SANParks.org Forums

I just read throught all 20 pages and there are some angry visitors out there that want to have it back to the way they are used too...... Walking around where and when they please.

I belief the parks belong to the animals and it is the responsibility of the humans to make sure they have a well balanced home. It is only a privledge to visit these parks and not a right. (like a right to running water.) SANParks are doing there best to get it back to what it used to be for the animals and plants before humans came in and killed all animals.

If you can't walk around anymore because there are lions on the prowl, just remember it is not your place but theirs. It is also SANParks responsibility to ensure the safety of all their visitors, Can't blame them from only allowing guided walks.

I was there in mid January for 1 night after my wedding and didn't see the lions, but they belong(have the right to be) there just as the mountain zebra belongs there.

Latest on the Lions:

The males lions are currently roaming the central section of the park in the area of the Nuweveld route. They are walking great distances every day on the open plains. They visited the Grantham Environmental Education facility one evening and are currently just north east of the Embizweni cottage on the 4x4 route.

The lionesses finally moved from the mountainous area of Mountain View after having been resident there for a while. They have been roaming the area around the Doornhoek picnic site for past week.

Thanks Megan

Encouraging that they are a bit closer to `civilization'! I suppose at present the chances of finding them are very slim, but I am still dreaming of seeing them on those open plains...

God bless,

Friedrich von Hörsten

Will be staying over night on the 26th April on route to JHB.I really hope to see some Lion!Will post after I have stayed there.

Good Luck to SAN Parks with new Venture.
bruce

These photos were taken by Bennie Spies, one of the Karoo Honorary Rangers over the past weekend. These lions were in the dry riverbed near the Doornhoek Picnic Area:

Fantastic,, thanx for sharing

I had the pleasure of seeing a female and cub close to the Camp Site end of November last year

That was lucky...but my dream is to see them like this

Thank you for the pics.Its how I like to see lions,in the bush and not in cages.I will there next Tuesday afternoon(26/4) en route to JHB.I hope to see them.If I see them I hope I can get a decent pic as well.
Thks to SAN parks for advising me of the updated thread in this forum.Keep up the good work.

Fan
Bruce-JHB

Hi Megan

Wonderful pics indeed! This lioness looks young -- would she be Megan, the young lioness named after you? She doesn't look old enough to be Kamqua...
Do you have any idea whose cubs these are? Do they belong to both females?

Thanks for sharing!

God bless,

Friedrich von Hörsten

Hi Friedrich,
Yes, the lioness is Megan. The cubs belong to Megan and Kamkwa and the fathers would be Nossob and/or Bitterbal. The cubs were born in the Addo boma and we think there were originally six cubs (although it was difficult to judge in the boma). There is often a high rate of mortality among young cubs and by the time the cubs were moved, there were only four.
The four cubs and two females are always together so we can't really judge which cubs belong to which females.

Hi all

Just got back from an awesome 6 days at Karoo National Park with my family

Sat morning we went out on a drive in our two vehicles, on driving past the dry riverbed approaching Doornhoek picnic site from the 4x4 route side we found some fresh lion paw prints on the road over the car tire marks...so our excitement was high...the spoor was heading towards the picnic site so we followed...eventually arriving at the picnic site where we all debunked for the obligatory break and leg stretch

On leaving we found this little print a few metre's from the gate....putting big on our faces.



So off we went heading away from the picnic site towards the escarpment...7 sets of eyes eagerly searching the bush for these elusive lions....but no luck..on reaching the beginning of the climb out of the valley we decided to turn around and head back towards the picnic site, our reasoning being they had to be between the picnic site and the escarpment

10 mins later I rounded a bend and bingo there were Megan and Kamkwa and their 4 cubs crossing the road... we spent almost 40 mins watching them, before they settled in the bush, we took 100's of awesome pics...by the way we found them just before 11am.. Here are a few of the pics that i took.

Enjoy











Regards

Well done Mav

Fantastic, Mav,

they all do look very well fed

Hi Mav

Thank you SO MUCH! Really special! I drove past there this morning, but no time to stop, need to work tomorrow! Maybe next time...

They look extremely healthy and beautiful!

God bless,

Friedrich von Hörsten

Latest lion update:

The lionesses and cubs are at the top of the Klipspringer Pass road. The male lions have moved to the Mountainview area (inaccessible by tourist roads) after spending a long period around the Nuweveld and Afsaal 4x4 trails.

Any updates as to what the "new" lions of the Karoo is upto these days?