ALERT Projects

African Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program:

Given the rapid decline in free-ranging lion populations (between 80 and 90% in the last 50 years) and the greatly reduced potential for their natural recolonization of some areas, ALERT supports assisted lion reintroduction into specific areas. Such areas would include localities where lion populations have been eradicated, but that have been identified as high priority for reestablishment of the species, and where the causes of the original population loss in the past have been identified and are being mitigated.

Whenever possible, reintroductions should include the release of young adult wild lions captured for the purpose of translocation and released into areas which have been shown to support adequate wild prey and where an effective program to mitigate conflict with humans and livestock has been put into place. Wild caught animals will be maintained in large pens within the release area for several months (“soft release”), in an effort to reduce their tendency to return to the area from which they originated.

If this is not possible, or if the results are poor, we will attempt a multi-stage program to reintroduce lions originally bred from wild individuals. Suitable wild lions would be caught and then bred in large fenced areas, along with natural game, carefully shielded from human contact. The resulting cubs, not habituated to humans and taught to hunt by their wild parents, would then be released into the wild. These would be the source of a self-sustaining population, possibly occasionally augmented with young wild caught males from other populations to maintain genetic diversity. After their release, the next generation of cubs would then be reared. This program would allow a controlled reintroduction of suitable lions reared by wild parents that may have a higher survival rate than the direct release of lion translocated and soft released. Furthermore, controlled scientific studies can be more easily carried out under these conditions.

Where there is no available source population of suitable wild lions, we will instigate a multi-stage program to reintroduce lions originally bred from captive individuals. Suitable captive lions which lack hunting skills would be bred in fenced areas. Their offspring would be raised around humans and become part of the Walk with the Lions Program. Because these offspring are used to humans, it is easier to study them, learning various characteristics such as behavior patterns, traits necessary to form a successful pride, how they develop various hunting skills, etc. Later, once these offspring mature and learn to hunt, they can be used to form prides designed to maximize the breeding and survival of offspring. These prides would be released in large enclosures with natural game, and carefully shielded from human contact. Again, their cubs, like the cubs of the wild caught lions, would then be released at an appropriate age into the wild after pre-release training by their parents.

The large enclosures provide opportunities for well-controlled experiments on all aspects of the captive versus wild situations, and refinement of proposed reintroduction protocols. For instance, should captive-reared youngsters not learn to hunt well, we might try adding experienced, wild-caught individuals to the captive-reared group, recognizing that integration into the existing social mix might be challenging. With properly designed holding facilities, we will have the flexibility to try different approaches to group formation. After the offspring of the captive lions are removed, the next generation of cubs would then be reared. This program would allow a controlled reintroduction of suitable lions reared by the offspring of captive parents that may have a higher survival rate than the direct release of cubs from a captive source. Rearing them in captivity would also permit experiments in aversive conditioning to teach them to avoid livestock. Finally, an important part of this approach is that the Walk with the Lions Program not only raises sufficient tourism funding to not only fund this program, but also many other conservation projects. It also creates many jobs for the local community. Thus it becomes an integral part of a self-sustainable conservation model that thru local jobs and tourism, gives local communities a reason to not only protect wildlife populations, but also to encourage their growth.

By taking the above three pronged approach in the future, we can scientifically study each of them to determine, which program, or combination of programs, is most appropriate under specific conditions.

Since the lion population has dropped so rapidly during the past few decades, we do not know how best to reintroduce lions nor how drastic a measure we might have to take a decade from now to ensure the survivability of the lion population in Africa. While some may say there is no need to study captive breeding programs since there are still many wild lions, we still want to study all three approaches, and combinations of them, to get a better scientific understanding of all of them and their differences under controlled scientific conditions. ALERT will seek expertise from successful felid introduction programs such as those involving private reserves in South Africa, and other actual reintroduction programs. This project of studying all three approaches seeks to fund itself through external funding, the development of ecotourism operations around as many elements of the program as are possible whilst ensuring that local communities living near the program's conservation areas are fully involved in the revenue generating potential, thus developing relevant sustainable support for conservation.

Further, all elements of the program seek to address the broader issues in lion conservation at each project site. This includes the complete rejuvenation of the wildlife area including all environmental and biotic factors, habitat protection and mitigation of the reasons why local lion populations declined in the first place.

Providing adequate protection for prey resources in a large area is a major undertaking, requiring considerable effort and political will on the part of national and local governments and neighboring human communities. ALERT would work with national park authorities to train and equip park guards, anti-poaching units, and resource assessment teams. Park infrastructure may need to be renovated, tourism facilities built and support staff trained. We would also help surrounding communities improve farming and livestock-rearing practices in order to end their reliance on bushmeat, thereby allowing prey populations to recover. We would also work with them to secure livestock from attacks by the growing lion population. Wildlife-based enterprises, including Walking with Lions and other tourism operations, would be established in order to improve local livelihoods. Underlying all development efforts would be the understanding that local communities must see wildlife as essential to their economic well-being if they are to protect it.

Click here for a full description of the captive-bred release program.

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Lion population assessment in Zambezi National Park:

Densities of large predator species are estimated to be low despite the fact that a high concentration of antelope exists in the basalt woodlands below the sand ridge and stretching all the way to the Zambezi River. This habitat should under normal circumstances be good hunting ground for predators and should therefore support a healthy population. Knowledge of a reliable estimate of predator populations will go a long way in understanding predator-prey ratios and relationships in the eco-system. Predators provide a sure check on mammal populations in the Park, hence reducing chances of overutilization of browse and graze. 

Lion population assessment in Mara-Naboisho Conservancy:

Through our partner African Impact important data is being collected within this area to assist the Living with Lions Mara Predator Project.

Disease testing Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe:

As part of the proposed Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area the disease status of animals within this Park is needed to be known for proper management of the TFCA. Since the discovery of bovine tuberculosis in buffalo in February this year, it was decided that testing the lions here was a priority to try and figure out how long the disease has been present – a “clean” lion population would indicate the disease is a relatively new occurrence. Recent estimates show that there may be as few as 23 lion in the Park in an area of 5000km2. Other diseases being tested for including FIV to add to the knowledge of why there is such a low density of lions here. Finance has been provided to our partner AWARE to conduct this program.

Monitoring the effects of FIV infection in lions:

Little is known of the effects of FIV on lions either in captivity or in the wild, a virus which is believed to be present in almost 100% of adult lions in eastern and southern Africa. Studies into the effects of the disease are extremely difficult to conduct on wild lions, however close monitoring of a group of FIV positive lions kept under the same conditions as FIV negative ones in captivity has the potential for important discoveries about the effects and course of the disease.

Assessment of character traits in African lions:

It is believed that lionesses can take any of three roles in a pride; that of alpha, hunter or mother. Similarly, males can be good hunters, pride defenders or fathers. Given the spectrum of necessary individuals and skills that contribute towards a successful pride, it is important that the prides released into stages two and three of the African Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program are well-balanced to ensure all parts of pride life are tended to. Therefore, all stage one cubs are observed at three-month intervals for a number of behaviours that can help predict the role which they may excel at, leading to improved release pride selection.

Activity budgets in African lions:

An activity budget is based on a simple ethogram and is a way of representing an animal’s behaviour by recording the duration of defined activities; such as resting, social behaviours and eating.

The behaviour of an animal is controlled by the endocrine and nervous system, hence it is affected by the environment the animal is in. It is quite obvious that the behaviour of an animal in captivity will differ from that of an animal in its natural environment, as captive environments usually restrict animals from performing some species specific behaviours, which can manifest in abnormal behaviours usually termed as stereotypic.

The primary objective of this study is to identify how age, gender, enclosure size and complexity affect the activity budgets of captive bred African lions. Measuring activity levels in lions provides important information about their behavioural ecology and is a relevant factor in ex-situ management; providing information on the possible causes of any abnormal behaviour and results on the healthiest social group formations and enclosure stimulation.

Factors influencing the variation of mane development in lions:

Here we look at the variations of mane development in a population of captive-bred lions and the possible causes behind such adaptations. Monthly surveys into the length, colour and thickness are conducted on all of the program’s males, as well as monitoring the changing condition of the mane and overall body condition. The variations in mane development are then correlated to paternal and maternal blood lines as well as changes in location, climate, nutrition, group structure and physiological condition.

Hunting success in lions:

Data is collected on all chases, stalks and kills made by the cubs in stage one of the African Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program, both while walking and on those young lions in the Night Encounter program to assess the variable development of hunting success. Factors such as ground cover, wind direction and moon luminosity on night hunts are also recorded to ascertain if such variables contribute to the overall success in a hunt, and therefore determine if the captive-bred lions are achieving hunting success comparable to that of wild-borne cubs.

Hunting strategy in lions:

The lion release program affords the opportunity to observe lions hunting in a way that is very difficult with wild lions. Such studies will assist in understanding the strategies that lions use whilst hunting; what co-operation is present, and whether individual lions learn techniques or hunting styles that when used improve their hunting success rate.

Spoor as an indicator of age in African lions:

Each month the spoor of all the stage one cubs of the lion release program is measured; recording pad length, total length and total width of the front and back spoor, as well as the stride and straddle distances. This exercise is repeated where possible on various surfaces – fine sand, coarse sand etc... – as the size of an individual’s spoor is substrate specific.

The intention is that the results of this study will help us find a range of rates of growth of the lion’s spoor and this will be useful in helping to understand the pride structure of unseen lions in the wild.

Assessing the age of African lions by nose pigmentation:

Given the common practice within hunting circles of ageing wild lions through the degree of nose pigmentation, this study involves taking annual nose shots from each lion within the program and monitoring the rate at which the noses darken in order to determine whether pigmentation can be a reliable marker of age.

Projects in prep:

• Study for the maintenance of a viable free ranging lion population within an isolated location where natural recolonization is not possible and remnant populations are insufficient to avoid inbreeding risks.

• National lion species management plan development, Ghana.

• Comparative study of released captive bred lions with their wild counterparts.