Search called off for escaped lion in S. Africa, 'he could be anywhere'

The last lion among the five that escaped on Tuesday from South Africa’s Kruger National Park is yet to be located but authorities have called off the search.

The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency told local news portal News24 that the search has been called off but residents around the park should be vigilant.

“We suspect that the lion might have probably gone back to the park. However, we still urge the communities to be alert and inform us if it is spotted anywhere in the area,” Johannes Nobunga, the Chief Executive Officer of the Agency said.

The lion is believed to be around the park but it has not been spotted and no injuries have been recorded.

Four of the lions were captured near the border with Swaziland on Wednesday.

“The lion is still out there, he could be anywhere. There has been no sighting of him,” Parks spokesperson William Mabasa told News24.

The lions broke free from the park which is close to Komatipoort, a community of about 5,000 people.

In 2015, a lion named Sylvester crawled under an electric fence at another park and went on a three-week sheep-killing spree before he was found by rangers taking a nap.

The cat was earlier this year released back into wild from a 200-hectare holding enclosure.