The introduction of captive bred African lions (Panthera leo) to a private wildlife reserve in the Limpopo Province, South Africa
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Date
2021-11-15
Authors
Booyens, Paul Lodewyk
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
The objective was to utilise an unique opportunity to monitor and explore the social
and feeding behaviour, and the reproductive ability of captive bred, and reared
African lions (Panthera leo) when reintroduced as a founder population on a large
private wildlife reserve (hereafter, the Reserve).
The study did not aim to justify the captive breeding of lions, but the potential value
of such lions was assessed, when recently introduced to a free-roaming scenario, to
augment the conservation status of this iconic African predator species.
It was hypothesised that the reintroduction of such African lions in a free-roaming
scenario would be deemed successful if the following five criteria were met: (i) The
ability to form social groups in an extensive wild habitat; (ii) The ability to become
self-sustaining with no interference or supplementation by management; (iii) The
ability to reproduce by raising offspring to maturity/female sexual maturity and/or
dispersal of males from natal prides; (iv) The ability to teach offspring to hunt
effectively, interact socially, reproduce, and secure a healthy and viable F2-
generation, characteristic of wild managed lions; and (v) Be regarded as suitable
potential founders for reintroduction programmes where wild populations have
disappeared or need to be augmented.The Reserve was established in the Limpopo Province, South Africa with a vision to
include the Big Five of Africa. Therefore, five African lions, bred and reared in captive
facilities, were introduced in 2017 to the Reserve. The five lions comprised an adult
male (10 years old and previously used for breeding at a captive facility in the Free
State Province, South Africa) and four large female cubs (two years old, sourced
from a captive facility in the Limpopo Province, South Africa). In preparation for the envisaged introduction of lions, the adult male was moved from
the Free State Province in November 2016 and joined with the four large female
cubs in a 1-ha camp at their natal captive facility in the Limpopo Province. Four
weeks after being joined, the five lions were relocated, and in December 2016 they
were released in a boma (4-ha holding facility) on the Reserve to acclimatise. While
the five lions were in the boma for a 6-week period, they were fed twice a week blue
wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) or zebra (Equus quagga) carcasses. Without
pre-release training, the five lions were released from the boma on 27 January 2017,
when the gates of the boma were simply opened. The spatial utilisation of the Reserve by the lions were monitored with satellite GPS
collars, fitted to a few selected individuals. The ultra-high frequency (UHF)
capabilities of the satellite GPS collars also allowed for real-time locating of the lions.
The information was used to determine their temporal and spatial utilisation, home
range selection, possible group formations, birthing incidences, and successful
hunting sites. The ArcGIS Desktop (V. 10.8.1) was used to analyse the data.
In addition, visual observations of lions and detected kill sites were done from
vehicles and electronically submitted via a WhatsApp group, whereafter it was
chronologically logged for analysis. Social behaviour, prey killed, attempted hunts,
and body condition of the lions were recorded via the WhatsApp group. Photographs
and videos of the events were used to confirm activities. Timelines of temporal activities and incidences were created for the lions, showing
important occurrences such as social interaction, mating, births of known litters and
hunting. When appropriate, the timelines of different individuals were linked to
provide better insight of the social interaction of the lions on the Reserve.
When deemed necessary, excess lions were removed from the Reserve to comply
with Provincial and National legislation and ensure ecological sustainability of the
Reserve. Inbreeding of the lion population was prevented by vasectomising some
males and by introducing an unrelated adult male to the Reserve in 2020. The lions showed varying degrees of social bonding and possible reasons for the
grouping behaviour are provided. During the study, only two stable groups of more
than two adult lions were recorded. The hunting success of the lions could not be accurately determined, because of
large areas of dense vegetation and the few access roads, limiting the recovery of
the remains of kills before being scattered by scavengers. Furthermore, the dense
vegetation of some areas on the Reserve prevented the visual sighting of hunting
attempts. Therefore, the hunting success of the lions was determined indirectly by
the continuous evaluation of body conditions and the changes in the density of
suitable prey species on the Reserve. Since the lions were released from the boma,
they were self-sustaining.
The cub survival rate was high and comparable to that on small wildlife reserves
(<1 000 km2). Population growth was high, as was expected for a wild managed
population. In the study, most cubs brought from hiding by their mothers, comprising
2, 3 or 4 cubs when first sighted, survived. Subsequently, some young lions
dispersed from their natal prides, and became self-sustaining. Two of the lionesses born on the Reserve, namely F1-generation lions, later gave
birth to their own litters, namely F2-generation lions. In conclusion, when introduced in a free-roaming scenario on the Reserve, the
captive bred, and reared African lions, as well as their offspring (i) formed social
groups, albeit it often a single lactating female with cubs; (ii) became self-sustaining
by hunting successfully, with no interference or supplementation by management;
(iii) reproduced and raised offspring to reach female sexual maturity and dispersal of
sub-adult males from natal prides; (iv) taught their offspring to hunt effectively and
interact socially, enabling reproduction of the species, thereby securing a healthy
and viable F2-generation, characteristic of wild managed lions; and (v) suggested
that similar lions may be considered as founders for reintroduction programmes,
where wild populations have disappeared or need to be augmented in specific
circumstances.
Description
Keywords
African lions, Panthera leo, private wildlife reserve, Limpopo Province, Lions -- South Africa -- Limpopo province, Wildlife management -- South Africa -- Limpopo province, African lions, Wildlife conservation -- endangered species