Police and the National Parks Authority said on Monday that a 27-year-old tracker was exploring in a South African wildlife sanctuary that had been devoured by two young lions.

Malibongwe Mfila was searching for locations of lions and elephants on Saturday to be able to advise guides for their upcoming safari in this mountain reserve in Limpopo Province (northeast).

He is said to have stopped his car and decided to get out of it for reasons unknown until now, and to continue his search on foot. “He was suddenly attacked by two lions,” said a general in the Limpopo police, Motlavela Mugabello.

He added, “Another person driving his car inside the park noticed that these lions were devouring the dead and alerted the park director.”

When the “rangers”, the zookeeper, arrived at the scene, they shot and killed the two men who were still cutting their prey.

According to General Mugabello, that is the procedure in such a situation. “If lions behave in this way, it is clear that they can repeat that behavior.” However, there is no shortage of food in this park in mid-southern summer.

The parks authority, SunParks, confirmed that the two lions were killed on the spot for an autopsy, and that the accident “shocked” the teams.

Al-Trackqi worked at a luxury cabin hotel in Marakel National Park, which covers 67,000 hectares, about 250 km northwest of Johannesburg.