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ALERT Communities Trust (ACT) and Conservation Centre for Wild Africa (CCWA)
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The Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program Introduction Stage One Stage Two Stage Three Stage FourHusbandry & Veterinary Lions in the Program Stage One Stage one of the program has been operating at Antelope Park in Zimbabwe since 1999, at Lion Encounter (Zaimbabwe) in Victoria Falls since 2005 and at Lion Encounter (Zambia) in Livingstone since December 2008. Breeding Program Males and females are separated before they reach sexual maturity to ensure no uncontrolled breeding takes place, and where possible (based on an individual lion’s aggression towards others) the lions are kept in single gender social groups of two or more lions. Records are kept of the lions’ origin and parentage, confirmed by DNA testing conducted by Dr. Jean Dubach, a renowned expert in lion genetics and co-author of the research paper Molecular genetic variation across the southern and eastern geographic ranges of the African lion (2004). Females are bred at minimum breeding intervals akin to those of wild lions raising a litter to maturity, which is an average of 20 months (range 11 – 25 months). One week prior to “cubbing down” the pregnant female is placed on her own in a specially designed cubbing enclosure complete with a den. Here she will give birth and care for her cubs for the first three weeks of their life. This period allows the cubs the best start in life as they are able to take advantage of colostral secretions in the first few hours or days postpartum; gaining anti-bodies from the mother. The cubs are removed so that they can bond to a human handler assigned to raise them such that they build enough confidence in their surrogate mother to follow them into the African Bush; a vital part of their pre-release training. The procedure is carried out by placing the mother, usually with food, back in her normal social group whilst the cubs are removed. The cubs are very quick to see a handler assigned to raise them as the dominant member of their pride and start suckling and playing with the handler in a completely relaxed way within a couple of hours; up to 18 hours if the cub is slow to accept a synthetic teat. Removing cubs from their mother is standard practice for carnivores in most zoos and captive breeding centres.
Removing cubs from their mother does cause the mother to re-enter her oestrus cycle, which is a natural phenomenon in the wild when males take over a pride and kill all the offspring present. This allows them to start producing their own cubs as soon as possible, therefore passing on their own genes. However, the program does not take advantage of this natural event in order to produce higher numbers of cubs. Females within the breeding centre are, as much as possible, maintained at a natural cubbing interval. “The housing and care of the lions was assessed by the Zimbabwe National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and found to be excellent. The ZNSPCA further concluded that the lion breeding program was highly ethical and extremely well managed” (from a report compiled by Dr. R.D. Taylor, Conservation Programme Director for the WWF Southern African Regional Programme Office (SARPO) 10th January 2005). Lion Walks Each set of cubs is cared for by an assigned handler implementing over 20 years experience of raising lions by Antelope Park. That handler will spend four to five hours per day with the young cubs (the rest of the time the cubs sleep) helping them to feed on a special milk formula devised by the program; assisting them to learn to defecate; and providing a constant presence for them from which they gain security.Cubs at this age will hide out in the same way that wild cubs will do, using the safe housing designed for them, coming out to suckle and play when their surrogate mother returns. It is through this constant interaction with the assigned guide that the cubs gain confidence in their “mother” meaning they will have the confidence to follow their “mother” into the African Bush to experience their natural habitat. The cubs are taken out on their first walks at the age of six-weeks old; they are easily frightened and rely on the handler for a sense of safety. Shortly after other handlers are introduced to the cubs to simulate a wild mother introducing her cubs to the rest of her pride, but the surrogate mother is always present to give the cubs the security they need. As the cubs get older and gain in confidence they are taken on longer walks, covering greater distances and introduced to further members of the “pride”. It is through this careful bonding technique that the cubs are able to experience their natural surroundings, necessary for their pre-release training.  Like overly playful domestic dogs (though lions have bigger teeth and sharper claws), cubs need discipline to prevent them from injuring human handlers during their walks. The most effective and humane method is to administer a flick to the side of the muzzle whilst using the word "no" in an authoritative tone. Through this method the young cubs learn the limits of acceptable play behaviour with humans and soon understand the word "no" such that they will cease their play if the command is used. This is the only training that the cubs are given; all other behaviours are encouraged to develop through constant interaction with their environment, prey species that they encounter and through social bonding within their cub group. Tourists are permitted to join the lion walks when the cubs are between six and eighteen months old and again are treated by the lions as dominant members of the pride. In allowing this participation the program raises awarness and generates funding to operate stage one of the program, as well as helping to raise finance for the later release stages. “An assessment was undertaken jointly by a team comprising an independent consultant biologist and two members of the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority. The team reported favourably on this rather unique and specialised activity and their assessment was generally supportive of "Walk with Lions"… WWF SARPO has no objections to operations of this nature, provided the principles and practices as developed and implemented by Antelope Park are adhered to.” (from a report compiled by Dr. R.D. Taylor, Conservation Programme Director for the WWF Southern African Regional Programme Office (SARPO) 10 January 2005) Once sufficient cubs are being born in stage three of the program to meet the demands of stage four, stage one operations can be scaled down except to ensure gene flow within stage three release areas. Developing the Cubs’ Natural Hunting Instincts The cubs will often encounter game on their walks including small antelope such as duiker or steenbok, and larger species such as wildebeest, zebra or buffalo. It is through repeated exposure to these prey species that the lions are given the opportunity to hone their natural hunting instincts. When the cubs are very young they will do little more than watch the prey. Around the age of six-months old they make tentative steps towards the animals they encounter, and even make their first real efforts at stalking. Needless to say these early attempts are unsuccessful. By one-year old the cubs have enough confidence to give chase, and their stalking techniques are developing well. Around 12-15 months old many of the cubs are making their first kills, often birds, monitor lizards or small and young antelope.Success at hunting is difficult for the young, inexperienced lions, especially during the day, however over the last three years the cubs have managed to make contact with many different animal species from guinea fowl to buffalo. Often the reason a kill is not made is that the cub is too small to bring down the size of prey it has jumped on; or lets its grip on the animal falter through lack of experience. The cubs on walks learn quickly from these experiences and have managed to kill many different species before the age of 18 months including warthog, baboon, wildebeest and even buffalo and giraffe.  At around 18-months old the lions begin to take part in the Night Encounter program. This was added to the program in July 2005 in order to give the cubs further opportunities to practice their hunting and therefore give them a higher chance of survival after release into stage two. A red filtered spotlight is used from a vehicle to monitor the lions' progress. In the wild, cubs aged between 18 and 24 months old will follow their mother and other dominant members of the pride and are led to game. Mostly they will watch the hunt from the sidelines, but gradually they will start to take part, usually unsuccessfully, as they practice their hunting techniques. As such, the younger lions often follow the vehicle and are led to areas where prey is known to be. The lions then take over and try to hunt. As the lions approach two-years old, where, in the wild, they are now starting to separate from their mother's side, the lions lead the Night Encounter more frequently, use scent trails to find prey, display co-operative hunting strategies more often and are able to take larger game species. The Night Encounter takes place in 3,000 acres giving the prey species as much chance to escape as any wild animal. Groups of up to four lions are taken out after between three and seven days of fasting as is best suited to the individual lions in question.  Although it is accepted that lions can learn to hunt without the pre-release training used in this release protocol, typically, this takes place over time with the lions hunting individually at first as they are only able to capture prey of a size that would sustain that individual. The African Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program's release protocol is based on releasing prides and therefore it is felt that pre-release training allows the lions to learn to hunt prey of a size that can sustain the whole pride immediately upon release, thus allowing for a greater chance of social bonding of that pride. Read our Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ page |
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