It’s a full day’s drive to our next location in Gweru. Antelope Park has achieved fame in the documentary on Walking with Lions and we are to spend 3 nights here. From the moment we enter the gates and are directed to our riverside camp ground it is obvious this is a professional organisation running a commercial business.
The site is immaculate and there are quaint cottages and a lodge should we want to upgrade. Specialised pitches for overland trucks ensure we have enough space not to cause trouble to lodge residents, our own barbeque (wood provided), a covered eating area and separate firepit. The showers and toilets are warm and clean and there’s even sinks with hot water for washing clothes. The rolling grass down to the water’s edge offers plenty of camping possibilities and right next to our pitch is an outdoor swimming pool with sunbeds dotted around.
As we pull in to our spot, Dan is there to greet us and give us a quick rundown of the activities on offer whilst we are there. A quick query reveals that there are already 3 trucks there before us and no upgrade options remain so the first thing is to pitch the tents.
The weather is hot and sunny and I’m looking forward to another 3 days practising my relaxation technique. After all there are plenty of options if I fail at my task.
Antelope Park’s fame has been gained through a specialist commercial programme aimed at breeding lions for eventual release into the wild, which has been widely publicised through a tv documentary screened around the world. Although not threatened at the moment, the wild lion population is decreasing so rapidly that it is expected that they could be extinct in the wild in less than 20 years. Lions which are used to human contact cannot be reintegrated into the wild as they will look to humans as a source of food. Here at Antelope Park they have developed a 4 stage breeding process which will ensure that the lions at stage 4 have no human contact and are well equipped to hunt their own food. However cubs at stage 1 have plenty of human contact and need to be adapted to life in the bush. This is the main income stream for Antelope Park as most visitors are willing to pay well for the opportunity to view, feed and walk the cubs and young lions. Additionally, they have many ‘volunteers’ who pay circa $500 per week to help out with the programme for short periods of 2-8 weeks. There are other ‘qualified’ volunteers (generally with some sort of animal management or research degree or postgrad) who help manage the whole research programme and stay for periods >6 months. These long term volunteers do not pay. This programme has been the subject of much controversy and even among the volunteers (both types) I find supporters and dissenters. So far, they have no lions beyond stage 2 with one pride ready for stage 3 and it may be some time before they reach that stage (if ever, some might say). The jury’s out as far as I’m concerned but Dan is so enthusiastic about the programme that I agree to ‘Walk with Lions’ and also shadow a researcher with the Stage 2 pride early the next morning before coming to my own conclusions.
There are only a few of us on the walk down past the river where the elephants have come to drink and, as we come over the brow of the hill, we see two cubs walking towards us accompanied by their ‘volunteers’ and a guide each.It’s hot and the cubs are tired. This is their 4th ‘walk’ of the day and they are not used to so much activity. They keep flopping down to lie in the sun and we use the opportunity to get some close ups. Born in captivity they have to be taught about bush life so they can teach their cubs. It will not be them but their cubs who will go on to stages 3 & 4. These lions are already used to human contact and will not be released into the wild.
Although it is fun to walk with the cubs and see them playing together like their domestic counterparts, walking them like I would my dog to the park does not give me a greater understanding of the programme. Rather it makes me feel I’m just another punter exploiting animals for commercial gain. Nonetheless, it is clear that the ‘volunteers’ who accompany us firmly believe that this is an important part of the education of the cubs.
As I lie shivering in my freezing tent that night, I mull it over ready for the next morning when we will monitor the pride of lions at stage 2. I mull it over again as I am defrosting in the hot shower the next morning.
There are only 2 of us permitted to accompany the researchers to visit the pride as they must record the lion activity over a set period of time to see how well they are habituating to life in the bush and to ensure they are acting properly as a pride. These are the grown cubs born in activity. They are expected to live as wild lions although their land area is fenced and their ‘kill’ provided in the form of live antelope. Their cubs will not have human contact and will progress to stage 3. So far only 1 cub has survived to this level so the programme is still very restricted. As we approach we see a couple of females still lying asleep on the ground. One is pregnant. There are another 2 females close by and the male is hiding in the grass. As we watch, mum and the cub come out of hiding and start to play with dad. Then, one of the lionesses decides it’s time to go hunting and starts tracking some impala which we have not yet seen. We follow her for while but when she realises we are following she doubles back out of sight and we leave her to it. For me, this has been by far the most interesting part of the programme. The researchers are there to check that the pride is displaying pride behaviour and that each member is well adjusted and has a role. They cannot interfere with the pride in any way and have even been forced to watch a young cub with a broken back take days to die because to intervene would have jeopardised the programme. This pride must survive on its own talents but with only one surviving cub so far it is dubious whether they will achieve the ultimate objective any time soon.
Back at camp, some disappear off for elephant training while the rest of us chill around the pool. The freezing night temperatures are the main point of discussion and with such hot days it’s hard to imagine, even with thermals, and several layers of clothing, just how freezing cold it is at night. I am convinced I am going to die of hypothermia.
On the second night, we light the firepit after dinner and spend a large part of the evening exchanging stories around it until we are sufficiently warmed through to risk heading for bed. It only lasts for a few minutes though before the cold seeps through to your very bones. My chattering teeth, me sleep talking ‘I’m soooo cold. I’m sooo cold’ all night keeps my poor, frozen tent mate awake for much of the night. Fortunately for both of us, I am lucky enough to secure an extra couple of sleeping bags for the final night and spend 1 night out of 3 cosy and warm.
The site is immaculate and there are quaint cottages and a lodge should we want to upgrade. Specialised pitches for overland trucks ensure we have enough space not to cause trouble to lodge residents, our own barbeque (wood provided), a covered eating area and separate firepit. The showers and toilets are warm and clean and there’s even sinks with hot water for washing clothes. The rolling grass down to the water’s edge offers plenty of camping possibilities and right next to our pitch is an outdoor swimming pool with sunbeds dotted around.
As we pull in to our spot, Dan is there to greet us and give us a quick rundown of the activities on offer whilst we are there. A quick query reveals that there are already 3 trucks there before us and no upgrade options remain so the first thing is to pitch the tents.
The weather is hot and sunny and I’m looking forward to another 3 days practising my relaxation technique. After all there are plenty of options if I fail at my task.
Antelope Park’s fame has been gained through a specialist commercial programme aimed at breeding lions for eventual release into the wild, which has been widely publicised through a tv documentary screened around the world. Although not threatened at the moment, the wild lion population is decreasing so rapidly that it is expected that they could be extinct in the wild in less than 20 years. Lions which are used to human contact cannot be reintegrated into the wild as they will look to humans as a source of food. Here at Antelope Park they have developed a 4 stage breeding process which will ensure that the lions at stage 4 have no human contact and are well equipped to hunt their own food. However cubs at stage 1 have plenty of human contact and need to be adapted to life in the bush. This is the main income stream for Antelope Park as most visitors are willing to pay well for the opportunity to view, feed and walk the cubs and young lions. Additionally, they have many ‘volunteers’ who pay circa $500 per week to help out with the programme for short periods of 2-8 weeks. There are other ‘qualified’ volunteers (generally with some sort of animal management or research degree or postgrad) who help manage the whole research programme and stay for periods >6 months. These long term volunteers do not pay. This programme has been the subject of much controversy and even among the volunteers (both types) I find supporters and dissenters. So far, they have no lions beyond stage 2 with one pride ready for stage 3 and it may be some time before they reach that stage (if ever, some might say). The jury’s out as far as I’m concerned but Dan is so enthusiastic about the programme that I agree to ‘Walk with Lions’ and also shadow a researcher with the Stage 2 pride early the next morning before coming to my own conclusions.
There are only a few of us on the walk down past the river where the elephants have come to drink and, as we come over the brow of the hill, we see two cubs walking towards us accompanied by their ‘volunteers’ and a guide each.It’s hot and the cubs are tired. This is their 4th ‘walk’ of the day and they are not used to so much activity. They keep flopping down to lie in the sun and we use the opportunity to get some close ups. Born in captivity they have to be taught about bush life so they can teach their cubs. It will not be them but their cubs who will go on to stages 3 & 4. These lions are already used to human contact and will not be released into the wild.
Although it is fun to walk with the cubs and see them playing together like their domestic counterparts, walking them like I would my dog to the park does not give me a greater understanding of the programme. Rather it makes me feel I’m just another punter exploiting animals for commercial gain. Nonetheless, it is clear that the ‘volunteers’ who accompany us firmly believe that this is an important part of the education of the cubs.
As I lie shivering in my freezing tent that night, I mull it over ready for the next morning when we will monitor the pride of lions at stage 2. I mull it over again as I am defrosting in the hot shower the next morning.
There are only 2 of us permitted to accompany the researchers to visit the pride as they must record the lion activity over a set period of time to see how well they are habituating to life in the bush and to ensure they are acting properly as a pride. These are the grown cubs born in activity. They are expected to live as wild lions although their land area is fenced and their ‘kill’ provided in the form of live antelope. Their cubs will not have human contact and will progress to stage 3. So far only 1 cub has survived to this level so the programme is still very restricted. As we approach we see a couple of females still lying asleep on the ground. One is pregnant. There are another 2 females close by and the male is hiding in the grass. As we watch, mum and the cub come out of hiding and start to play with dad. Then, one of the lionesses decides it’s time to go hunting and starts tracking some impala which we have not yet seen. We follow her for while but when she realises we are following she doubles back out of sight and we leave her to it. For me, this has been by far the most interesting part of the programme. The researchers are there to check that the pride is displaying pride behaviour and that each member is well adjusted and has a role. They cannot interfere with the pride in any way and have even been forced to watch a young cub with a broken back take days to die because to intervene would have jeopardised the programme. This pride must survive on its own talents but with only one surviving cub so far it is dubious whether they will achieve the ultimate objective any time soon.
Back at camp, some disappear off for elephant training while the rest of us chill around the pool. The freezing night temperatures are the main point of discussion and with such hot days it’s hard to imagine, even with thermals, and several layers of clothing, just how freezing cold it is at night. I am convinced I am going to die of hypothermia.
On the second night, we light the firepit after dinner and spend a large part of the evening exchanging stories around it until we are sufficiently warmed through to risk heading for bed. It only lasts for a few minutes though before the cold seeps through to your very bones. My chattering teeth, me sleep talking ‘I’m soooo cold. I’m sooo cold’ all night keeps my poor, frozen tent mate awake for much of the night. Fortunately for both of us, I am lucky enough to secure an extra couple of sleeping bags for the final night and spend 1 night out of 3 cosy and warm.
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