Update on lions and anglers at Torra Bay

Thursday 22 December 2022

Mitigating human-lion conflict in the seasonal Torra Bay angling area

After moving inland for 22 days, the Obab lioness Xpl-108 returned to the coast on 18 Dec 2022 (see map). Shortly after nightfall she reached the coastline at point X4 on the map. She caught and consumed a small Cape fur seal pup and continued moving northwards along the beach. She scavenged on a shark that was presumably the by-product of an angler’s catch the previous day, before catching an adult female or sub-adult male seal.

Her quick and unexpected arrival caught our management team (see link - 2 Dec 2022 Mitigating potential conflict between coastal lions and anglers during 2022 Torra Bay Holiday Period) by surprise, and as a result the relevant sections of the beach were not blocked off. The number of vehicles and unsuspecting anglers fishing from the beach in view of the lioness, caused her to drag the large seal carcass for 3km across a salt pan, to the safety of the white granite rock outcrops.

Movements of lioness Xpl-108 returning to the Torra Bay angling areaMovements of lioness Xpl-108 returning to the Torra Bay angling area.


Adult lioness foraging along the beach south of Torra Bay

 

Remains of a shark scavenged by the lioness Xpl-108
Remains of a shark scavenged by the lioness Xpl-108. 


With the arrival of angling vehicles along the beaches, the lioness dragged her seal carcass for 3km across a large salt pan​ With the arrival of angling vehicles along the beaches, the lioness dragged her seal carcass for 3km across a large salt pan

With the arrival of angling vehicles along the beaches, the lioness dragged her seal carcass for 3km across a large salt pan​ With the arrival of angling vehicles along the beaches, the lioness dragged her seal carcass for 3km across a large salt pan
With the arrival of angling vehicles along the beaches, the lioness dragged her seal carcass for 3km across a large salt pan.