A lion was shot dead on Friday after she escaped a truck in which she was transported between game reserves in South Africa. After her escape, she was spotted near a residential in the North West province, an official said.
A ground-and-air search was launched when she escaped from a cage on the back of a pickup truck on Wednesday.
“A local farmer took the decision to shoot the lion after seeing her roaming near a residential area,” Jerry Matebesi, spokesman for the provincial department of economic development, tourism and conservation, told news agency AFP. “He felt she was posing risk and danger to the community.”
Matebesi said authorities had been flooded with worried calls from locals after the lioness escaped. According to Matebesi, the animal’s owner is a lion breeder.
Lions are one of the most popular and iconic species found in game reserves in South Africa, including the famous Kruger National Park. Tourists often go on game drives to observe lions in their natural habitat. In game reserves, lions are generally protected from hunting and poaching.
