Lion man's dream dies with him
28/07/2005 23:07 - (SA)


Tanya van Heerden


Port Elizabeth - Lourens van Straaten's dream was to breed with the Cape lion and his tremendous passion for the animals ultimately led to his death after a mauling.

It is now just a dream, but Van Straaten's family hope his son, Francois, 11, will one day also make it his ambition.

Van Straaten, who was the owner of the Addo Lion and Crocodile Farm, started the business about 10 years ago with his friend, Emmie Botha.

There are about 40 lions on the farm.

Van Straaten was attacked by a lion at the farm last Friday.

He was admitted to St George's Hospital and was declared brain-dead after a few days.

Family friend Johnnay van Rensburg said: "He was an expert in everything because he grew up with wild animals."

Van Straaten did extensive research on lions and even travelled through Africa to find out more about the Cape lion.

"Although he died in a tragic manner, it was certainly the way in which he would have wanted to meet his end," said Van Rensburg.

Lions around his body

Van Rensburg said Van Straaten's wish "was to die in this manner and that we should leave him in the cage with his lions afterwards".

Nobody knows which lion attacked Van Straaten.

When people arrived at the scene of the attack, there already were a number of lions around his body.

Nothing will happen to the lions as nobody knows exactly which one attacked him.

Van Rensburg said: "What's more, I don't think Lourens would have been in favour of any punishment against any lion."

Van Straaten loved animals and did everything in his power to make a success of the farm.

His daughter, Louzaan, 20, sometimes said the farm was his paradise.

Van Rensburg said: "He had a passion for nature from early in life.

"His father was his mentor and Lourens stuffed his first bird when he was 10, after which he decided to become a taxidermist."

Van Straaten's former wife, Annette Korkie, to whom he had been married for nine years, told Die Burger they had been great friends to the end.

"I spoke to him on his cellphone about 10 minutes before the attack took place and he told me he was in the lion camp.

Wanted his children to take over

"He was a very special person and everything he did, he did for his children."

His dream was that the children would continue with the lion and crocodile farm.

Van Rensburg said the business would continue as normally as possible.

According to environmental scientist Alan Southwood, it was still to be decided whether the environmental affairs department would have an official investigation.

Inspector Marianette Olivier, a police spokesperson, said a post-mortem would be performed.

I hope they meant "breed lions" versus "breed with lions" !!!

quote:

Lourens van Straaten's dream was to breed with the Cape lion

Well that might explain his untimely death.

And I was exercising restraint...

If you're gonna dream, dream big!

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
Family friend Johnnay van Rensburg said: "He was an expert in everything because he grew up with wild animals."

I can't believe the dough I wasted on higher education.

Yes, my thoughts exactly on the wording of the article. It made me a little "uncomfortable" knowing that he had been breeding with Cape Lions. I am sure that that is why he met his untimely death. If you'd been one of those Cape Lions you'da wacked him good too for trying something like that. And the scary thing is that his son Francois hopes to make it his ambition someday as well...

quote:

Originally posted by T.Carr:

quote:

Lourens van Straaten's dream was to breed with the Cape lion

Well that might explain his untimely death.

At least he could have tried to "breed" with lionesses.

I suppose that this may have been a translation problem.The other options are that the reporter is an idiot or the lion keeper was truly a disturbed individual.

In any event ,it was a problem with translation or transaction!LOL

quote:

He was admitted to St George's Hospital and was declared brain-dead after a few days.

It's too bad they didn't make this diagnosis before he started the lion farm.


Okie John