An entire pride of lions has been brutally murdered by poachers so parts of their bodies could be used in black magic potions. The killers entered a South African game reserve undetected, prompting concerns about an ‘inside job.’

The Head Ranger at the Rietvlei Nature Reserve in Pretoria, South Africa, Bradden Stevens, 33, who spent a third of his life caring for the lions, made the grim and grisly discovery last Thursday.

“Jarvis, Bashi, Tawana and Tau were brutally murdered, in what seems to be a muti [black magic] killing,” Stevens wrote, in a heartfelt Facebook post. “These last few days have been the darkest I have ever experienced.”

According to an autopsy report, the lions were poisoned by poachers who, once the great felines had succumbed to an excruciating death, cut off their paws and jaws for use in black magic. Two other females from the pride, named River and Serabi, were fatally poisoned in 2017, but in that instance the poachers were discovered before they could mutilate the corpses.

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The armed gang seemingly had intimate knowledge of both the game reserve and its security operations, as they evaded park rangers and had enough time to poison the lions with tainted meat in their 250-hectare area at the centre of the reserve, before butchering them on-site and making good their escape.

The Rietvlei Nature Reserve is also home to healthy populations of rhino, leopard, buffalo and, up until last week, a pride of lions. There are now growing concerns about the safety of the other animals living within the park.

“This horrific crime will not go unpunished,” the South African Police Service said.

Muti is a witchcraft potion made by healers to cast a variety of spells, from protection to virility to cures for illness and strength potions.

Security in the area has been heightened following the brutal slayings, with additional police patrols searching for the perpetrators as they attempt to smuggle the parts out of the region; but it is likely already too late.

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