Sylvester the lion to be put down
A lion that has escaped from the Karoo National Park for the second time will be euthanised.
Sylvester the lion that has now escaped from the Karoo National Park for a second time, will be put down once he is captured.
“We will not take him back to the park. Unfortunately this lion has now been identified as a problem animal and will be euthanised,” said SANParks spokesman Rey Thakhuli.
According to Thakuli, a private helicopter was to be sent from Port Elizabeth this afternoon to assist a 14-man team who has been searching for the lion since this morning.
The three-year-old male escaped near Beaufort West.
“From the signal emitted by the tracking collar he is wearing he is about 20 kilometres southwest of the park,” he said.
“Given that he is in very rough mountainous terrain, a chopper from Port Elisabeth will be assisting the search team.”
Sylvester killed 30 animals last year and sparked a costly three-week search when he escaped from the park.
It appeared this time he escaped by crawling under an electric fence.
Thakhuli said, "The lion has already killed a cow in another privately-owned farm.”
Last year, Sylvester was said to have killed 28 sheep, a cow and a kudu.
The search that ended in his recapture involved 10 trackers and police dogs. It cost about R800,000.
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