Something to make you Think……………….

Walking For Lions

https://www.facebook.com/WalkingForLions

 

SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU THINK

As we were working on our planning phases for the Lion Awareness Campaign we came across a few disturbing things via the social media. What shocked us was that we saw yet ANOTHER ‘Predator rehab centre’ open doors in South Africa. Although your first reaction could be, ahhhh wow that’s great, our duty and promise to you is to make you more aware of what is truly happening in South Africa…………….. (we have been there, learnt the hard way and dedicated out lives to teaching others the correct ways)

Define the word ‘rehabilitation’?
Does it not mean helping something to get back on its feet and the let them go? This is what they do with people is it not? You have a problem with something and then go into a rehab centre to get better and then depart. We have never heard where you stay forever! So why do so many places call themselves rehab centres when they don’t release? And if they claim to ‘release’, where would you ever release a hand raised Lion or Tiger for that matter?
What would make one think that a Local person living in rural Africa would allow a company or person to ‘release’ a human friendly Lion back into the wild?
What really happens to these animals that are bred or in ‘rehab’?

In the early 90’s South Africa had only but a few breeding centres and rehab places. Currently speaking there is over 200 breeding and rehab places and sanctuaries. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?
Where can one release a hand raised animal back into the wild in South Africa? An area that is not fenced off. If a few handful of the these places in Africa is there to use these species as Ambassadors then great, but what are Zoo’s for then? An ambassador is supposed to educate people regarding the species and general information regarding the wild species. So why are their numbers decreasing faster than before?

We leave you with our final few questions.
The market for Lion Consumption by humans has increased drastically over the last few years where they are consumed for their meat, bones, paws, claws, skins and their private areas. This market developed more and more with regards to effecting Lions due to the fact that Tigers are almost extinct and protected, so thus the consumers move on to the next best thing.
Where do YOU think these animals are bred? Where do the consumers receive these products for human ingestion? Who keeps the supply and demand high? Who supplies this market? Who takes care of the cubs when they are still young? Where do the funds come from to support this?

Do you know that you can SHOOT or HUNT a Lion via SKYPE????????????????????

Please keep in mind that not EVERY place is like this but that’s why man invented Google and the internet, for you to find out more about places before going there!!!

These are only but a few thoughts we would like to leave you with before the campaign for Lions begin. We truly have to make 2013 the year of the Lion and carry on fighting together for their survival as a species.

WFL

 

African Lion & Environmental Research Trust

 African Lion & Environmental Research Trust

http://www.facebook.com/lionalert

With relatively small hearts and lungs, lions are not fast runners and only have a maximum speed of ~ 48kph, nor do they have the stamina to keep up this pace for more than ~ 100-200m. As such, lions rely on stalkingtheir prey and seldom c

harge until they are within 30m, unless their prey is facing away and cannot see the lion’s approach.Lions stalk their prey, although ambush behaviour has been observed. This happens mainly during daylight when stalking prey is more difficult. Of 1,300 hunts observed in the Serengeti, 48% involved only one lion, 20% involved two and the remainder involved a group of three, up to fourteen lions.

Females do the majority of the hunting. Males who tag along with the hunt usually stay back until a kill has been made.

Lions hunting in twos and groups have a success rate of c. 30%. Those hunting singly by daylight have a success rate of 17-19%, but are the equal to groups at night. This reinforces the idea of why lions became the only sociable cat; to control exclusive hunting grounds rather than for greater success by cooperative hunting.

Most successful hunts are on dark nights in dense cover against
a single prey animal. One reason for lions’ relative low hunting success rate is that lions do not take into account wind direction when hunting; they often approach prey from an upwind direction thereby alerting their prey and ending the hunt. Additionally, the lion’s charge is generally launched directly at its quarry and it rarely alters the path of attack, as do other cats. Generally speaking, if a lion misses its target on the first run it usually abandons the chase.

Hunts of impala and medium-sized prey are significantly more likely to be successful when the lions do not stalk their prey but rather chase them immediately upon detection. The opposite is true for small-sized prey species. However, lions are more likely to stalk impala and medium-sized species, whereas they are less likely to stalk small-sized prey. Females are significantly more likely to stalk anything.

with cooperative hunting a question exists on whether pre-planned cooperation is taking place or whether lions make use of opportunities brought about by the presence of other lions.

Studies of the tactics of group hunting by lions give a similar basic plan of the hunting process. When the group spots the prey a hunt is often initiated by a single lion looking at it, to which the other lions respond by looking in the same direction – the only clear form of “communication” evidenced in the hunting process. The group fans out, with certain lions stalking at a greater distance to encircle the prey. The encircling lions launch the attack, seemingly to drive the prey towards the others who ambush from their cover position.

It is suggested that lions often, but not exclusively, followed the same hunting patterns and divided lions into stalking roles; left, centre and right wing positions. Lions hunting in their preferred roles increased the success of the group by nine per cent.

***Tigers Need Our Help***

Tigers are the top predator in the food chain that keeps the eco-system going in tropical jungles of Asia. When they vanish due to poaching and lack of habitat, they take away with them an important link in the food chain. Tigers help keep the population of herbivores like Deers, Wild Buffaloes, Antelopes and Omnivores like Boars in the jungle. Nature is finally balanced with the right proportion of predators for prey. By taking away one important predator, prey will increase at the cost of habitat which finally impacts mankind.

Most conservationists agree that strong protection of wildlife reserves has been the key to the endangered tiger’s survival so far. It is vital, however, that wildlife conservation and habitat protection are not isolated solutions, but an important part of a multifaceted tiger survival strategy.

Habitat loss is only one of several significant threats to the endangered tiger’s survival. As long as the demand and market for tiger parts in traditional Chinese medicine thrive, lives of tigers will be threatened. Economic and political circumstances within many of the tiger countries also require serious attention and international support.

 

Photo of the week #34 – Climate change could threaten the African Lion

 

14 September 2012

http://www.rtcc.org

 

Source: IUCN Photo Library
Photographer: Joëlle Dufour

It’s one of Africa’s most iconic predators, but even the lion will not be spared the impacts of a warming world.

Drought and downpours, exacerbated by climate change, are thought to have made it easier for diseases to wipe out large numbers of African Lions, both in 1994 and 2001, according to a study.

The perfect storm of extreme drought followed by heavy seasonal rains is said to have set up the conditions for two diseases – both of which are regularly survived when occurring in isolation – to converge, killing large numbers of the animal.

As weather patterns change and temperatures in Africa increase, there is also concern this predator will be in further competition with humans looking for land to farm. Currently conflict with humans is one of the biggest threats to lions, and increased drought could exacerbate the problem.

Lions will also have to react to how climate change may affect their prey, as drought also threatens their survival.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organisation aimed at finding solutions to the most pressing environment and development challenges.