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The owner of the Christa Saayman Wildlife Park was horrified after six of his lions were brutally slaughtered for their body parts to be used in black magic rituals.
Poachers shredded their heads and tore out four cubs.
The animals were poisoned and mutilated at Mystic Monkeys & Feathers Wildlife Park, just north of Pretoria, the capital of South Africa.
Two white lions named Aslem and Aiden, who were a favorite for tourists, met horrible deaths, as did the brown lion Sussie, the lioness Jessie, and the two lion cubs.
The park owner, Christa, 55, said, "It was cruel, inhumane and devastating. I do not have words to describe how I feel. I am so sad. What we woke up to here was just awful.
"It was an insane and heartless act by people who stole six beautiful animals from us. Seeing these majestic lions so mutilated was such a pitiful disgrace.
"Just as we thought we would play our part in the conservation, awareness and protection of these animals, there are people who come to do this to them".
A manhunt is underway for the culprits, the security company Hi-Risk Unit being on the trail of killers and offering a £ 15,000 reward for information.
Eager Christa says that she was woken up in the early hours of Saturday at 4:30 am, a police patrol chased a group of suspicious men out of the park's perimeter.
One of the suspects dropped a backpack and other park workers identified the clothes on the inside.
Christa said, "At this point, I have not at all linked the incident with the lions." This is only when the worker in charge of feeding the lions shouted in shock around 7am when he discovered the remains of the lions slaughtered in their compounds.
& # 39; You can not imagine the gravity of the scene. I asked the workers to take their bodies and burn leftovers this afternoon. It was the saddest day of my life.
The South African Police Service, which is investigating, said the suspects threw heavily poisoned hens on electric fences to kill the six lions
Christa said: The fences were cut off and they bypbaded the electrical barriers, so I'm convinced that it's a job inside, but our security company has a lot of information
"It's so heartbreaking that these lions were bred so people come and do that to use their bones, claws and teeth for witchcraft.
"It's so sad and I always wonder why they came here and did that." [19659002] Lioness Charmaine Joubert, who was like a mother to the slain lions, said that she could not describe how she felt, saying, "I loved them all dearly.
" I spend a much of my free time playing with e ux and was with them last week. were playing together. They were my children, my life, I'm broken.
Limpopo police said they had started a hunt for suspects.
Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said, "An employee noticed traces of blood. the two cubs were also dead but without missing body parts.
A traditional Limpopo healer who did not want to give his name said, "The lion's body parts are used to make a strong muti that is a witchcraft potion to cast spells."
This may be used to protect a person from the disease or to make it strong or manly.
& # 39; It can be used by a person to scare his enemies or protect them from attacks or make potions to make someone strong, respected or feared by others.
Dr. Kelly Marnewick, of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, closely follows lions mutilated and killed on private farms. and the sanctuaries.
She said, "Most of the time, it's the claws, the heads and the teeth of the lions that the poachers are looking for. It's a relatively recent phenomenon and it's something we watch closely.
"In 2017, 22 lions prisoners were poached on farms where we feed lions. They are vulnerable and it is an easy way to get their hands on lion parts.
It is feared that lion bones will also be used to replace much rarer tiger bones in Southeast Asia and are used in traditional contraband.
A complete lion skeleton can be bought in South Africa for £ 1000 but in Vietnam it is worth £ 50,000 and individual claws and lion teeth are highly valued.
In April the owner of Lion Park Gert Claasens, Le 48, Justin Fernandes, 32, had three lions and a golden tiger tiger, killed by poachers, and three of his lions were slaughtered for skin and claws and three were stolen for later slaughter at Petrus Steyn in the Free State. at the Jugomaro Predator Park in Limpopo for their body parts.
Christa, 55, who has a 1000-acre animal park with 53 tigers and 10 lions with 350 monkeys and birds said, "We try to conserve and save the animals
" But then these people come and do those terrible things to them – she said.
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