February AFRICA NEEDS LIONS a responsible development approach to lion conservation

Transcription

1 February 2013 AFRICA NEEDS LIONS a responsible development approach to lion conservation

2 AFRICA S LIONS ARE LIVING ON BORROWED TIME

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4 Lion population estimates as low as 32,000 December Researchers coordinated by a team at the Nicholas School of the Environment reported that Africa s once-thriving savannahs are in trouble due to massive land-use conversion and burgeoning human population growth. The decline has had a significant impact on the lions that make their home in these savannahs; their numbers having dropped to as low as 32,000. The last published estimate of continental lion populations was reported in 2006 following two regional strategy workshops. Since then a number of studies have been conducted to bring clarification to those previous estimates most concluding alarming declines or local extinction of lion sub-populations in the areas studied. This latest report brings together that work over the past six years to clarify a most likely continental wide population of just 32,000 lions. The lions of Africa are on the losing side of an intensifying conflict with people. As human populations expand, more and more of the lions habitat is being lost. Lions are also losing their natural prey to illegal poaching, or dying a slow and painful death in a poacher s wire snare. As lions come into more frequent contact with humans they are being shot, speared and poisoned in retaliation for killing livestock on which communities rely. Adding to the problem are unsustainable trophy hunting practices, the trade in lion bones to meet the increasing demands of Far East traditional medicine markets, multiple diseases - often transferred from domestic animals, the impacts of climate change and the effects of inbreeding depression. Riggio J, Jacobson A, Dollar L, Bauer H, Becker M, Dickman A, Funston P, Groom R, Henschel P, de Iongh H, Lichtenfeld L, Pimm S (2012) The size of savannah Africa: a lion s (Panthera leo) view. Biodiversity Conservation Dec 12 DOI /s To download the full report click here.

5 The paper s senior author, Jason Riggio of Duke University s Nicholas School of the Environment assembled a team of fellow graduate students to examine high-resolution satellite imagery of Africa from Google Earth to produce a map of where lions might still exist. Based on our fieldwork, we knew that most of the information out there from low-resolution satellite-based studies was wrong, said Riggio. Existing global maps are quite coarse and show large areas of African woodlands as being intact. Only by utilizing very highresolution imagery, were we able to identify many of these areas as being riddled with small fields and extensive, if small, human settlements that make it impossible for lions to survive. The next phase of the research was a systematic evaluation of all existing data on lion populations in Africa. To complete the task, Pimm assembled an international team of co-authors who were familiar with existing reports on lion populations and who had contributed to the process of making those reports. Data also were pulled from various user communities, including assessments that were funded by hunting organisations. Data from user community proved to be broadly similar with those of other researchers. Prior to this research, various estimates of lion populations in Africa ranged from 20,000 to 40,000. Once that data were compiled and analysed, the team created a detailed map outlining areas of low human impact, more favourable to lion populations. The analysis identified only 67 isolated areas across the continent where lions might survive. This research is a major step in helping prioritize funding strategies for saving big cats, said Luke Dollar. Dollar is a co-author of the paper and the grants director of National Geographic s Big Cats Initiative (BCI) that provided partial funding for this work. Of the estimated 32,000-35,000 lions, more than 5,000 of them are located in small, isolated populations, putting their survival in doubt. The research will help us better identify areas in which we can make a difference. LionAid published their own report the same month suggesting that as few as 15,244 lions remain in Africa. In producing this estimate the authors had reviewed each country s capability to maintain lion populations by looking at factors such as tourism arrivals, the existence of conservation NGOs operating the country, and the nation s position on the Human Development Index. What is clear is that lion are in need of drastic action to prevent a conservation catastrophe.

6 ALERT CELEBRATES TWO YEARS IN THE LIFE OF AT1 20th January marked a significant milestone in the history of ALERT and the African Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program. The first semi-wild born cub reached twoyears old. Now a sub-adult lion, AT1 is an independent member of the Ngamo pride. She continues to develop her survival skills under the tutelage of her elders in preparation for a full release into the wild. Take a look back at her remarkable two-year journey here.

7 Putting an end to the conflict On the 3 rd January ALERT received reports from associates at Lion Encounter in Victoria Falls that three lions had been shot in Monde village, approximately 15km outside Victoria Falls town in Western Zimbabwe. The resident researcher at the Victoria Falls project followed up these reports by visiting the area and speaking directly with those involved. According to a local gentleman the incident took place at 1530h on the 2 nd after the three lions had been observed, by a passing driver, attacking a cow next to the main Victoria Falls to Bulawayo road. The cow was part of a larger herd that had dispersed and moved out of sight of their herders who had taken shelter from heavy rain under a tree. The driver alerted the herders to the attack. The lions, an adult lioness and her two cubs, aged approx. 14 months, broke the cow s spine before fleeing as villagers chased them away with dogs. The cow was then mercifully killed. The head of the cow was removed to be used as bait to lure the lions back and by 2000h the lions had returned where they were then shot by a local professional hunter with permission from the Hwange Rural Council District. Conflict incidents such as this are widespread throughout Africa. Studies of lion movements and behaviour have shown many will avoid human settlements where possible as they induce high levels of stress. But as the lions natural prey availability diminishes, and suitable habitat shrinks, lions are drawn more frequently into human dominated areas. Livestock are easier to catch than natural prey, and in areas such as Monde where livestock roam freely, sometimes unguarded, lion attacks are common. Lions will mostly attack under the cover of night whilst herds are kept in - often poorly made - bomas (fenced enclosures), yet attacks during daylight do occur. Work is being undertaken in many lion range states, such as Kenya and Tanzania, to improve boma design. It is hoped that thickening, strengthening and enlarging boma walls will prevent lion attacks. However, studies have shown lions are capable of breaking through or leaping over a vast variety of wall types. Further, the costs involved in these programs up to $2,000 for each household - is far beyond the reach of most livestock owners. On a continent-wide the scale the costs are almost unimaginable. For example, to put livestock in bomas in medium and high lion conflict areas in Tanzania alone will cost almost $2 billion far outstripping the annual conservation spend across the whole of Sub- Saharan Africa by 1000 times. In late 2012, ALERT began discussions with Kenyan-born Sandy Simpson who has modified and implemented a system created by a young Kenyan boy two years ago. Richard Tuere (age 11) of the Kitengela area created a system to help protect his family s livestock boma at night from lion attacks. Richard took a handful of torches, a second-hand car battery and a small solar panel to make an automated lighting system around the perimeter of a boma. After installing the flashing lights, Richard s family has not reported a single lion attack in the two years since. Sandy has taken the system, costing a more reasonable $200 and installed units across Kenya and Tanzania. Those communities with the system have reported a dramatic decrease in lion attacks, as well as the lights deterring other predators and elephants. Over time it is hoped that the costs of this system can be further reduced to make them more accessible to affected communities. Prior to the shooting of the three lions in Monde, ALERT were already in talks with the village Chief, community members and Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority regarding the installation of the lighting system in the area. It is hoped the systems will prevent further conflict incidents and lion deaths as well as provide crucial data on the effectiveness of the lights upon lion predation and movements in such areas. Although most attacks take place at night, livestock and people are still at risk during the day from lions. This may become an increasing issue if, as a result of improved livestock protection at night, lions adapt their hunting strategies to be more active during the day. Daytime attacks often occur when livestock is left unattended. ALERT also supports the African Centre for Holistic Management (ACHM) and assists the expansion and further implementation of their livestock husbandry techniques that can contribute to decreasing attacks such as happened in Monde, whilst also increasing food security for communities implementing their proven land and livestock management methods. ALERT would like to thank Wildlife Calling for their donation towards funding this program. We do still need additional funds to fully implement the project if you would like to contribute please visit our support pages.

8 Implementation for Burundi In 2012 ALERT signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Republic of Burundi to jointly manage and restore two national parks and three natural reserves within the country using ALERT s responsible development approach. Since the signing of the MoU, ALERT has been working with a steering committee comprising members of ALERT, the Ministry of Water, Environment, Land Management & Urban Planning, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Posts and Tourism, the National Institute for the Environment and the Conservation of Nature and the Burundi National Tourism Office to create a Convention of Implementation. A huge document, the Convention provides the legal structure to enact the MoU, establishes a long list of specific programs to undertake, and lays out the organizational structure of the program including how communities will be included in the design, management and revenue sharing of the program. In January the Burundian steering committee members visited ALERT s home base in Livingstone, Zambia to review the final draft of the Convention, and to take a look at the diversity of tourism facilities that have been developed by ALERT s local partners that help support conservation and community development programs in this region. The meetings were very productive and we hope to be able to conclude the process of creating this important document soon with a signing ceremony in Burundi. Ruvubu National Park Rusizi National Park Bururi Natural Reserve Vyanda Natural Reserve Kigwena Natural Reserve

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10 Minister of Education David Coltart opens AEC Back in December, government dignitaries, local school heads, Antelope Park volunteers and staff, the Mkoba 4 primary school choir, ALERT representatives, and the Zimbabwean Minister of Education, Senator David Coltart, gathered in Gweru to mark the opening of the ALERT Education Centre (AEC). Mkoba 4 s primary school s choir singing the Zimbabwe National Anthem opened the ceremony upon the lawn of the newly-renovated centre. Founder of ALERT Andrew Conolly gave thanks to all those involved in the making of the AEC before introducing Senator David Coltart. Local teachers briefly looked over the conservation education curriculum to be taught before the choir joyfully closed the ceremony just as the rains began. The downpour certainly didn t dampen spirits and to many the lashing rain after a very long dry season represented a blessing over the AEC.

11 The AEC is the first education facility of its kind in the country, catering for local school children in and around Gweru city. Free lessons in conservation education, basic life skills and health and nutrition, which are not available anywhere else in the current education system, are being provided for children in Grades 6 and 7 (11-12 years old) along with clubs and workshops. There are two classes each day, the children attending after-school lessons, or once a week as part of their usual learning in collaboration with their school s headmaster and teacher. Holiday clubs will be held for children unable to access the AEC during term time and, in time, adults will also benefit through a planned programme of free classes designed to develop practical work skills. Health & nutrition The basics of healthy nutrition, life styles, disease (including STDs) and family planning. Each topic acknowledges local customs, while promoting healthy lifestyle choices. The first students through the door were from the Midlands Children s Hope Centre who began their conservation education holiday club on the 17 th December. AEC teacher, Staben Porovha, took learners through six modules including conservation, African habitats and African countries. The 13 boys and one girl successfully completed the course on the 11 th of January and were all awarded their certificates. The AEC year consists of three terms covering the following subject areas: The AEC aims to: 1) Offer around 150 free places to local school children each year to supplement their existing education; 2) Accept children from private schools elsewhere in Zimbabwe for a small cost, funds being put back into the project; 3) Keep class sizes to a minimum of 15 children to promote more effective learning 4) Provide each child with their own textbook/resource pack each term, and; 5) In time, empower local adults by training them in practical work skills designed to help them gain employment. Conservation Education Children learn the basics of conservation, biology, ecology and geography. Classes see children learn a variety of topics using the African lion as an example to help instil enthusiasm about their country s natural heritage. Basic life skills Children learn aspects of life, such as social skills, employment, relationships, and life goals. Children are encouraged to contemplate their futures in a constructive manner. A smaller classroom, used an art room, provides an outlet for each child s creativity. Throughout the course, the students showed great enthusiasm and interest in what they were being taught. The children also got to enjoy a field trip to Antelope Park as part of their practical activities and were taught about different tracks and signs of the bush. The AEC provides free curriculum and the long-term running still needs support. Please visit our supporters page for details of how to contribute.

12 The Daily Pride The 2Ls hit their hunting stride ALERT is proud to welcome South African Airways (USA) as a proud supporter of our efforts to conserve lions. Savuti makes his first kill! Early December saw 17- month old Savuti make his first kill at Lion Encounter Zimbabwe. The young male s hunting skills had gradually started coming to the fore more and more on his daily walks alongside sister, Sengawa. Then on the 6 th December the pair came across a troop of baboons in the Zambezi National Park. Savuti expertly stalked and chased, finally managing to catch and kill an adult female, The 4Cs retire from Night Encounters The 4Cs went on their last Night Encounter at the start of January. Chundu, Chobe, Chisa and Chete put in a couple of decent efforts over the evening on impala and wildebeest, but ultimately came up empty handed for their final venture out into the Park. Appropriate group mates will be identified in the near future to bond the two females (Chobe and Chete) and two males (Chundu and Chisa, above) to for potential future release when they come of age. The 2Ls kill again and again A dark and overcast evening was the backdrop to Laili and Lewa s encounter on 6 th January. It wasn t too long before the pair got down to business and warmed up with a couple of chases on impala and duiker. Towards the end of the evening, another herd of impala was sighted by Laili. As the herd made their way through the bush, she began to flank. The chase was swift and she brought down a sub-adult female. At the end of January impala was once more on the menu as the girls made a double kill. Laili was first to kill, catching a sub-adult; as Lewa was making her way over to the kill she spotted a juvenile which had been left behind in the herd s panic and quickly made the second kill of the night.

13 DROP-IN CENTRE REOPENS Early in January the drop-in centre of the Midlands Children's Hope Centre (MCHC) moved to a temporary location after having to vacate the previous premises. The process of securing a permanent base for the centre is on-going, but work was undertaken over several days to prepare the temporary facility to welcome the children. The centre has a basic toilet and shower, as well as three further small rooms. But the facility is sufficient for now. Volunteers at Antelope Park were at the centre to help get it ready to receive the children and to prepare meals for them. MCHC was founded in 1996 as a response to the number of street children in Gweru. Today, the Centre is a registered Private Voluntary Organisation run by a seven member board, which currently employs six members of staff. The Centre works with orphans and vulnerable children and runs a rehabilitation shelter in Mkoba Township. Currently the centre shelters 19 boys, all of whom attend the local school. Referrals to the organisation are made by the Gweru Department of Social Welfare, Midlands AIDS Service Organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières, the International Organization for Migration/UNICEF and through the organisation s outreach program on the streets. The Drop-in Centre is a crucial part of the overall project for the Midlands Children Hope Centre, as all the children who now reside at the orphanage were once street children themselves. Through the dedication of staff and volunteers who work at the Drop-in Centre, they are able to build a relationship of trust and hope with the children who use the service. This often encourages them to stop living on the streets. The Drop-in Centre provides a number of much-needed social services, such as: o A safe and supportive environment for street children up to 18 years of age o A free daily meal o Bathing facilities o Free medical health care o Family tracing and reunification (where possible) o Counselling, spiritual guidance and mentorship o Remedial education and educational visits o Sports and recreation at the Centre The Centre also runs a Community Kitchen for Gweru s homeless and people at risk, either elderly or living with a disability. These vulnerable people can benefit from the safe, supportive environment it offers. A Call to Action: ALERT is seeking funding to assist the Midlands Children Hope Centre towards the sustained provision of the Drop-in Centre. Immediate plans are to purchase safe and secure premises for the permanent relocation of the Drop-in Centre, which will include bathroom and kitchen facilities. This is a one-off cost of GBP 31,500. The centre also has a monthly cost to run of GBP 1,572. If you believe you can help, even in a small way, please visit our support pages Top of the Class An incredible success story is thanks to the many hours that volunteers at Antelope Park s community project have spent working with the children of the special needs class at Mkoba 4 primary school over Eighteen students have been moved back into mainstream classes. The school s Deputy Head Mistress, Mrs Chiwara, praised the hard work and commitment shown by the volunteers and acknowledged that the valuable teaching support provided by these individuals has been instrumental in the development of the class. With the new school week commencing the week of 12 th January, the volunteers returned to assist the new students with their English. With the support and care from the project s current and future volunteers, we re sure it s only a matter of time before this new class of students will have the same success. If you would like to join this program and help out at Mkoba 4 primary school, then why not consider joining our volunteer program. Alternatively if you can t make it in person, but feel you could contribute to the school and its students financially, then you can do so by making a donation or by sponsoring the school. ALERT would like to thank all those that have supported this program to date.

14 Ngamo: A Royal Occasion As the sun rose over Ngamo on the 14 th November Phyre, Kwali and AT1, along with Ashanti, Kenge and their respective cubs, were resting together in Hwange. Meanwhile sisters Nala and Narnia were located resting side by side in Etosha, close to waterhole 2. But there was still no sign of Milo who often takes some time away from his pride. By the afternoon the elusive male had still not made an appearance and the girls and the cubs remained lazing in the same locations. As the early evening set in Nala, and a few moments later, Narnia, joined the main pride and it wasn t too long before the last pride member finally showed up. As Milo strolled towards the females and cubs the ever-mischievous AS4 seemed to have plans for dad, and sat on an anthill waiting for her chance to ambush him. After a few moments of peeping from her hiding place she sprang into action and bounded over to Milo as he turned his back to her. He didn t seem too impressed with his young cub s playful advances and after a show of his formidable teeth he calmly went to rest alongside the more mature members of his pride. The 26 th saw the team celebrate sisters Nala and Narnia s 7 th birthday. It was a cold day as the weather had made a change from the previous few days of sunshine, and the rains of November made another appearance. The morning started off quite gloomy for the pride as they curled up in clusters in Etosha; the birthday girls huddled up closely with Ashanti as the rain fell over them. As the morning progressed a large herd of impala came into sight but the rain was perhaps getting the better of some of the older members of the pride as they remained sleeping in a warm huddle and

15 unaware that they had company. AS4 however took a keen interest in the impala and she sat up tall watching them graze in the distance. After a few moments she took what may be her first few steps of a solo stalk and she crept slowly forwards from the rest of the group. Not travelling very far she paused beside a nearby tree to take a better look. It wasn t long before Ashanti noticed AS4 s interest and she too crept slowly forwards in a perfect stalk. The impala began to move away and AS4 and Ashanti returned to rest in the rain with the rest of their pride. The next day was just as cold and rainy and the pride was again found close together and sleeping their way through the dismal weather in Kruger. By the evening though the rains had begun to ease off and the pride took a late afternoon stroll, travelling towards Etosha. As the whole pride made their way along the boundary AT1 spotted a small number of impala and without hesitation she separated herself from the rest of the pride to follow them into the grass. After a few moments of watching her weave in and out of sight through the long grass the sound of an impala alarm call was heard indicating that AT1 had been spotted. As December, the month of festivities and eating too much, arrived in Ngamo, the pride too began to overindulge with a spate of successful hunts. In the late afternoon of the 1st, a small herd of wildebeest were meandering towards a waterhole, unsuspecting of the 12 lions ahead of them (who were only just starting to wake from their daily nap). As the wildebeest neared the pride's position the lions became aware that they had company and began to stir, heads popping up one by one. On catching sight of the danger ahead the wildebeest turned quickly towards some thickets. Phyre, Kenge, Kwali, Nala and AT1 jumped straight to their paws and they too disappeared out of view with a flurry of tawny coats and tails amongst the trees...

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17 Moments later, the unmistakeable sound of a successful catch was heard as the lions growled excitedly over their soon-to-be supper. It was on the 4 th of December however that an increase in Phyre s interest in hunting was observed. In the afternoon, as a herd of zebra passed through Treetops, and whilst the pride basked in the sun, she single-handedly brought down a zebra. As the herd neared she took up her position in a thicket. As they passed by she seized her chance and sprung from her hiding place bringing the zebra to the ground, subdueing it with a perfect throathold. She was soon joined by Milo who assisted with the zebra s demise. The 7 th was a royal occasion as Milo turned 10 years old. The King of Ngamo began his special day in the grasslands of the Serengeti East area of the site with his lionesses and cubs. There they spent the morning lazing in the sunshine. By the afternoon the pride had relocated, but not every lion was asleep! AT1 and Phyre started to wander and were soon near to waterhole 1. It wasn t long before they found what they were looking for as a herd of zebra came into view. The duo began to watch intently, and soon the rest of the pride was alert to the opportunity. Taking up their positions, Kenge moved far to the right, with AT1 and Phyre covering the middle ground and Kwali, now leading the hunt, taking a central position. As Kwali neared the zebra, they began to run and she in turn picked up her pace, chasing at high speed. But the zebra managed to evade their hunter and disappeared out of sight. But the action was far from over. A small herd of wildebeest had been disturbed from their grazing by the fleeing zebra. They scattered and ran right into the path of the still stalking pride. There was a flurry of movement as lions darted in different directions. Ashanti seized an opportunity and gave chase to one wildebeest that had been separated from the others, grasping it in her claws for a just a second before it managed to escape. Phyre and Narnia however had selected an alternative target and were working together to bring about a success. As Phyre clutched tightly to the wildebeest Narnia jumped on its back and the pair forcefully brought it to the ground. The rest of the girls instantly rushed over to feed and, after a few moments of watching the lions tuck in, the team performed a head count only to find just 10 present; Kenge and Milo were missing. But they weren t going without as a short time later they were tracked to the nearby waterhole on a second wildebeest kill. With a full count of 13 happy and feeding lions, Milo ended his special day sharing a meal with one of his favourite girls as the sun set over Ngamo. The 13 th of December was an unlucky day for some in Ngamo. In the afternoon, as our research team entered the site, the pride was found in Amboseli where they were just beginning to tuck into a zebra they had caught only moments earlier. As Milo and co. squabbled over their meal our research team went ahead with arrangements to conduct another of the territorial playbacks. Today s playback recording would be of 3 females and the team were keen to see what the reaction of the pride would be as they were in the midst of feeding. As the playback commenced, and the unfamiliar roars resonated towards the pride, it was Milo whose response was the strongest as he swirled his impressive mane quickly around to look in the direction of the roars. The girls and the cubs also paused one by one from feeding as they heard the three "intruding" females but the mysterious roars weren t enough to distract their attention for too long and they soon returned to their meal without moving off to investigate. On the 15 th the pride was located resting at Waterhole 2, all looking rotund and giving rise to the suspicion that they had fed well overnight. By the afternoon a devoured zebra carcass was spotted by the team in the grass not too far from where the stuffed lions were sleeping. The 21 st found Narnia in playful mood and as the pride took a stroll through Etosha she began dancing sinuously around Milo, flicking her tail in the air in a display of typical flirty behaviour. Milo seemed receptive to her demonstration and he stood, accepting of her gesture, even if he did appear confused by her enthusiasm. Getting himself lost seems to be a bit of a habit of AS5 s. There has been a number of occasions where he has failed to follow the group only to have to search for them later. But each time the little lion gets lost the moment he finds his family is a pleasure to watch as he rushes to them.

18 KE3 made Christmas Day a very special day. As the sun began to rise the pride saw the morning in by lazing near Waterhole 2. Again a small group of zebra approached the waterhole, but this time it was AS5 and KE3 who were most interested and the pair sat upright watching. Without hesitation, KE3 stood up and she began to stalk towards the zebra alone. After a few tense moments of watching her prey, she bolted into a chase and charged towards the zebra sending them fleeing. Although KE3 was unsuccessful practicing her hunting skills now will only bring her rewards in the future. The New Year saw another of the pride s youngsters attempting to emulate their elders success. On the 1 st of January the pride were hunting zebra in the Masai Mara area of the site. As the adults began to fan out and patiently stalk the herd, AT1 took it upon herself to take the lead. Moving far ahead of the rest of the pride, she took a few moments to settle on a course of action before bursting into a chase. The zebra fled leaving AT1 eating their dust. AT1 has been seen to take the lead in hunts with increasing frequency, but a few more lessons from her aunts about the benefits and strategy behind group hunting are probably needed before the young lioness can expect success. The 11 th brought the latest in a series of playbacks performed on the pride. Studies have shown that lions are less likely to approach intruders when outnumbered, so with a recording of 12 lions was played to the pride the team were anxious to see the results. As the recording commenced and the 12 strangers roars sounded across Ngamo, the adults immediately sat up to attention while the cubs stopped their play and darted back to the group. After some time Milo began a slow approach, instead of his usual charge. On the morning of the 14 th the pride was located in Amboseli the females scattered around the area with their large bellies pointing skywards. Meanwhile, Milo and the cubs were tucking into the remains of a zebra, estimated to have been killed in the early hours of that morning. By midday it appeared Milo had finally had his fill and made his way towards the group to sleep-off the latest gorging. However before he reached that point he noticed Nala rise to her feet and begin to make her way over to the unattended carcass. Milo immediately turned around and began shadowing Nala back to the kill site and even upped his pace to keep a tab on her. If Nala was hoping for seconds she was disappointed on this occasion as Milo placed himself firmly in the way. On the morning of the 23 rd January, Ashanti, Kenge, Nala, Narnia, Kwali, AT1, KE3 and KE4 were found taking a stroll through Serengeti East. Ashanti s two youngsters and their dad were nowhere to be seen and nor for that matter was Phyre. That was until Nala happened to glance skywards during a pause in their walk and spied Phyre lounging in a tree surveying the pride s territory from onhigh. After a few moments Phyre made her way down the tree and joined her pride mates as they rested along Route 66. A few days later, on the 28 th, Ashanti was spotted alone in the morning hunting zebra in Amboseli. After patiently stalking the herd, she took her chance and gave chase, coming to within metres of a trailing zebra but just couldn t quite make it count. With her efforts unrewarded she began to wander through the area looking for the rest of the pride, covering a great deal of distance as she did so. She passed Milo along the way, who was lounging on Route 66 but his company didn t interest her and she kept going. The rest of the pride was resting a short distance away, but Ashanti missed them and kept up her search. Luckily for her, an alert Phyre spotted her and immediately rose to make her way over to Ashanti. She was tailed by AT1, then Kwali and pretty soon the entire group was making its way over to meet up with Ashanti. Being reunited with her pride was one thing, but being reunited with her cubs was clearly most important to Ashanti, and once all the greetings were done she settled down to groom her offspring. You can help support the Ngamo pride by joining our adopt a lion scheme and sponsoring one or more of the adults lions in the pride. Funding raised through this initiative go towards maintaining the release site, ensuring the pride has a source of prey and funding the research program on the pride s behaviour and cubs development.

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20 All well with Nyika It was a magnificent end to 2012, and just as fantastic start to 2013 at Lion Encounter Zambia. Six-year old Subi gave birth to a litter of four cubs sired by Toka on the 7th December at the project s Dambwa facility. The three females and one male were brought to Lion Encounter s base in the Mosioa-Tunya National Park on the 28 th December. The male was named Songwe, and his three sisters named Sadiki, Sarabi and Sekani (pictured above). With regular milk feeds the cubs have shot up in size and started going on short trips out of their enclosure in mid-january. By the end of the month these trips had turned into decent length walks which have led them a little further from home each time. But the 4Ss are going to have to make some space for the even newer kids on the block; at six-weeks younger the 4Ns (above) will soon be joining their half-siblings. The Ns were born to Nyika early in the morning of the 19 th January, sharing the same father. What makes the Ns arrival so special is that it wasn t so long ago that Nyika s ability to reproduce was severely compromised. In March 2011 she underwent major surgery to remove a piece of bone which had ruptured her intestines. Even after the life-saving operation Nyika s life hung in the balance for several more weeks as she was unable to eat properly for a prolonged period of time. It was only when she was re-housed with Subi that her condition began to markedly improve. Even when she returned to good health and to her normal weight, it appeared the massive stress this had placed on her body had resulted in lost fertility. But after a year and a half of first-class care she came into oestrus in October 2012 a sign that her body had completely recovered. Her return to health is a testament to the hard work and dedication put in by staff in the program on a daily basis.

21 Life in Dambwa Waterpan 3 was the place to be on the afternoon of the 21 st of November in Dambwa, albeit briefly. Despite a sleepy start the lions were soon on the move east. Fortunately they were heading to the area where earlier in the day a scavenge opportunity had been left for them. Having walked three quarters of the site, they began to pick up on an interesting scent on reaching Sahara and Chobe. Momentarily we were left alone as a cloud of dust kicked up and by the time it cleared the seven lions had vanished. When we caught up to them again they were all busy feeding in Chisamu. With food on the agenda there was little else to note, and for the rest of the day Zulu hogged the majority of the food whilst the females resorted to kamikaze runs to grab whatever they could. So it wasn t a surprise to find the pride, minus its tantrum-throwing male, back at pan 3 next morning. Stomach sizes indicated the females had all managed to feed overnight, but given Zulu s absence they d likely had enough of his behaviour. Assuming he was still at the previous day s location, we left the girls to confirm this and bumped into him as he was crossing in the tall grasses of Sahara into Bwizu. As he neared his pride, it was clear he was out of favour; his presence usually ignites mass hysteria amongst the females. This morning, a few terse glances were about as good as it got. As he came to drink the girls gathered behind him to give him a cursory sniff before Loma led them back to the remains of yesterday s meal. As the morning wore on a few drops of rain began to fall from the grey skies, which ignited Rusha s playful side. Perhaps he was just the closest to her, or perhaps a reprimand for yesterday s antics, but Zulu took the full force of her exuberance. On the 28 th the pride was resting along Grand Canyon. The first thing that was apparent was that Loma and Leya had what looked suspiciously like fresh blood on their faces. With no one else showing any evidence of being involved we set off for a game count to try and determine what had been on the menu. But the animals of Dambwa had other ideas and were hiding in the dense tree lines, so a full count wasn t possible. When we returned to Grand Canyon the lions had of course vanished but were now on the move in Chobe. A brief bout of play from Rusha to Zulu, a few social interactions and the pride collapsed en masse in the middle of the road. It was back to Kariba on the afternoon of 29 th November. Rusha is by far and away the most playful member of the pride but it wasn t play we witnessed from her that day. One of her favourite targets for play is Kwandi, and at first as she approached it looked as though she might be getting ready to launch one of her attacks until Rusha dropped to the ground in front of her and began to roll on the ground. As Kwandi tried to move away from the disturbance Rusha ran to catch up rubbing against her and flicking her tail aloft; she appeared to be in oestrus.

22 The ruckus drew the attention of the rest of the pride and we could see them peering over the grass to see what was going on. As Kwandi tried to escape her new-found admirer by leading a move through the site, Zulu seemed curious but only scent marked a bush, as Rusha now seemed to have gotten over her funny five minutes. With memories of Rusha s earlier outburst fading the pride continued their journey east. The mood suddenly changed as they reached Sahara; all seven were clearly interested in something, and it wasn t the scenery. With the recent heavy rains the vegetation was thick and obscured any view of whatever animal had caught their attention. Unable to move the vehicle without the possibility of ruining any effort from the lions, we could only watch as Leya glided off onto a right flank and several sets of ears twitched in the grass ahead. A seeming eternity passed before the warning snort of an impala rang out and 10 seconds later, we saw two lions in pursuit. With it clear that they weren t giving up that easily and our presence would only be detrimental we decided to wish them luck and left them to it for the day. The 1 st of December and the pride were spread around waterpan 3. The early signs that were evident of Rusha s oestrus a few days earlier were now a full-blown performance, and for whatever reason Rusha s displaying was 100% directed to the K sisters. All the fuss must have alerted Loma who had been resting with Zulu the better part of 100m away. After a brief stop to play with Leya, she led the pride through Bwizu and on to the Lusaka Road. Bringing up the rear from a considerable distance was Zulu, but he made short work in catching up to Rusha. As he drew level, she immediately turned in a circle and crouched to the ground allowing Zulu to mate her. As soon as it was over, Rusha was off like a shot leaving Zulu lost for a couple of minutes as he tried to figure out where the girls had gone. After a week or so of bad weather, most of the roads had sufficiently dried out by the 7 th and the lions were holed up in Chisamu. Another storm was threatening but held off. The cooler weather it brought to the area however meant the lions enjoyed an afternoon of play, hunting and some good old fashioned social bonding. It was non-stop action in Dambwa on the afternoon of the 12 th December. The pride was making their way through the centre of the site when they all simultaneously stopped. Kwandi, Temi and Loma began to move swiftly along the road keeping low to take advantage of the tall grass. Meanwhile, Leya was creeping off onto the right flank. Just before Kela took up her position further back along the road an impala warning call rang out and Temi led the group back across the road and into Sahara. While we hadn t seen which way the impala had run off the girls seemed committed and lined up, spending several minutes scanning. After consideration, they settled on heading South and then turning West and settling in Chisamu. They briefly stopped before Kela led yet another move into Tsavo. Again, the lions all came to a sudden halt; with Kwandi making the first moves onto the left flank, Rusha led the central assault and Kela went out onto a right flank. They soon disappeared into thick vegetation and several minutes passed before we saw a flash of impala, followed by Zulu, Rusha, Loma and Kela. The chase came to an end in Chisamu as the impala found a thick enough bush to hide in while the lions tried to catch their breath. With their quarry well hidden, the foursome headed back to where the chase had originated although Zulu now seemed more concerned with ankle tapping Rusha. As they joined Kwandi, Temi and Leya, Loma took up an ambush position further along a tall bank of grass whilst the others began sweeping through the bushes to flush out the last remaining impala. But Zulu s determination to trip Rusha up caused the impala to bolt before Loma was properly in position. She made a valiant leap but was out of range. You d think with Zulu being the greediest lion in the pride, he d be a little more considerate of his ladies efforts. Early morning on the 15 th the pride was lounging around pan 3. Looking content, there was plenty of grooming and sleeping until Kwandi stood and left the group. But she only made it a couple of hundred metres when the rest of the pride broke into a full-throated roar. Stopping, Kwandi turned around and began roaring back and after a couple of minutes of back and forth between the two groups, she re-joined sister Kela and Temi who had moved a little distance away, and over the next few minutes one by one the rest of the pride came to join Kwandi. By mid-morning, the pride was once more on the move; this time heading into Chobe. Half-way through the area a dozen or so impala could be seen about 150m away, grazing unaware of their new admirers nearby. Leya immediately doubled back on herself and slipped onto a right flank while Temi and Kwandi took the left. The rest set up a watch in the middle of the two groups of wingers. Ever the klutz, Zulu seemed impatient for something to happen and began milling between bushes to get a better look which gave the impala all the warning they needed and they raced away. More heavy rain played havoc with entry to the site over the next few weeks. When on the 29th we were able to catch up to the lions in Sibaka a back-drop of 40+ vultures in the Sanga treeline confirmed the lions were not the only ones who had found the scavenge opportunity left for them the previous day. While their bellies were full, most of the girls seemed restless and eventually Leya led the pride to a superior patch of shade.

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24 It seemed that a lazy morning was in store when Zulu s passion/hatred (or passionate hatred?) of all things avian reared its head. With the lions having moved off a little way, the vultures which had been patiently waiting decided that it was now their turn. At the first sound of the ruffle of the first few scouts feathers Zulu was up and marching in their direction. The vultures had landed around the scavenge area, and minutes later we saw them all fly back up into the trees presumably at Zulu s arrival. After a couple of minutes, Zulu reemerged marching back and plonked himself amongst the females Less than five minutes later, the sound of beating wings had him back up, the vultures went flying up into the trees again, and, once more, a couple of minutes later Zulu returned. Over and over again this happened for pretty much the rest of the morning; on one occasion he didn t even make it all the way back before turning on his heels mid-march and running this time back to defend what couldn t even be described as paltry scraps. The revolving Zulu inturn ignited Rusha s mischievous side and on several of his returns she pounced on him trying to drag him to the ground, only for him to shrug her off, sit down and wait for the vultures next move. The last few days of the year were spent in this part of the site, and on New Year s Eve we found they d made the monumental journey across the road into Kariba. The dark skies above rumbled all afternoon with bolts of lightning striking to the west, but the rain held out. It was a quiet end to 2012, and despite the cool weather and a lengthy grooming session, our last few hours of 2012 with the pride was spent watching them do what only lions can do so well sleep. Into January and the heavy rains truly brought the site to life with lush green grass which seems to grow higher and higher every day replacing the scorched and brittle landscape of the last several months. New bird species are visiting the site and bugs and lizards of all descriptions are crawling all over the place. All of which is delightfully picturesque and refreshing, but the sheer volume of water made many of the roads into and through the site impassable for the first half of the month. By the 17th a feast was taking place in Bwizu close to waterpan 2. By feeding standards, it was a relatively sedate affair with the seven lions sat around the carcass feeding calmly for the majority of the afternoon. Rusha broke the silence by lunging at first Leya who ignored her and then Zulu, who equally couldn t have cared less. Somewhat out of character, Zulu was the first to leave the carcass permanently; seemingly having had his fill and allowing the girls to carry on eating undisturbed by his possessiveness for once. As he repositioned himself a few metres away he began sky-gazing. Not a single vulture was in the sky or anywhere nearby. Instead it appeared today his obsession was with the fast moving clouds drifting overhead. African Lion & Environmental Research Trust Melrose Farm 1134 Nakatindi Road PO Box Livingstone Zambia E: info@lionalert.org W: African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (UK) 39 St. James s Place London SW1A 1NS United Kingdom UK Charity Commission Number African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (USA) c/o William D Evers 1725 Clay Street STE 100 San Francisco CA USA 501 (c)3 status with EIN: Public charity status: 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (Zambia) c/o 3/J/297A Leopards Hill Road P.O. Box Lusaka Zambia Zambia Charity Registration Number ORS/102/35/3583 African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (Zimbabwe) c/o Coghlan, Welsh & Guest 3 rd Floor, Executive Chambers 16 George Silundika Avenue Harare Zambia Zimbabwe Protocol No 68 MA82/2008

25 ALERT offers a variety of sponsorship programs from as little as GB 5 (or the equivalent in EU / AUD/ USD) all of which will bring great benefits to the environments, wildlife and communities within which we work. You can Sponsor an anti-poaching scout: Wire snares set by poachers can cause terrible injury and a slow, painful death. Funds raised through this initiative assist in employing, training and equipping qualified anti-poaching scouts to protect wildlife. In return you will receive regular updates on the progress of the anti-poaching unit and of the wildlife area that they, with your help are protecting. Supporting an anti-poaching costs just 3 / 4 / AU $5 / US $6 per month. Click here for details. Sponsor a school or orphanage: The resources available to schools are extremely limited, lessening the effectiveness of the education provided to the children that attend. There are also many orphanages caring for children that lost their parents, often to AIDS, which are in desperate need of assistance. By sponsoring these organisations close to our project sites you will greatly assist in the improved education and care of these children, and their future prospects. Your contribution will also help in building support for our conservation efforts within local communities, as well as helping to pay school fees for children not able to meet them, ensure buildings are a safe and nurturing environment within which to live and learn, as well as provide resources, such as text books. In return you ll be provided with a log-in to our online system to access updates written by the teachers, care workers and from the children themselves, telling you of their lives and achievements. To sponsor a school or orphanage costs just 3 / 4 / AU $5 / US $6 per month. Click here for full details. Sponsor a clinic: The resources available to frontline health clinics is limited. By sponsoring a clinic you ll provide funds that will greatly improve the standard of healthcare that the clinics can provide and building support for our conservation efforts within local communities. In return you will be provided a log-in to our online system to access updates from the clinics with stories of hope as your funds are put to work. To sponsor a clinic starts at just 3 / 4 / AU $5 / US $6 per month. For full details click here Become a Friend of Victoria Falls: Located in the west of Zimbabwe is a unique eco-system of only 23km² known as the Victoria Falls National Park. The conditions created by the area have given rise to the growth of invasive alien plant species (IAPS) which are replacing native vegetation and will eventually result in the local of extinction of indigenous plant species. Our hope is to eradicate IAPS in the Victoria Falls National Park area, whilst providing local employment and enhancing tourist facilities to better educate visitors to the Park about this unique site to encourage their support. Become a Friend for just 3 / 4 / AU $5 / US $6 per month. Click here for more details. Sponsor a lion: Don t forget, you can still sponsor a lion in the Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild program. We have a couple of different options that allow you to support the lions in stage one and stage two of the program and in return you ll receive access to an online account which will provide details of your sponsored lion s or lions progress, as well as regular photos. You can sponsor a lion from just GB 5 / 6 / AU $7 / US $8 a month. For full details of the different options available for lion sponsorship and payment details, please click here or you can sponsor@lionalert.org