Johannesburg – Five lions have reportedly escaped from the Kruger National Park and are on the loose in Mpumalanga.

The Mpumalanga police confirmed the incident to Netwerk24.

They apparently escaped on Monday morning and are somewhere close to the N4 in the Mananga area close to the border with Swaziland.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said that rangers are in the area looking for the escaped predators.

Hlathi said the lions were last spotted at around 21:40 under a bridge at the N4. 

He warned motorists and pedestrians to be on the lookout and said the lions already tried to catch cattle near the highway on Monday evening, Netwerk24 reported.