Up Close with Lions

African lions are just like big cats right? I figured just because they roared instead of purred doesn't mean that they wouldn't like a good back scratch just like a house cat. Hmmm. Well, Heidi and I decided to put this theory to the test. Here in Livingstone, Zambia there is a great lion conservation program called ALERT who is raising lions in a way that their future offspring will be totally wild and able to be sent back to national parks and wildlife reserves around Africa. They are able to do this by using 4 steps.

Step 1: lions up to 2 years old are fed by trainers and volunteers, and walked in the wild daily to get them used to seeing other animals

Step 2: Lions over 2 are taken out at night and followed as they hunt impala, zebra, wildebeest, etc.

Step 3: Lions are released into a managed wildlife reserve as a pack, not individuals. They hunt their own food and have to deal with competitors like hyenas.

Step 4: Offspring had in the wild by Step3 lions will have all the knowledge and sense of the wild with no human contact. They will be introduced into national parks where african lions used to live before being hunted to local extinction

Heidi and I joined in on the Step 1 lions. We walked with three 15 month old lions, 2 females and a male. They were much larger that I expected for only 16months old. Some spot were stillvisible as you can see in the pictures but their claws and teeth looked fully formed to me. 1 1/2 canines kept you on your toes. The lions were very relaxed as we walked them thru the forest. The young male did perk up when he saw a line of elephants crossing the river, with a tiny baby in tow.

Whenever we would stop the lions would also take a break and find a nice spot to lay down. It was then that we were able to walk up behind the lions, and keeping our hands away from their heads, scratch their back and belly. Their hair was much more course that I thought, which would be necessary for protection from all the thorny bushes and play fighting with other lions. If the lions gave us a 'naughty' look, or started trying to 'play' with us then we had a stick that we were told to rub in the dirt to distract them. Sounds like it would be less than mildly effective. But Heidi was still not pleased when I lost my stick.

It was pretty overwhelming being so close in the presence of the king of the jungle. They are majestic and incredibly powerful. Their paws were huge already, as was the retractable claw used to hold down their prey, and their eyes held a kind of endless wisdom that comes with being top of the food chain. Happy Birthday Heidi!