Are Lions Going Out Like Lambs?
The Kings and Queens of Beasts are Slowly Disappearing
What does it mean to “come in like a lion?” In my experience, not with a roar. A hungry lion does not roar to announce her presence. She and her sisters kill their prey silently, with stealthy tracking ending in a sudden and powerful assault.
A well-fed lion is lazy, lolling in the sun or dozing in a tree. Lions can also be curious. Through the years, I have enjoyed many close encounters with lions in Tanzania while riding through national parks in specially outfitted Land Cruisers.
But it was in Zimbabwe that I had my most personal encounter.
We came for the Falls, but fell for the lions.
I have been obsessed with Victoria Falls ever since I first saw the film, The Gods Must be Crazy, wherein a Kalahari native seeks the edge of the earth in order to discard a Coke bottle that has cursed his community. The movie includes spectacular footage of the largest sheet of falling water in the world, twice as tall and twice as wide as Niagara Falls. After forty years , I finally made it to this awesome natural wonder. It was even more grand than I had imagined, especially when viewed from a helicopter.
But another local attraction caught my eye, which proved to be even more inspirational: a chance to walk with lions. Don’t confuse this with Tiger Kingdom style exploitation of big cats, programs that breed cubs for photo ops and execute animals that outgrow their profitability. The Lion Encounter provides an opportunity for guests to participate in a lion conservation program. Lion cubs are ethically bred in captivity and then groomed for release into the wild. The fees paid by guests and volunteers help to fund the program. Just as importantly, the program raises awareness about the declining populations of lions.
Each day, the lion cubs are taken into the bush by their handlers, whether or not guests are present. The purpose of the walks is to accustom them to natural surroundings, to prepare them for release. My husband and I walked with two 3-year-old lions, Looma and Pemba. It was not a leisurely stroll, as they were definitely not pets. We had to be constantly wary of their power.
We were assured that the lions would accept us as members of the pride, but they told us not to wear anything “dangly”, like a scarf, as the lions might be inspired to “play,” like kittens batting a string. You get the picture. We were also required to sign releases of responsibility for loss of life or limb before we set off in the company of two guides, a videographer, and an armed guard. They said the big gun was not needed to protect us from the lions, but to ward off other animals, such as elephant or buffalo, that might jump at the opportunity to kill a young lion. Somehow this did not reassure me.
The “cubs” were big and powerful, with massive paws — kind of like puppies who will grow into their feet — and muscles rippling beneath tawny fur. Looma, the male, veered of the path to sharpen his claws on an Acacia tree. It was a bit like my cat attacking his scratching post, but Looma’s paws could reach far higher than the top of my head. At times he and Pemba played like kittens — tumbling, biting clawing.
When the lions lay down, we had an opportunity to touch them. We were instructed to walk up behind them, giving their jaws a wide berth, then kneel down to pat them. The fur was very coarse, not as smooth and soft as that of a house cat or even a horse or a cow.
The Plight of Lions
Lions are beloved and fascinating creatures, exploited in circus shows and romanticized in books and films. But they are in danger of extinction in the wild. The population has literally been decimated in the past 100 years. Since 1994, when the Disney Film The Lion King was released in theaters, number of lions in Africa has decreased by 50%. It has been predicted that African lions could become completely extinct by 2050.
The reason for the decline is multifactorial. Loss of habitat is obviously a major factor, as human populations settle and urbanize larger portions of the land. National Parks and Game Preserves are important in providing areas for animals to live in the wild, but other threats include poaching, illegal wildlife trade, disease, and climate change.
At the end of our Lion encounter, Looma and Pemba scampered off into the forest to play with their siblings and cousins. We did not make much of an impression on the lions, but we will never forget them. I was glad that we were able to contribute to a program that strives to perpetuate these amazing animals in their native habitat, and I hope that my experience will inspire others to share in this concern.
