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Cape Town - The miraculous story of three Addo Elephant National Park lion cubs who survived against all odds after being orphaned when their mother died from suspected snakebite, is coming to a head with a happy ending.
The cubs disappeared from the park officials' sight on 20 December 2014 and were feared dead, encouraging the park to call on visitors to report any sighting of the young lions. However, weeks past with no news, leaving officials no choice but to call off the search.
READ: 3 Orphaned lion cubs survive against all odds with NO human help
Fortunately new light arose when a guide from one of the five star concessions alerted rangers that he may have spotted them on 10 January. Closer investigation revealed that the ranger's suspicions were indeed correct, when the three were identified alive, albeit severely malnourished and lethargic.
Close to six months old at the time, the cubs were lured out of the bush with a wild boar carcass and transferred to a boma where they were to be closely monitored.
Now, four months later, the male and two females are ready to take their first steps toward being released back into the wild.
Gina's three orphaned cubs released in their new home in the Kuzuko contractual area of the park today. pic.twitter.com/cF5TJ9V33F
— SANParks Addo (@SANParksAENP) May 15, 2015
SANParks recently announced that they have been moved from a holding boma in the park’s main game viewing area to a much larger, 200 hectare camp within the Kuzuko contractual area in the north of the park about 100km away by road.
Now estimated to be weighing about 80kg each, Shireen, Lara and Robin have the freedom to explore and start hunting small animals for themselves.
Matt and Kalahari, Kuzuko contractual area's two resident male lions. Now joined by Gina's three orphaned cubs. pic.twitter.com/czuhHePsoK
— SANParks Addo (@SANParksAENP) May 15, 2015
“They will be closely monitored by Kuzuko management on a daily basis as it may be necessary to supplement their diet until such time that they are able to hunt on their own. It is estimated that they could spend between one and two years in the camp – before being released into the larger Kuzuko section,” says Addo’s Conservation Manager, John Adendorff.
It was believed that in the six weeks or so that they weren’t seen, they were initially cared for by another female, Josie, who later had a litter of her own, where after they somehow survived on their own.
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