Lions of Sabi Sands

[Timbavati]

(10-23-2020, 01:41 AM)BA0701 Wrote:

(10-23-2020, 01:34 AM)Tr1x24 Wrote:

(10-23-2020, 01:29 AM)BA0701 Wrote: Was he one of those killed by the electric pole?

No, you prob think of Tsalala males..

I thought the Sand River Pride had escaped through a hole in the fence caused by storm, and many were electrocuted by a downed power pole, and others were poisoned due to eating local livestock as a result. In fact, if I remember correctly some of those killed were Mapogo offspring. I am trying to find the story now, but if memory serves, @Potato had posted the story somewhere. I am looking for it now.

Here a brief story of the Sand river cubs (Mapogo sons) by Leopard Hills Ranger.

In memory of a Great Pride.

As I read what had happened to the Sand River Pride, the tears flowed freely & I felt sick to my stomach…how could this happen? The people who are responsible for the death of these animals need to pay the price, justice needs to be done! Who do they think they are…they should not be in a position to make such decisions, especially in a government who is supposed to help protect the Wildlife of our country! These Lions could have been darted & brought back to the safety of the reserve. Those females fought so hard to protect those cubs & keep them alive only to meet their demise like that…it is not right! On too many occasions people get away with the murder of Wildlife & something needs to be done about it! I had the privelage of watching the cubs as they grew into the Beautiful males that they were…& my heart breaks at the thought of not seeing them again. My thoughts go out to you guys too as you have spent many more hours with them…you must be devastated!! I hope you don’t mind but I have uploaded a few pics of them…as a memory! (February 2009)

January 2009 - It is with a very heavy heart that I report to you the demise of the Sand River Pride.

Towards the end of last week we were notified that the Sand River Pride had broken out of the Reserve and were out in the Community Area adjacent to the Reserve. The information we were given was they had crossed out at a section of fence that had been washed away by the recent heavy rains. Immediately we had a sense of déjà vu, and remember clearly the shooting of seven member of the Sand River Pride three years ago having also broken out of the Reserve under very similar circumstances.

The law states quite clearly that if animals leave the protection of the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, they then become the responsibility and jurisdiction of the Mpumalanga Park Board, who are the local Provincial Authority for the adjacent areas of the Reserve.

We fully understand that the protection of the Local Community is our utmost priority and ensuring their safety has to and will always come first, however I do not believe that these Lions were posing a direct threat, a broken fence and the smell of domestic live stock was just too much for them. In the past we have always been given a chance to intervene and utilize all resources available to us, to get the Pride back into the Reserve, and in the rare occasions that the Pride has broken out, there has never been a threat to human beings, albeit the occasional livestock has been taken, for which we have always paid substantial compensation. I am saddened to report to you that no such chance was given on this occasion, and in the same communication we received that the Lions had broken out of the Reserve, we were also informed that the entire Pride, the two adult females and their 5 sub adult offspring had been shot.

The news of this tragic event not only infuriated us beyond belief, it has left us saddened to the point of despair, as I for one, have had the privilege and joy, as have so many of you, to witness this beautiful Pride for so many years.

There is not too much more I can write, for once words have escaped me, and I have been left with a hollow feeling, as we all have, as I am sure we could have intervened and brought them home, at least we should have been given the chance to try.

We are conducting a full investigation at present, we need to ensure that something like this never happens again, but for the Sand River Pride it has become a situation of “closing the stable door after the horse has bolted”. In a heart beat we have lost an entire gene pool of a Pride that should right now, be roaming the bush along the banks of the Sand River.

Yes we have other Prides of Lions that frequent our Traversing area, but that is not the point, it is a case of not who’s right, but what’s right.

Regards from a very sad Leopard Hills Team Reply