Coronavirus lockdown: Lions don take ova road during South African lockdown

Lions in Kruger National Park

Richard Sowry/Kruger National Park

Very soon animals go notice say human beings don disappear, and alreadi for South Africa Kruger National Park plenti lions don begin use roads do bedroom.

Park ranger Richard Sowry come out for patrol on Wednesday wen e snap some lion dey sleep for road wey normally dey busy with tourists.

But Kruger, like oda wildlife parks, don dey close since 25 March 25 as part of di coronavirus lockdown.

Before now, na for night rangers dey see Big cats for roads.

How dem take take di lions photo

As one ranger for one of Africa largest game reserves, Mr Sowry dey perform essential service and continue to work during di lockdown, Im come dey check di wildlife and guard dem against poachers.

Lions in Kruger National Park

Richard Sowry/Kruger National Park

As im dey drive near Orpen Rest Camp on Wednesday afternoon, e come see di lions for di road ahead, na so e come stop just five metres (5.5 yards) away to look di strange tin wey dey happun.

As e take di foto with im mobile phone, di lions no even bother sef, most of dem don kukuma sleep go far, afta all wetin concern dem concern coronavirus.

“Lions bin dey use to dey see pipo inside motor,” he explain. “All animals get dis inbuilt fear of pipo wey dey come near dem, so if to say I waka go meet dem, dey for no allow me to get so close.”

Lions in Kruger National Park

Richard Sowry/Kruger National Park

Di oldest lioness for di group of lion dey about 14, “Dis age dey very old for lioness”, so dey don dey use to dey see motors.

Normally Mr Sowry dey only see lions dey sleep for di park roads during cold nights for winter, wen di tarred road go don retains plenti heat.

Wetin rangers no want be say na for lions to start to dey think say roads na safe place just because dem no dey see pipo again.

How di ockdown dey affect di park?

During dis quiet period, lions plus wild dogs dey waka enta one golf course inside di park but otherwise Mr Sowry no think say di lockdown don get any ogbonge effect on animals’ behaviour yet.


“Kruger na very wild place,” e tok. “E don tey wey e dey wild and e still dey wild.”

E dey just happy to share im foto wit pipo wey no fit visit di park right now because of di coronavirus pandemic.

“Dis period na difficult times for everyone and di intention na to bring joy for pipo life,” e tok

Come reach now, South Africa don record 34 deaths of pipo with Covid-19 and register 2,506 cases of infection, wey make di kontri di most affected for Africa.

Lions in Kruger National Park

Richard Sowry/Kruger National Park

Di kontri extend dia lockdown on Wednesday by anoda two weeks.

“Evribodi don know di importance of di lockdown and di rangers dey dia to do dia normal duties,” Isaac Phaala wey be media officer tok.

“To maintain di infrastructure dey take some work so dat wen di park open, you no go start from scratch.”

As for di lions, normally dem suppose dey for bushes because of di traffic but dem dey very smart and now dem dey enjoy di freedom of di park without us”.