Stricter control over lions?
2007-07-19 21:47
Johannesburg - Provincial conservation MEC Mandlenkosi Mayisela says stricter control and monitoring of large predator farms is on the cards in the North West after a nine-year-old boy was killed by lions.
Mayisela said: "My department has decided to escalate measures to control and monitor large predator game farms in the North West province despite our limited resources for environmental services."
Nine-year-old Tshepo Gaerupe was killed by the lions on a farm near Vryburg on June 17 .
The lions apparently grabbed the boy and pulled him into their enclosure after he put his hand through a gap near the entrance gate.
Only a piece of the boy's skull remained after the killing.
It was alleged that the farmer's permit to keep the lions had expired at the time of the incident.
Mayisela said the province had the largest number of large predator breeding farms in the country and only a little more than half of them were registered.
"My department is currently on an audit to reconcile these figures and to ensure that every farmer who should be registered, is," he said.
Mayisela said large predator game farming should be conducted within the framework of existing legislation.
- SAPA