A free-roaming lion spotted in Mbombela towards the end of last year has ditched the “rogue” label and joined forces with a trio of other lions, forming his own little pride!
Kruger National Park, South Africa (24 January 2025) – You may have heard about the Mbombela lion that caused a stir not so long ago. Well, it turns out the adventurous feline has found his happily ever after by forming a coalition with three other lions in the Kruger National Park!
After a brief stint in captivity and a slightly bumpy reintroduction to the Kruger National Park, the lion has not only survived but thrived.
According to the Lowvelder, after being captured at Sekelbos Estate in Mbombela on 2 November and spending seven weeks in captivity, a botched attempt at releasing the mystery predator in Mjejane Game Reserve on 17 December led to him being temporarily released in the Kruger’s Crocodile Bridge section.
The lion was fitted with a satellite tracking collar allowing SANParks rangers to closely observe his movements. Because they were uncertain about his identity as a Kruger lion, they feared he might be displaced or killed by the dominant pride, or worse, that he could bring diseases into the ecosystem. But thankfully, none of that happened.
While nobody knows for sure how he ended up in Mbombela (or where he originally came from), DNA test results later proved he was not a captive-bred lion that escaped, as many had speculated, but instead shared genetics with some lions from the Kruger.
While rangers kept a close eye on the adventurous fellow, who surprisingly covered quite a distance in the park, they soon discovered that the lion had formed a coalition with two lions and a lioness, which put them in a position to establish their own territory.
And now, with his new pride by his side, he’s ready to stake his claim on a piece of the Kruger and finally write his own chapter in the wild!
Sources: Lowvelder
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