Last June, the cat went on a three-week rampage, killing 28 sheep
over 300 kms (180 miles) before he was found taking a nap by rangers and
airlifted from the Nuweveld Mountains, 5,800 feet (1,750 metres) above
sea level.
South Africa's Sylvester the lion gets new home after two escapes(Reuters)
A South African lion called "Sylvester"
that twice broke out of his reserve - probably to escape threatening
older males - will be sent to bond with two lionesses and learn how to
become a dominant male.
The country's parks
service said this week that Sylvester, at three years old just reaching
maturity, was a good candidate for an alpha role, a status that should
also keep him contained.
Last June, the cat went
on a three-week rampage, killing 28 sheep over 300 kms (180 miles)
before he was found taking a nap by rangers and airlifted from the Nuweveld Mountains, 5,800 feet (1,750 metres) above sea level.
The
South African National Parks (SANParks) branded him a problem animal
after his second break out last month from the remote Karoo National
Park and said he might have to be put down, provoking a public outcry.
Sylvester
will now be relocated to Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern
Cape province, where he will initially be bonded with two females in a
200-hectare (494-acre) enclosure.
"This lion,
at three years of age, is still young enough to bond with the two
females and ultimately establish himself as the resident pride male," SANParks chief Fundisile Mketeni said in a statement.
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