Terror as lionesses stalk cars
2005-05-30 22:53
Nicolize Mulder
Pretoria - Young lionesses stalked several cars in the Krugersdorp Lion Park at the weekend, terrifying the occupants, then attacked one car, chewing the tyres and scratching bodywork.
Alwyna Holtzhausen of Centurion told on Monday how the lioness and 10 others in the pride attacked more than one vehicle in the park on Saturday afternoon.
Holtzhausen now has a chewed car tyre, a dislodged windscreen wiper and deep scratches on her car's bumper and paintwork.
She said she and a friend had stopped inside the lion camp to watch 11 young lionesses when a BMW approached.
A lioness lying near the fence stalked the car and then charged it at full speed.
All of a sudden, the other 10 lionesses were there, too.
"It was obvious the man inside the vehicle was terrified and took off at great speed. We saw a little boy diving under the dashboard."
She said she was so stunned she didn't even think about starting her car.
Sat there like a mouse
"One of the lionesses came up to my window and stared me in the eye. And there I sat, like a mouse.
"Then the lioness started chewing on the side mirror."
Another lioness was chewing on the front wheel. When Holtzhausen started the vehicle in an attempt to chase off the animals, it had exactly the opposite effect.
"It was as if I was waving a piece of meat in front of their noses."
One of the lionesses jumped at the back of Holtzhausen's hatchback car. Even the lioness''s nipples were visible.
Holtzhausen said she reported the incident because "the lions are a time bomb", but the lodge owner didn't seem too concerned.
Lodge director Dirk Brink said they do not regard the lionesses as a danger.
"They're young, playful lionesses that are not even sexually mature yet.
Do game drives in open vehicles
"I am sorry about the incident, but I have no control over the lions' behaviour or the fact that they find car tyres fascinating."
According to him, they often took people on game drives in open vehicles to this camp and there hadn't been any problems yet.
"If we thought the animals were aggressive, we wouldn't have dared to do so."
Brink emphasised that warning signs had been put up everywhere. Visitors also were handed leaflets at the gate stating that the lions sometimes chewed tyres.
- Beeld