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Latest updates from ALERT

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Development of Hunting Skill in Captive Bred Lions

With 156 Night Encounters undertaken at Antelope Park to date, we now have sufficient data to start looking at patterns in hunting behaviour. The results from our captive bred lion cubs were compared to those from a study of adult lions in the Kruger National Park to identify similarities or differences. Here is what we found: 1. There was no difference in the probability that females (P= 0.24) or males (P= 0.23) would ignore or make no attempt to hunt prey they had encountered. Our result:
David Youldon

David Youldon

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Stage Two Update

The pride in our release site have made a number of other kills, concentrating exclusively on wildebeest at this time. They are hunting every three to four days getting a meat intake akin to a wild pride. Having spent almost the whole of the first week together we have seen the group split up for periods of time now and then before rejoining during the second week. Athena, Nala & Narnia have all been off exploring together, and every lioness except Kenge has spent some time off on her own.
David Youldon

David Youldon

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Stage Two Release - the first four days

On Sunday 13th April 2008 ALERT released a pride of six females into our stage two release site at Dollar Block in Zimbabwe. Three of these females have been re-released following an initial release into the site in August last year where they have been successfully hunting, including eland, impala, warthog & giraffe. Just before 11am on the 13th the six females (Ashanti, Kenge, Phyre – the original three and Athena, Nala & Narnia) were released and immediately started to explore. A
David Youldon

David Youldon

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The Sunday Times prints a retraction

An article “African lion encounters: a bloody con” printed in the Travel Section of the Sunday Times newspaper on 10 February 10 2008 said that as many as 59 lion cubs raised at Antelope Park had been sold to big game hunting operations to be shot for sport. Antelope Park filed a complaint with the newspaper as well as with the Press Complaints Commission as well as publishing a press release refuting these claims. Evidence to corroborate our position was provided to both the newspaper and th
David Youldon

David Youldon

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Enclosures

A few weeks ago whilst starting to prepare for the publication of a much more comprehensive information pack about the program, I asked the voluntourists at Antelope Park to measure all the enclosures we have - 28 in all and then compare our usage with some recommendations on the required space to care for lions by some of the leading authorities in the field. I was genuinely shocked when I saw how little space many organizations see as suitable for a lion to be kept in. The Zoological Associat
David Youldon

David Youldon

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What is a Night Encounter?

At 18 months old the lions are retired from walks and begin to take part in our Night Encounter program. The Night Encounter was added to our program in July 2005 in order to give the lions further practice at hunting and therefore a higher chance of survival after release. We stay on the vehicle and use a red filtered spotlight to monitor the lion’s progress (white light was used in the beginning but due to the impact this has on the prey animals I requested that the practice be removed). In
David Youldon

David Youldon

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An Update on Stage Two & The Latest Newsletter

The six girls at the Dollar Block release site have been mixed together and all are getting on well. Ashanti is maintaining her alpha female role, but this will need to be confirmed once released by our researchers. Due to the election, we have been forced to delay the release and are now hoping to action this on Sunday 13th. This will co-incide with one of our supporters running the London Marathon on that day in suport of the program. It is not known whether she will be wearing a lion suit
David Youldon

David Youldon

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The lions arrive at the release site

Everything went very smoothly with the move. The three lionesses were offloaded at the site into a large holding enclosure, next to a second enclosure within which Phyre, Ashanti & Kenge are being held. The two groups of three will have a chance to get used to each other over the next few days before we open the gate between them. They will then be given a further few days before being released. We are aiming that this will take place on 6th April at this point.
David Youldon

David Youldon

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Countdown to release

In the cool of an African morning Athena, Nala & Narnia were darted and carefully placed in carrying crates for the move to the Dollar Block stage two release site. Our consultant vets carried out the procedure with the assistance of Antelope Park staff, and in the precence of an official from Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority. The three are now on their way to the release site, a drive of 3 hours, where they will be offloaded into a holding enclosure adjacent to Ashanti,
David Youldon

David Youldon

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Landela does it again

On the night of 24th March the 4Ls of Landela, Lokothula, Langa and Ltalo went out on a Night Encounter. The four were extremely active and we considered for a time that their playfulness would detract from the business at hand; hunting. After 20 minutes or so the brothers calmed down and led us at a determined pace through the long grass. A herd of wildebeest were spotted and all four instantly went into stalking position. Landela took advantage of a road with long grass between him and the
David Youldon

David Youldon

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Amghela: First Kill

The night of 9th March 2008 was only Acacia, Amghela and Chengeta's second Night Encounter, and at only 19 months old they still have a lot to learn. Things started quickly however when Acacia spotted a herd of impala and led the trio towards them. Chengeta took a direct approach whilst Acacia flanked left and Amghela flanked right. Due to their inexperience Acacia broke into a full chase having only stalked as near as 60m to her prey. The others also gave chase and they managed to get within 3
David Youldon

David Youldon

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Mana & Nandi - a lizard, a crab and a very large bird

Both Mana and Nandi on their seperate afternoon walks both had a close encounter today. For Mana, she was coming down to a pool to drink when she heard rustling in the reeds on the opposite bank. She immediately sprang into action and dashed into the reeds. She reemerged with a one metre long monitor lizard in her mouth. This is the first time she has encountered such an animal and its thrashing to escape clearly took her by surprise. She jumped back giving the lizard the chance to race int
David Youldon

David Youldon

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The 4L's Go Hunting & the lady from NUST arrives

Between them, Lokothula, Langa, Ltalo & Landela went into this Night Encounter with some serious form: Langa has already killed a baboon, Ltalo has taken three birds, a rabbit and an impala, Landela killed a rabbit, two duiker and an impala and Loko has taken a baboon, two warthog and a buffalo. And they are only 21 months old. This was the first time all four had been taken out together, and in fact was Langa's first night encounter. The boys all worked well together on a number of chas
David Youldon

David Youldon

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Stage Two Release - Aiming for 1st April 2008

Now that the rains have subsided the decision to release further lions at our Dollar Block release site is being actioned. Phyre, Ashanti and Kenge have been successfully hunting at the site for six months now and have formed a very close bond with Ashanti as the alpha female. They have brought down a number of species from warthog to adult giraffe. As has been published previously, Luke has been returned to Antelope Park and Maxwell has been held in a holding enclosure for some time now. We
David Youldon

David Youldon

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Project Updates

With so much rain this wet season, the wettest for 120 years some people have said, it has been very difficult for us to safely take the lions out at night to practice their hunting skills. However we have had some successes nevertheless. Ltalo & Landela are continuing their good form with another recent kill by Landela, taking a duiker. This is his third kill, and the eighth for the pairing. They are maintaining an astonishing 78% success rate which is a remarkable achievement. On
David Youldon

David Youldon

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Press Statement

P R E S S S T A T E M E N T ISSUED JOINTLY BY ANTELOPE PARK, ALERT, AND SIR RANULPH FIENNES IN RESPONSE TO THE SUNDAY TIMES ARTICLE “AFRICAN LION ENCOUNTERS: A BLOODY CON,” PUBLISHED ON FEBRUARY 10, 2008 To: online.editor@timesonline.co.uk newsdesk@sunday-times.co.uk travel@sunday-times.co.uk Chris_Haslam@ipcmedia.com Date: 11th February 2008 Contact: Marleen Lammers, PR Manager, Antelope Park, Gweru, Zimbabwe Email: marleen@africanencounter.org David Youldon, Chief Operating Officer, ALER
David Youldon

David Youldon

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2007: A Year in Review

Dear Friends, As 2007 draws to a close it gives us all a chance to reflect. For ALERT, that is a look back at the most exciting and challenging year in the program’s history. In stage one we have seen the lions make six kills on walks during the day, including an African Jacarna, two warthog, two baboons and a buffalo. However it is at night with lions aged between 18 months and two a half years old that we have seen the most progress. Lions on Night Encounters have achieved a hunting succ
David Youldon

David Youldon

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Why should we act now to save the African lion?

One of the greatest threats to global biodiversity is the degradation of ecosystems. The lion, Panthera leo, occurs in all African habitats and is therefore an important element of those eco-systems; its presence is an indicator of an areas wild and natural integrity. Historically, lions were widely distributed in Africa from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, to the Cape of South Africa, from the coastal regions of the Gambia and to the vast savannahs of Tanzania, but their range has been dramat
David Youldon

David Youldon

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Special Update from Stage Two

After 10 days without eating, our pioneering trio Phyre, Ashanti & Kenge in stage two at the Dollar Block site have made history. The evidence was all around, large scuff marks in the mud, broken trees and three VERY fat females showing an almighty struggle. Luke was also in attendence, having gorged himself into immobility. (Maxwell is currently held in a holding enclosure) I am extremely pleased to announce to you that these three girls have taken down and killed an adult giraffe. This
David Youldon

David Youldon

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More about stage two of the release program

In August 2007 we felt we had enough experience and a group of lions that were ready for our first ever stage two release. The aim of stage two is to provide a bridging opportunity for the lions between the human contact and captive environment of stage one and the wild situation in stage three. The lions are released into an area of no less than 500 acres where they have to become self-sustaining with no human contact except a monitoring team and to build a socially stable pride. On the morn
David Youldon

David Youldon

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More about stage one of the release program

Stage one of the Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program has been operating at Antelope Park in Gweru, Zimbabwe since 1999, and since 2005 in Victoria Falls. Stage one starts with the breeding lions. At present we have a total of 19 that are currently of breeding age or are being kept as future breeding stock, representing 13 different patriarchal and 13 different matriarchal blood lines. These blood lines, except one from Tanzania originate within Zimbabwe. It has taken time
David Youldon

David Youldon

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What is different about this release program?

Several reasons have been put forward as the main causes for the limited success of past predator release programs; 1. that the animals were given no pre-release training, 2. that their reliance on humans was not curtailed, 3. that lions were released as individuals with no natural pride social organization, 4. and that they had no experience of competitive and predatory species. Our program seeks to rectify these problems by using a staged rehabilitation program during which the lions are
David Youldon

David Youldon

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An introduction to ALERT

First of all we extend our gratitude to Safaritalk.net for giving organizations, such as ALERT, the opportunity to build awareness about our programs and a forum to discuss conservation issues. We at ALERT have always welcomed comments about our program, and through those comments, both positive and negative, we seek to ensure that our programs are as valid and effective as possible. So, please allow me the chance to introduce ALERT and what we do. Over the coming days and weeks I will offer
David Youldon

David Youldon

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