JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - Six lions have been killed after escaping from a hunting reserve in South Africa and terrorizing residents living nearby, wildlife authorities said Monday.

The authorities said that guards in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal killed the lions on Friday after residents protested their inability to walk safely at night.

"Anger was building as there were fears that lions were no longer afraid of humans," Musa Mntambo, spokesman for the Izimvelo KZN wildlife sanctuary, said in a statement.

He added that the lions had killed at least six cows and no longer ran away when they saw humans, instead walking towards them.
Globally, the number of lions living in the wild is decreasing, but in South Africa its numbers are growing and have reached 3,500 lions, according to wildlife associations.