Six lions have been successfully relocated from a farm to a safe haven in northern Kruger National Park (KNP) in the interests of their wellbeing and workers’ safety.

South African National Parks (SANParks) and the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) carried out this challenging operation in August – safely darting and collaring the lions for monitoring purposes before the relocation.

The lions were vagrant on the farm for more than a week. In response, the MTPA, responsible for managing wildlife outside protected areas, requested veterinary support from the KNP.

Driven out by new male lion coalitions from the area where they escaped, the lions are not expected to escape from their new environment in a less populated part of KNP where they are safe from resident lion coalitions and conflict with neighbouring communities, according to the MTPA.

The lions are being monitored and appear to have settled well into their new environment.