The Mpumalanga Parks Board (MPB) denied on Wednesday afternoon that it would endanger the lives of eight lions at a predator sanctuary in the province by moving them to another location.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) accused the MPB earlier in the day of endangering the lions because the board wanted to tranquilise and transport the animals twice, only weeks before a court case which might ensure that they lions could stay where they are.
Andre Coetzee, the MPB’s general manager of operations said that Enkosini Wildlife Sanctuary, where the lions were being kept, had failed to supply the board with a management plan regarding the lions’ care and future.
On the grounds of this, a permit to import the lions into Mpumalanga was denied in 2001. Subsequently, the lions were brought into the province illegally during the night and settled on Enkosini’s premises near Lydenburg. When the MPB threatened to confiscate the lions, Enkosini applied for an urgent court order, which was denied with costs.
”Enkosini is therefore now guilty of a criminal offence, because they are keeping the lions in the province without a permit,” Coetzee said.
Enkosini was given a temporary permit until January 5 to make arrangements to have the lions removed. The permit was extended to January 15 after an application by the sanctuary.
Coetzee said the lions were bred in captivity and are tame. ”They have no fear of man and are therefore dangerous to humans. They will never become wild again and will be dependent on humans for the rest of their lives.”
He said the fencing at Enkosini was not up to predator standards and this could result in the lions breaking out.
”Then we will have a real tragedy on our hands. If the lions kill someone, we will have to shoot the animals and we don’t want to have to do that.”
He said the MPB was serious about the lions’ welfare.
”We are in the conservation business because we love animals. But we can’t get emotional about every animal. We have to look at the bigger picture.”
”We want to know what they’re going to do with the lions, who will take care of them, what happens if the owners of the sanctuary die — how sustainable is their plan with the animals.”
He said lions were not an endangered species and there was no need to bring them into Mpumalanga.
”Why don’t people concentrate on endangered species?”
Coetzee said Enkosini and IFAW had embarked on a smear campaign against the MPB.
”They accuse us of wanting to traumatise the lions, while they had had them darted and transported several times.”
He said if the lions had to be transported it would be done by experts and the animals would be monitored constantly.
The MPB’s head of regulatory affairs, Jan Muller, said the board would soon institute criminal proceedings against Enkosini for illegally keeping the lions in the province.
The sanctuary was given enough time to remove the lions, but did nothing about it.
Muller said if the animals were to be removed to alternative premises, it would be done with the minimum trauma to them.
”We will put them under once, transport them and revive them. We will not expose them to unnecessary trauma.”
He did not want to divulge when the animals would be moved and to where.
”Enkosini has until midnight tonight (Wednesday). It will be unfair to divulge our plans while they still have time to do something.”
The eight lions were part of a group of 10 that had been destined for so-called ”canned” hunting. The animals were acquired from a game farm in the Free State.
The court case in which Enkosini challenges the MPB’s decision not to grant a permit, will be heard on February 4 in the Pretoria High Court. – Sapa