14 Lions Escape from Kruger National Park in South Africa, an Alert Issued

Johannesburg:

A pride of 14 lions is fleeing near a mining community bordering Kruger National Park in South Africa, officials said Friday, and warned members of the public to be vigilant.

The lions were spotted wandering around the Foskor phosphate mine outside the town of Phalaborwa, on the western edge of the famous wildlife park, which is fenced.

It is suspected that the big cats have escaped from the park, said the government of Limpopo Province in the north of the country, which has badigned rangers to monitor pride while officials decide where to send them.

"Employees of the Foskor mine and members of the public are urged to remain vigilant at all times," said the provincial department of Environment and Tourism in an online statement.

A meeting of the government and park officials concluded that lions were to be captured and released in Kruger National Park.

But park spokesman Ike Phaahla said this was not feasible, as newcomers "will continue to show up as other dominant lions chase them away."

He added that any animal outside the park "falls under the jurisdiction of the provincial authorities".

Until the case was settled, Phaahla warned that "there was a danger for members of the public who work in the area."

"There is a risk of human-wildlife conflict, so people have to be careful," he told SABC public television. "We need to identify a park where they can be taken and establish their own area."

We do not know how long the lions have been free.

Earlier this week, a leopard killed a two-year-old boy in the compound of the Kruger fenced-in staff.

A team of rangers chased two suspected leopards and shot them to avoid the risk of repetition.

The park covers nearly two million acres (4.9 million acres) and is home to more than 500 species of birds and 147 mammal species.

(With the exception of the title, this story was not changed by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)