Rural Safety Coordinator of Fochville
in Western Johannesburg , South
Africa, Warrant Officer Jan
Esterhuysen , has confirmed that five
lions escaped from an unknown
sanctuary in Gauteng Province on
Saturday .
“ We responded to a distress call and
were surprised to see a pride of five
lions in a farm at Fochville , busy
feeding .
“ We identified a large male and four
smaller lions . Tracking them at night
was difficult, ” Esterhuysen said .
He said nature conservation and other
role players were converging on the
area to assess the situation .
Meanwhile, the Vice Chairman of
Nigeria Union in the province, Mr.
Trust Owoyele , told the News Agency
of Nigeria in Johannesburg that the
body had received information about
the missing lions , warning Nigerians
resident in the area to keep safe.
“ We have a sizeable Nigerian
population in the area. We advise that
for now , they should stay away from
farms, parks and bush because the
predators could be hiding there.
“ We also call on our people to be
cautious of their movements in the
night, especially in lonely areas
because the lions have been sighted
feeding on a cow in a farm, ” he said .
Owoyele said though authorities were
working hard to get the lions , it was
important that Nigerians in the area
adopt safety measures .
Secretary General of the union , Mr.
Emeka Ezinteje, said the national
secretariat was aware of the
development in the area .
He also urged Nigerians to be
conscious of the missing lions and be
cautious in their movement .
“ The union appeals to relevant
authorities to assist in capturing the
missing animals as quickly as
possible,” he said .
In July , four male lions escaped from
the Kruger National Park in
Mpumalanga Province . They were
later spotted at a private farm near
the park. (NAN )
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