Saps confirm lion roaming in Vaal areas has been found and will be safely relocated

The police have confirmed that the lion spotted roaming freely in the Vaal has been found and arrangements are being made to relocate it to a secure location. A lion was reported in the early hours of Wednesday in the Redan area, situated between Meyerton and Vereeniging, following an encounter allegedly reported by a security guard.

The guard initially thought the animal was smaller, but upon turning on his phone's torch, he realized it was a larger lion and took a photo before fleeing the scene. Social media posts from Wednesday showed pictures of the lion wandering through a community. On Thursday, the spokesperson for the Midvaal Local Municipality's mayor's office, Idah Satikhe, confirmed that the lion sighting reports had been received.

The South African Police Service (Saps) stated that at around 4 am on Wednesday, Saps Vereeniging received an alert via social media about a lion roaming freely in a remote area. Brigadier Brenda Muridili of Saps explained that Vereeniging officers, along with the K9 unit and relevant stakeholders such as private security drone operators, were deployed to locate the animal.

Muridili announced that the lion has been located and that arrangements are being finalized to relocate it safely to a secure environment. The origin of the lion remains unknown, and investigations are underway to determine its source. Bloufontein Wildlife Park in Meyerton confirmed on Wednesday that the lion spotted was not one of their animals.

The park stated that they had verified all their animals were accounted for, and there were no missing lions or other wildlife from their facility. Authorities are cautioning residents to remain calm and allow the authorities and wildlife experts to complete the operation safely. They are also urging community members to refrain from sharing unverified reports on social media to prevent causing unnecessary panic.

The wildlife park and police have expressed concerns about the proliferation of false and unverified information on social media, as these can lead to confusion, misinformation, and unnecessary worry among the public and neighboring communities.