Lion Conflict Response

Following heavy flooding in the Massintonto River, sections of the Sabie Game Park fence were compromised, allowing a small pride of lions to move out into the Mucacasa community.

The situation escalated quickly. A total of 7 head of cattle were killed, and two lions were lost to snares.

Mozambique Wildlife Alliance (MWA) was deployed to respond, with the objective of capturing and relocating the remaining lions back into Sabie Game Park following fence repairs.

The pride consisted of:

• One adult female with a 3-month-old cub

• One adult female with three 6-month-old cubs

Given the dense vegetation and the young age of the cubs, darting all individuals was not viable. The strategy was adapted to focus on the primary female (with three cubs).

Using a waterbuck bait and wildebeest call, the team successfully attracted the group. The selected female was darted, with a thermal scope used to locate her in thick bush.

She was then fitted with a GPS collar and translocated back into Sabie Game Park. A controlled opening in the fence was created to allow movement back into the reserve.

Following the operation, all remaining lions successfully returned to Sabie Game Park.

The approach was designed to use the collared female to draw the remaining pride members back into the protected area.

This operation highlights the complexity of real-time Human–Wildlife Conflict response - where field conditions, animal behaviour, and risk factors require constant adaptation to achieve a safe and effective outcome.