Man mauled to death by lions at Kruger Park

July 29 2005 at 05:49PM

A man has been killed by two lions at the Kruger National Park's Phalaborwa entrance in Limpopo, a spokesperson for the park said on Friday.

Raymond Travers said the incident occurred on Thursday evening after the man entered the park while security guards were closing the gates.

"The man eluded security guards manning the Phalaborwa gates and ran into the bush near the gate.

"The security guards informed park rangers and began searching for the man, but because of the thick Mopani bushveld and darkness, the man could not be found and the search was called off."

When rangers resumed the search on Friday morning they found the man's remains.

Rangers found the lion with the lower half of the man's body near the Phalaborwa entrance.

Travers said a male lion was shot to recover the man's body.

Rangers are still searching for a female lion as they believe that the lion could endanger communities living near the park.

The director of the Kruger National Park, Bandile Mkhize, appealed to people living nearby not to enter the park once the gates were closed as it was dangerous and illegal.

Police were investigating the incident. - Sapa

I'd like to laugh it off as a Darwin award but suspect that this was deliberate suicide.

Cops struggle to identify man killed by lions

July 30 2005 at 03:55PM

Police are still struggling to identify a man killed by lions at the Kruger National Park's Phalaborwa entrance in Limpopo.

Limpopo police spokesperson Superintendent Moatshe Ngoepe said the victim's fingerprints had been taken to ascertain his identity.

"We are still struggling to find out who he is but the results of his fingerprints should come back during next week," Ngoepe said.

Park rangers have called off the search for the lioness who was involved in the kill.

A lion, found carrying the man's remains, was shot and killed on Friday.

Park spokesperson Raymond Travers said it was too late to identify the lioness.

"It's too far gone for us to be able to successfully identify which lioness it was. So the search has been called off."


Travers said rangers would continue to monitor the animals for any suspicious behaviour.

There was a "slim chance" that the lioness could attack a human again.

Travers said a tourist had never been attacked by lions in the park but there had been an incident some time ago of a man entering the park illegally and being attacked. - Sapa

They should not have shot the lion. That is pretty primitive thinking. The man was beyond help. There are other ways of recovering the body. The lion was justified in what he did, the man was not. He deserved what he got.

I'm with Kensco on this one. The Lion should not have been shot. It was only doing what Lions have done since the beginning of time. A much easier meal could not have been found. Those Lions are free ranging anyway and if they want to find and kill another human being they can certainly do so. We listened to them every night when we were there last month and did not go strolling down the roads of the reserve after dark. Even with a gun that would be very foolish, at best.

Also agree with Kensco, the lion could have been tranquilized to gain access to the "victim" - I suppose the folks think that the lion, once he has "tasted human blood", will become a dangerous killer so they killed him. The "victim" was a dumbass, the lion did what comes natural to him (hope the lioness is not found) -KMule

Born Free.....As free as the wind blows....ETC ETC..

Was this a suicide or maybe just another another animal rights A-hole wanting to get closer to nature, disney style?

To bad the lion was shot.

I agree - The lion should not have been shot!

That lioness probably killed the man and gave it to the male - Kinda like that apple Eve gave Adam.