mpumalanga - #ALERT Lions roaming on the R37 between Lydenburg and Sabie Gq2... Darted successfully!! Good Job!! @EMERGCONTROL pic.twitter.com/IPfpzAKrkG
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) May 29, 2018
Photos of a lion allegedly roaming next to the R37 near Nelspruit and then apparently captured, were widely shared on social media on Tuesday evening.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Leonard Hlathi says they are unaware of any stray lion.
According to Hlathi, official police communication from officers in the Northern Cape shared the exact same photo - with police now questioning the authenticity of the pictures.
"We just allay these fears. They will cause commotion and trouble in motorists and people that are walking - waking up to such information might scare them," says Hlathi.
The Kruger National Park also denied reports that it is one of their animals that allegedly escaped last week.
The provincial department of community safety's Joseph Mabuza, told Jacaranda FM News on Wednesday morning they were also not aware of reports that the lion was successfully darted.