Excitement is at an all time high as Bongani Mountain Lodge in Mpumalanga, a property managed by African Hotels and Adventures (AHA), released a magnificent pride of lions into the Mthethomusha Game Reserve.
It has been a very rewarding and heart-warming experience for the lodge as these lions were captured in Sabie Park by the Mpumalanga Parks and Tourism Association as part of a relocation programme, and kept in the reserve’s game capture boma. Through the dedication and commitment of the reserve’s wildlife team, the two lionesses aged three and six years have shown remarkable resilience and have been integrated back into the wild. This successful release was not only a source of great jubilation, but an even greater celebration followed with the arrival of 3 new cubs, the offspring of the lionesses and the 4-year old resident male.
Progress has been eagerly followed by the reserve’s wildlife managers who report that both the lionesses and their cubs have fully habituated to the area, proving that with care and attention wildlife integration is possible.
Neil Bald, managing director of AHA, said these lions are such a welcome addition and that they would further improve the quality of game viewing in the reserve.
“Wildlife is constantly changing and adapting to the environment and visitors to Bongani Mountain Lodge can look forward to the thrill of sighting these remarkable creatures, long recognised as being the “King of the Jungle,” Neil commented.
The 8 000 hectare Mthethomusha Game Reserve is world renowned for its San rock art. This marvellous reserve is characterised by prominent granite outcrops and crags, and is home to three distinct varieties of woodland flora and a wide variety of mammals and birds.
