Walking with Lions
By Gerard Hancock ©
It was one of those experiences you simply have to do to understand. “Walk with the Lions” said the bit of paper I was holding. Seems simple enough, I thought. We go for a walk........with some lions. What is there not to understand? Everything was clear to me, I had images in my mind of small, fluffy, cub-like creatures which would respond warmly to being stroked and bottle-fed. Easy. When we actually saw the lions and were told they had brought down a young giraffe the day before, we quickly realised that bottle-feeding was definitely out of the question and this was the real thing, or I suppose as near as you get to the real thing. As for easy, the unwitting tourist simply has no idea of the complexity, challenge and controversy behind what on the surface seems to be a well-intentioned and fun experience.
ALERT (African Lion & Environmental Research Trust) is an organization centred near Victoria Falls on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border dedicated to helping reverse the dramatic decline in lion numbers over the last 50 years and one of the projects they have come up with to help raise awareness and support is to give visitors to their reserve the opportunity to have some up-close-and-personal contact with young lions. Depending on when you go, your visit might actually coincide with a fluffy, cub-like stage. During my visit the lions were over 18 months old and just about ready for release into the next stage of the programme. ALERT used to run this programme with lions up to 2 years old but because of on or two “incidents” in which tourists were injured and the ensuing bad press, the maximum age was brought down. These are still youngsters and still prepared to respect humans but I got the feeling that most of the respect among our small group was in the other direction. The power and threat of the lions was easy to see.
Tourist with 18 month old lion.
At this age they are already formidable looking creatures and the little stick you are issued with at the beginning of the walk, along with some instructions, doesn’t look as though it would be of much use if they decided to see who was boss. The guns the rangers carry are not for use on the lions but rather to scare away any other bush predators the group might come across during the walk. Trying to micro-manage an encounter, say between a surprised hippo, a few lions and a group of alarmed tourists wouldn’t be easy, so several rifle-carrying rangers form a moving perimeter to make sure it just doesn’t happen. The whole experience was extremely well organized and the rangers were in full command throughout. The lions clearly respect them and don’t mind being rolled about and having their mouths opened and claws extended to maximize learning opportunities for those who go on this experience.
Say "Ah"
It’s definitely not like taking your dog for a walk though. Lions are essentially lazy, especially during the day, preferring to sleep in the heat and they certainly make the most of every stop along the way to collectively pour themselves onto the ground and cat nap. More walking to do though, so they reluctantly respond to rangers prodding them into action at the end of the several stops we make during the walk, and on we go.
"Grab a hold of his tail", he said. Tail in left hand, stick and camera in right!
“Grab a hold of his tail” the ranger tells me as I am walking behind one of them. “What??” I say, in that tone of voice we reserve for occasions when we have actually understood but just don’t believe what we have heard. “Take his tail”, he repeats. We all exchange a few nervous glances, but he seems to be serious so I take a hold of the lion’s tail. This is a bit tricky as I have the stick in one hand and my camera in the other but with a bit of juggling I manage all three and even get a few shots off. The stick by the way is for pointing at the ground and saying “down” in a firm voice, should the need arise. The wardens assure us that this technique works but some of us have our doubts. Other pre-walk instructions include not touching anywhere near their faces, as this would be interpreted as a threat. Also, don’t wear anything which dangles as they are still essentially playful kittens and would pounce at loose, dangling items the way a household cat does, except with different results should those 10cm claws make contact.
The walk takes around an hour and covers approximately 1 km of the lions’ territory in the bush of the vast ALERT reserve. Each stop is used to explain the programme and its goals and to teach visitors the rudiments of this complex project along with some lion facts and question and answer sessions.
Cat napping along the way
Despite the lions’ reluctance to stroll around in the heat, and what detractors might consider to be yet another example of invasive human behaviour, the results from this programme are positive and young cubs are protected from the natural dangers they would face in the bush and make it to adulthood to mate and reproduce. While they are on the ALERT reserve, they learn to hunt naturally in a real environment and are released in accordance with careful criteria to form their own prides or join other prides. The cubs come from different sources and where and how they are released will depend on numerous factors. One such factor that this project’s specialists are keenly aware of is that captive bred lions without a natural fear of humans can become man-eaters.
In fact, in 2008, the ALERT programme was the source of a less than flattering article in the Sunday Times. It is also true that the Sunday Times was forced to print a retraction admitting to errors in their story. Sir Ranulph Fiennes the British explorer and adventurer was even dragged into the controversy. Any programme addressing something as scientifically complex as increasing lion numbers will always have its critics. The challenge is exceptional and the management of gene pools alone is daunting. Unfortunately, bona-fide programmes also suffer from commercially oriented ventures operating under the guise of conservation. Tourists can be unwitting and take part in programmes offered by such organizations without knowing what they are really contributing to. The “canned hunting” industry is one such outlet for lions raised in some programmes. With lion hunting packages going for around $40,000 it’s easy to understand motivation. If you are thinking of participating in such a programme it would be wise to do some in-depth checking on the organization beforehand.
ALERT’s multi-faceted programme is clearly explained on their site and their goals are real. What is equally as complex to manage, however, is the public relations side of an operation which needs funding to achieve those goals. In today’s finger-pointing, always-ready-to-criticise world, the reality is that any organization, especially one working in such a sensitive area, needs full-time public relations if the right message is to be heard. This message is currently being aired on British TV in the ITV documentary “Lion Country”.
If you do decide to go on an ALERT experience, just follow the wardens’ instructions and walking with the lions is fun, safe and informative. It might even be helping as well.
Very tired lion at end of walk.
Contacts:
http://lionalert.org/index.html
http://www.itv.com/lifestyle/lioncountry/
It was one of those experiences you simply have to do to understand. “Walk with the Lions” said the bit of paper I was holding. Seems simple enough, I thought. We go for a walk........with some lions. What is there not to understand? Everything was clear to me, I had images in my mind of small, fluffy, cub-like creatures which would respond warmly to being stroked and bottle-fed. Easy. When we actually saw the lions and were told they had brought down a young giraffe the day before, we quickly realised that bottle-feeding was definitely out of the question and this was the real thing, or I suppose as near as you get to the real thing. As for easy, the unwitting tourist simply has no idea of the complexity, challenge and controversy behind what on the surface seems to be a well-intentioned and fun experience.
ALERT (African Lion & Environmental Research Trust) is an organization centred near Victoria Falls on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border dedicated to helping reverse the dramatic decline in lion numbers over the last 50 years and one of the projects they have come up with to help raise awareness and support is to give visitors to their reserve the opportunity to have some up-close-and-personal contact with young lions. Depending on when you go, your visit might actually coincide with a fluffy, cub-like stage. During my visit the lions were over 18 months old and just about ready for release into the next stage of the programme. ALERT used to run this programme with lions up to 2 years old but because of on or two “incidents” in which tourists were injured and the ensuing bad press, the maximum age was brought down. These are still youngsters and still prepared to respect humans but I got the feeling that most of the respect among our small group was in the other direction. The power and threat of the lions was easy to see.
Tourist with 18 month old lion.
At this age they are already formidable looking creatures and the little stick you are issued with at the beginning of the walk, along with some instructions, doesn’t look as though it would be of much use if they decided to see who was boss. The guns the rangers carry are not for use on the lions but rather to scare away any other bush predators the group might come across during the walk. Trying to micro-manage an encounter, say between a surprised hippo, a few lions and a group of alarmed tourists wouldn’t be easy, so several rifle-carrying rangers form a moving perimeter to make sure it just doesn’t happen. The whole experience was extremely well organized and the rangers were in full command throughout. The lions clearly respect them and don’t mind being rolled about and having their mouths opened and claws extended to maximize learning opportunities for those who go on this experience.
Say "Ah"
It’s definitely not like taking your dog for a walk though. Lions are essentially lazy, especially during the day, preferring to sleep in the heat and they certainly make the most of every stop along the way to collectively pour themselves onto the ground and cat nap. More walking to do though, so they reluctantly respond to rangers prodding them into action at the end of the several stops we make during the walk, and on we go.
"Grab a hold of his tail", he said. Tail in left hand, stick and camera in right!
“Grab a hold of his tail” the ranger tells me as I am walking behind one of them. “What??” I say, in that tone of voice we reserve for occasions when we have actually understood but just don’t believe what we have heard. “Take his tail”, he repeats. We all exchange a few nervous glances, but he seems to be serious so I take a hold of the lion’s tail. This is a bit tricky as I have the stick in one hand and my camera in the other but with a bit of juggling I manage all three and even get a few shots off. The stick by the way is for pointing at the ground and saying “down” in a firm voice, should the need arise. The wardens assure us that this technique works but some of us have our doubts. Other pre-walk instructions include not touching anywhere near their faces, as this would be interpreted as a threat. Also, don’t wear anything which dangles as they are still essentially playful kittens and would pounce at loose, dangling items the way a household cat does, except with different results should those 10cm claws make contact.
The walk takes around an hour and covers approximately 1 km of the lions’ territory in the bush of the vast ALERT reserve. Each stop is used to explain the programme and its goals and to teach visitors the rudiments of this complex project along with some lion facts and question and answer sessions.
Cat napping along the way
Despite the lions’ reluctance to stroll around in the heat, and what detractors might consider to be yet another example of invasive human behaviour, the results from this programme are positive and young cubs are protected from the natural dangers they would face in the bush and make it to adulthood to mate and reproduce. While they are on the ALERT reserve, they learn to hunt naturally in a real environment and are released in accordance with careful criteria to form their own prides or join other prides. The cubs come from different sources and where and how they are released will depend on numerous factors. One such factor that this project’s specialists are keenly aware of is that captive bred lions without a natural fear of humans can become man-eaters.
In fact, in 2008, the ALERT programme was the source of a less than flattering article in the Sunday Times. It is also true that the Sunday Times was forced to print a retraction admitting to errors in their story. Sir Ranulph Fiennes the British explorer and adventurer was even dragged into the controversy. Any programme addressing something as scientifically complex as increasing lion numbers will always have its critics. The challenge is exceptional and the management of gene pools alone is daunting. Unfortunately, bona-fide programmes also suffer from commercially oriented ventures operating under the guise of conservation. Tourists can be unwitting and take part in programmes offered by such organizations without knowing what they are really contributing to. The “canned hunting” industry is one such outlet for lions raised in some programmes. With lion hunting packages going for around $40,000 it’s easy to understand motivation. If you are thinking of participating in such a programme it would be wise to do some in-depth checking on the organization beforehand.
ALERT’s multi-faceted programme is clearly explained on their site and their goals are real. What is equally as complex to manage, however, is the public relations side of an operation which needs funding to achieve those goals. In today’s finger-pointing, always-ready-to-criticise world, the reality is that any organization, especially one working in such a sensitive area, needs full-time public relations if the right message is to be heard. This message is currently being aired on British TV in the ITV documentary “Lion Country”.
If you do decide to go on an ALERT experience, just follow the wardens’ instructions and walking with the lions is fun, safe and informative. It might even be helping as well.
Very tired lion at end of walk.
Contacts:
http://lionalert.org/index.html
http://www.itv.com/lifestyle/lioncountry/
