Anita Lewis
enjoys a wildlife experience unlike any other in a remote corner in
Zimbabwe’s midlands.
Halfway into a walking safari, I was surprised to find myself suddenly
stumbling into an acacia bush. A lion cub had bounded up from behind and tried
to trip me with her paws. For a moment, I’d forgotten that we weren’t
looking for animals; instead, we were walking with them.
Bandit, Patch
and Cas were our feline companions: eight-month-old lion cubs raised as part of
a captive breeding programme at Antelope Park in Zimbabwe’s Midlands.
Andrew and Wendy Connolly bought the land in 1987, and developed an existing
breeding programme with new bloodlines imported from Tanzania and other
Zimbabwean programmes. By 1999 the lion population had increased from six to
over 70; there are currently 45.
The 3000ha park has 18 main mammal
species, including zebra, giraffe, tsessebe, waterbuck, kudu and sable.
It’s near impossible to fit in all the activities on offer: vehicle,
walking and horseback safaris; fishing, gliding, canoeing, cycling and
polo-crosse (polo with lacrosse sticks); walking with lions, elephant riding
and sunset boat cruises. My main priority was to walk with the lions.
Bobby, their trainer, took our safari group up to their enclosure, introduced
us to the cubs and briefed us on lion-walking protocol. Having made us suitably
nervous, he then gave me a flimsy plastic pole as a “plaything or method
of control”. I intended to leave all the playing and controlling up to
Bobby, as these cubs weren’t small and looked frighteningly powerful. The
trainers don’t carry guns as there are no dangerous animals in the
park.
I tried to convince myself that it was quite normal to go
strolling with lion cubs at your heels. Once we got going, everyone quickly
relaxed and began to observe and enjoy the cubs’ behaviour, rather than
panicking whenever they came too close. Their distinct characters became
evident immediately. Bandit was definitely the older protective brother; Cas
was playful and Patch was the loner, always remaining slightly apart and
observing rather than joining in.
Bobby told us to act as the pride
would. We had to keep walking without waiting for the cubs (even when they lay
down for a quick nap in the long grass) and find shade in which to take our
breaks. The cubs would then play nearby, often bounding up to entice us into
their games, as they would their pride. Having a large lion cub running towards
you when you are sitting on the ground is hair-raising. I was happy watching
Bobby as he was mauled affectionately by Bandit and Cas.
Bobby gave a
running commentary on their behaviour, and I suddenly realised that this was
more than just a chance to watch lions at close hand. For them, this was an
essential part of their development; for me, it was like living a wildlife
documentary rather than watching it on television.
Understandably,
guests can’t walk with the adult lions, which live in large cages a few
kilometres away from the cubs, where the breeding programme is implemented.
Mating takes place naturally, but the combination of couples is carefully
chosen so as to avoid inbreeding. Lions from different bloodlines are borrowed
from other programmes (an East African lion was lent by Richard Leakey) and
Antelope Park also loans out its stock. A WWF-attached vet monitors the
reproduction procedure, carrying out DNA and TB tests, and giving regular
vaccinations against rabies. Captive breeding also helps lions in the wild,
where local populations can become too inbred. Twenty specimens from Kruger
were darted and brought to Antelope Park to mate with resident lions from
different gene pools, then delivered back to raise the resulting offspring.
The cubs live in large cages on the opposite bank of a river to the guest
accommodation, so you wake to their grunts and rumbles. There are six camps
with large East African safari tents and unlimited camping for backpackers and
overlanders, twin rooms and chalets with open-air half-moon showers at the
back. Each evening, guides and guests eat simple, tasty meals together. With
strong affection for the animals, the guides debated whether lion cubs prefer
chewing old shampoo bottles or blankets. Very young orphan cubs are kept in an
enclosure surrounded by staff rooms, they explained. If doors are inadvertently
left open, cubs enter and chew everything within reach. One was even found
sleeping under a duvet.
These orphan cubs were abandoned by their
mothers on the breeding programme, but the lionesses are allowed to breed
again. “Second time round, lions are often better mothers,” explained
Andrew Connolly, adding that only 30% of lion cubs survive in the wild due to
maternal neglect. Guests can bottle-feed the orphans in the enclosure. This was
one of the highlights of my visit.
The long-term plan is to establish
a programme reintroducing captive-bred lions back into the wild. Caging
facilities will be expanded gradually (soon to 100ha, then to 600) so that the
lions get used to large spaces. Andrew has no doubt that if carefully managed
and monitored the lions would be able to survive, as they never completely lose
their natural hunting instinct. This I can testify to: while I was enjoying an
elephant ride, we met some cubs out on a walk. Without hesitation, they stalked
and mock-charged our mount.
Ironically, the factor most likely to lead
to their downfall in the wild is their affinity with people. Having been raised
by humans and remaining so familiar with them, they could easily wander into a
village, only to be shot. My mind flashed back to Cas bounding towards me
wanting to play and I wasn’t surprised to learn that her actions could be
misinterpreted. For now, her future is safe, as reintroduction is a long-term
goal. A more immediate aim is to build up a gene pool for other captive
breeding programmes in Africa and worldwide.
