South African wildlife officials locate escaped lions

JOHANNESBURG – Officials in South Africa are rounding up five male lions that escaped from Kruger National Park, the country’s biggest wildlife reserve.

The national parks service said on Twitter on Tuesday that teams had darted two of the lions, and the remaining escapees had been spotted. The service believes a dominant pride had chased the lions out of the park.

Authorities say a resident spotted the lions on a road in Komatipoort, a town near the park, on Monday morning.

Earlier, parks spokesman Rey Thakhuli described the search as difficult because the lions were believed to be in sugar cane farms in an area that has thick fog in the mornings. Thakhuli had urged people not to stop to take photographs of the animals because they are dangerous.