Cock's Blog: AFRICA BLOG - Introduction and Days 1-3

Hey guys,
So as many of you know I have recently come back from a 4 week stay at the fantastic Antelope Park in near Gweru in Zimbabwe. I was a volunteer in their Lion Rehabilitation Programme which pretty much does what it says on the tin - it rehabilitates young lions so that they learn to hunt and survive on their own. African lions populations have decreased by over 80% in the last 30 years. Antelope Park and the charity ALERT (African Lion & Environmental Research Trust) aim to help increase numbers of lions again by this rehabilitation programme, to which there are 4 stages:
Stage 1:
Cubs born at Antelope Park are taken from their mothers aged 3 weeks old and hand raised. After a few months they are taken out into the reserve and exposed to their natural environment where their strong instincts will be brought out and they will hopefully start teaching themselves to hunt. They are accompanied on these walks, which occur twice daily (6:30am and 4pm), by volunteers and 2 lion handlers. By 18months old they will have made their first kills and will be almost independent therefore day walks stop and they progress onto Night Encounters. This is where they are taken out at night with a cruiser and learn to stalk and hunt prey at night - their preferred hunting time in the wild. This continues until they're around 30-36months old - long enough for them to gain full independence and competence at hunting for themselves.

Stage 2:

A pride is formed - ideally from 7 females including 3 good hunters, 3 good mothers and 1 dominant lioness and also an aggressive, dominant male. This new, young pride is released into a 50 acre site where there is plenty of game and most importantly where all human contact is removed. This reserve will only be able to sustain one lion pride therefore they will not experience any competition for food. If the pride is successful then cubs may be born.

Stage 3:

This now well established, experienced pride is released into a large reserve where they will now have to compete with other lions and species such as hyenas for their prey. This larger reserve also allows for any older male cubs to leave their maternal pride and also for new young males to take over the existing pride.

Stage 4:

THE WILD! Cubs born to the Stage 2 and Stage 3 lions will be fully wild and won't have had any human contact therefore they will be safe to release into the wild of Africa. Unfortunately the cubs born at AP and that walked with humans can never be fully wild as they may actively seek out humans so they remain in Stage 3.

Pretty worthwhile cause, ay? And although it's much easier said than done, being there and being a part of it you really can see that it can and will work :) Here's my story ...

Day 1 – Sunday 24^th June

So relieved to finally arrive at Bulawayo Airport after a very turbulent 12 hour flight from London and a second 2 hour flight from Johannesburg. After spending most of my flight time watching films and not sleeping I’m pretty knackered! Met 2 girls called Sarah and Solveig who’re doing the community project at Antelope Park. Once we arrived at AP we were introduced to everyone and given a mini-tour around the camp by Jealous. Our rooms aren’t so bad, I’m with a Danish girl called Anne Lea – all of them have 2 bunk beds, chest of drawers, bedside tables etc. Not sure what else to say … got lots of induction stuffs tomorrow and up at 6am so definitely getting an early night.

Day 2 – Monday 25^th June

Yep, as I said, plenty of intro stuff – what the park’s aims are, a walk about the Breeding Programme (BPG), Data Induction but most importantly - walked with lions!! Two 18 month old cubs called Lewa and Laili … I say cubs, they’re actually huge and have already made their first kill. Sitting next to and stroking a lion is amazing, it feels like you shouldn’t really be doing it! There’s loads of safety procedures such as always approach them from behind, don’t crouch down unless they’re lying down etc. but surprisingly you’re allowed to grab their tails and hold them as you walk along and also do ankle-tapping which is a technique used to emphasise your dominance – so awesome! The 6 of us newbies, Jo, Andy, Sarah, Solveig and Neeru all went on the walk with the cubs for about 2 hours before dinner.
After dinner most people go and sit around the pit fire outside the dining hall chatting and drinking for a few hours. Bedtime here is about 9pm - after a 12 hour working day everyone is shattered by that time. Can’t wait for the rest of the week to really get stuck in with the activities with the other vols.

Two of the younger males at the breeding centre

Chillaxing with 18-month old Laili on my first ever lion walk

Who knew lion walking would be so literal - with Lewa

Day 3 – Tuesday 26^th July

ELEPHANT DAY! The elephants here are brilliant – Tombi, Ami and Chibi are the females and Jaicha is the male. It was incredible to get so close to them. We watched them do their training with the elephant handlers and then we were allowed to go and touch them. We were able to feed them by holding their trunks and pouring the food in. I fed Tombi some nuts – she was very persistent and kept pestering me for noms! After this she sat down for me so I could climb on her back – the handler told me to hold on as she stood up … “What to?!” At 9:30am, myself and Sarah went on an hour long ride on Ami and her handler Charles - Fact of the Day: sitting on the back of an elephant is really uncomfortable and your legs feel like jelly when you get off!
At the end of the day we herded the elephants back to their Bomas. Herding basically consists of walking along while the ele’s go around eating every tree in sight!
After dinner tonight was hilarious: we played some weird games around the fire and had a great laugh – felt like us newbies were now party of the group :)