SANParks released a statement regarding the male lion that made its way into Berg en Dal rest camp on Thursday 12 March and was subsequently shot to protect families within the camp.
The post-mortem revealed that the lion was suffering from TB, and that ‘the lion had a swollen left stifle joint with corrosive lesions to the cartilage of the medial and lateral condyles of the distal femur, usually associated with tuberculosis’.
A mass on his lungs was indicative of his illness. ‘A single granulomatous lesion was found in the left lung, also related to TB. Several pelvic lymph nodes appeared cystic and samples were collected for TB analysis,’ SANParks stated.
It was discovered that he was extremely hungry. ‘Stomach contents consisted of impala hair and some bones. The intestines were virtually empty causing the lion to be hungry.’
The statement continued: ‘Attempting the option to dart the lion at 2:00am, meant that; a helicopter would have to ferry the Vet into Berg en Dal, further aggravating the lion, which could have acted in a harmful way.
‘The multiple shots that were fired first, were in attempt to coax the lion out of the premises, along with other tactics. The ranger acted to the best of his ability under the circumstances to ensure the lion does not harm anyone.’
‘An investigation into how the lion gained access into the premises was also conducted. The gate was NOT left opened, the animal pushed his way in.’
Featured image: Unsplash
