Africas Lions

Africas Lions

Lion News & Conservation

Lion Guardians

Read the latest Lion Guardians news and reports from the heart of Kenyan Maasailand. Find out which lions the Guardians have been tracking, how the local Maasai communities are reducing conflict with carnivores and how the Guardians are helping.

http://lionguardians.wildlifedirect.org/



Kilimanjaro Lion Conservation Project

Follow the musings and lion tracking exploits of the Kilimanjaro Lion Conservation Project from the lion research field site in the Chyulu Hills, Southern Kenya.

http://kilimanjarolion.wildlifedirect.org/
whitestarling

Lion Country on ITV Appeal For Zimbabwe Fans

British conservationist, David Youldon, is spearheading a radical project at the Antelope Park, in order to save Africa’s iconic predator, the lion. Estimates indicate that over 200,000 lions may have roamed the continent in 1975, figures declining by 80-90% in less than 30 years. The Park’s “Rehabilitation and Release into the Wild” programme aims to develop the natural hunting instinct of captive lions, ensuring their continuing survival in the wilderness. A cause that has already captured the imagination of 4.8 million UK viewers, ITV’s “Lion Country” is a six part documentary series featuring the reserve, the fourth episode to air on Wednesday 05 May at 19:30 (GMT).

This may be a repeat I'm not sure, or it could be a follow up to the first series. Whichever it's worth watching
WS

I saw this tonight WS and I believe it was episode four of the original series they were airing earlier in the year and was then put on hold due to the football.
Tonight they talked about the feline FIV virus and how it may affect wild cats, they are doing research on seven cats that have the virus and seven that don't, it is hoped that their findings will help the non captive cats in South Africa and cats in other parts of Africa.
I am not sure if it is on again next week as this series does seem to suffer for other programmes.

littlewid-x-

Lion Country is on again on Wed 12th May ITV1 it looks like they are finishing the series that started earlier in the year. So this this week, and next week
WS

Drakenstein Lion Park in South Africa - a sanctuary for captive born predators.

An amazing place where lions from all over the world are given a new life.

http://www.lionrescue.org.za/

News on the latest rescue of Ena

New Rescue 24-06-2010



Ena, a six month old female lion cub, was confiscated from a French circus. She arrived safely at the sanctuary at midnight on 24-06-2010 and was released into her enclosure at first light the following morning.

Ena was kept in horrific conditions and was discovered hidden underneath a circus horse trailer in a wooden box where she had been kept prisoner for most of her short life.

http://www.lionrescue.org.za/news42.htm

Another sad story but hopefully she will have a better quality of life now.

Lai

Sad post from Drakenstein Lion Park - 1st December

Sad news for lions in South Africa. After years of legal wrangling, the predator breeders have won their court case challenging new legislation aimed at curtailing the abhorrent practice of canned hunting.

After 13 years of public outcry at the brutal and barbaric practice of breeding lions in captivity for the sole purpose of being shot by some perverted sicko who gets their kicks from killing tame lions, canned hunting will now officially continued unchecked and probably flourish even more.

At least 3 captive bred / hand reared lions are killed in SA every day and this number will probably increase dramatically.

For 13 years there have been petitions, court cases, documentaries and print media articles against canned hunting, to no avail! It is now time for normal people to stand up and be counted. Do not support ANY facility that breeds lions in captivity. Do not support ANY facility that offers cub petting opportunities. If you do, then you are probably supporting canned hunting!

Do not believe the lies you are told about rehabilitation / conservation. Captive bred lions in SA are either funneled directly to canned hunting farms or they are used to breed victims for canned hunts. By supporting a facility that breeds lions in captivity, you are supporting canned hunting.

I think one should go even further, do not associated with people who visit places where captive lion breeding occurs, educate them if possible, but if not, then they should be alienated. Do not support companies who offer tours to facilities where captive breeding / cub petting occurs and let them know why.

You are now the only hope for the captive bred lions being slaughtered in SA every day.



and from 6th December

For many years lion breeders and tourist attractions have justified the cruel practice of lion cub petting, firstly by claiming that the lion cubs are 'orphans' and secondly, that they were eventually 'rehabilitated on game reserves'.

It is common knowledge that lion cubs are stolen from their mothers at birth to speed up the breeding cycle and hand reared so that they can be used for petting opportunities.

When people go as far as to question what happens to the lion cubs they pet when they grow too big for this practice, the standard line fed to them is that 'the cubs are rehabilitated'.

Interesting and damning evidence from court documents* indicate that even the lion breeders own experts acknowledge the myth of lion rehabilitation in South Africa, exposing the lie that tourists have been fed for many years by facilities that claim their 'lions are rehabilitated'.

The Minister and his expert witnesses conceded that there was no scientific basis for the assumption that a captive-bred lion could be rendered self-sufficient within any certain period or indeed at all. Such examples of apparent self-sustainability as he offered were shown by the respondent in reply to be in the highest degree unreliable.

The appellants (lion breeders), having adopted the stance that a captive-bred lion could not successfully be rehabilitated at all.

It is doubtful whether the term “rehabilitated after being released” should be used in the context of captive-bred lions. The human imprint on these animals is very strong.

It is immaterial how long the captive bred lion is allowed to run free before it is hunted, it can never be regarded as being rehabilitated.

Thus there was no material disagreement between the experts on the question of the prospect of rehabilitating a captive-bred lion. At worst a successful outcome was speculative, at best, very unlikely.

So the lie has been exposed and it is now up to responsible tour operators and tourists alike to face the hard reality that captive breeding of lions in SA has no real conservation value, the lion breeders themselves have admitted that 'a captive bred lion could not be successfully rehabilitated at all'! The reality is that captive bred lions in SA more than likely either end up on canned hunting farms or are used to breed more victims for canned hunts.

Tour operators organizing tours to facilities that breed lions in captivity and tourists alike are in all likely hood indirectly supporting canned hunting.


Lai

I'm going to have to take some very deep breaths, and some time before I comment on this
WS

WS

Thanks for that WS. Just a thought though, does that mean that numbers are now less per subspecies if it was previously counted as the same subspecies. If that makes sense?

SM

Good question SM. I'll try to check it out
WS

Thanks for that WS - an interesting read.

Lai

thank you amazing post

lions are really awesome

I agree with you there Panthera, they are truely awesome. A lot of us have been following prides of lions for a few years now and some of the members on here have been lucky enough to have been on safari and seen some of the lions we have got to know so well through BCD/BCL with the help of Jackson Loosyia, Jonathan Scott and Simon King. We have quite a lovely selection of photos dotted roud the site but check out the threads for Members Safari Trips or the WAA Camera Club and you will get to see them.

littlewid-x-

As you said Panthera they are a top species, and an Apex Predator. As Littlewid said have a look round the forum, and you will find lots of photos from members who have been on Safari with comments on them as well.
WS