Walking like Kings into the unknown these majestic White Lions have
returned the wild for the first time.

Pictured here in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, the ghost-white
lions became only the second pride to take their first steps to
freedom in the greater Timbavati region of South Africa (June 8 2009).

For full story and pictures:

Immediately establishing their territory the five-strong pride
delighted conservationists of the Global White Lion Protection Trust
(WLT) who have worked tirelessly to re-establish the rare White Lion
back into its natural habitat in a long term scientific reintroduction
program over the past seven years.

“It was an incredibly exciting day and we have been jumping up and
down in celebration,” revealed Linda Tucker, CEO and founder of the WLT.

“The lions walked to freedom like Kings and they look as if they have
always been in freedom their whole lives.”

Leaving their protected area for the first time, lioness Zihra, her
mate Mandla (meaning ‘power’) and their three one-year old cubs
Zukhara and Matsieng (both male) and a female Nebu (meaning ‘pure
gold’), wandered gracefully into the WLT’s 2,500 acre conservation area.

“We started preparing for the release at 6 am and by 8 am the gates
were open and the female Zihra (6) came striding out as if nothing
would stop her,” described Linda, whose team had left a wildebeest
carcass in the open plains to encourage the lions from their gated
enclosure.

“She has already gone exploring looking for warthogs to hunt. There
was no timidity at all – they are very much kings in command of their
territory.

“We had scent-marked the innards of a wildebeest into the open plain
to encourage them to take the brave steps out into the wild.

“But the pride were not interested in eating at all. They were
interested in playing and exploring their new environment.

“They were grinning with excitement.”

Joined by senior lion ecologist, Jason Turner and four zoological
researchers, Linda and her team watched in astonishment as Mandla, the
11-year-old male, immediately took to his new environment.

“Mandla has already made his first kill, a civet, with one blow of his
paw,” described Linda.

“Our scientists were amazed because Mandla dragged the wildebeest to
his family and he went off as if he was the provider.

“Normally in the wild the male would dominate and steal the kill from
the females.

“Instead Mandla was checking his family were being provided for while
he went off to command his territory – it was astonishing.

“Mandla hunting a civet is an important step from a scientific as well
as an indigenous cultural point of view.

“I symbolises his intention to take on the hunting on techniques of
this long-tailed spotted predator.”

Mandla, who had been in captivity for 11 years, hunted for the first
time in his life within two hours after his release – and that shows
that he has opted to go wild.”

Other predators resident on the conservancy, which the lion could
expect to encounter are the leopard, hyaena, jackal, lynx-like
caracal, honey badger, serval and the small spotted genet.

Rarer than the Himalayan Snow Leopard, White Lions originate solely
from the Greater Timbavati Bushveld region of South Africa.

Often mistaken for albino lions, their translucent fur and bright blue
eyes are the product of a rare gene, meaning they are seen by many,
including tribal elders in Africa, as the most sacred animal on the
African continent.

However their beauty has made them a prized hunting trophy and
following years of forced removals into zoos and captive breeding
camps around the world, the White Lion has become technically extinct
in the wild.

Unprotected by South African law, less than three prides are free-
roaming in the wild.

Founded by Linda in 2002, the Global White Lion Protection Trust has
worked to re-establish the balance with carefully planned re-
introduction programs and scientific study into their genetic make-up.

To encourage the White Lions natural predatory and survival instincts,
Linda and her team decided to limit human interaction to only a
handful of researchers.

“We kept the human presence to a minimum because we wanted to make
sure the lions were not intimidated by us – it was their big day after
all,” said Linda.

“We had four zoological students from different countries monitoring
the release but we will now keep our distance.

“We are mindful not to be too involved in their day to day activities
as it might inhibit their hunting.

“The game will soon realise that wherever a vehicle is then the lion
pride is not too far away. On the other hand we need to make sure they
are okay and they don’t need our intervention in anyway.

“So we will monitor them at dawn and dusk and we have got all these
tracking devices on them so we will know how they are doing from a
distance.”

Yet despite the encouraging start, Linda and her team will be on hand
to help the pride should they struggle to cope with their new
environment.

“The emphasis is now on the mother to provide for her whole pride -
and that is a tall order,” says Linda.

“The male will consume a wildebeest a week (200kgs) so for her to be
hunting for five hungry mouths is a tall order for a new lioness on
the block.

“In the wild there are many risks, including starvation, so the
scientific team watch their condition closely.

“If things start to go wrong we would intercede without them knowing.
We would leave a carcass of natural game from this region (eg
wildebeest or zebra or kudu) under a tree upwind of them without them
knowing.

Now the second pride in three years to be realised into the wild,
Linda and her team expect the two prides to eventually cross paths in
the coming years.

“At the present time the two prides are separated by a fenced road but
in future we are establishing a heritage and Protected Area so the
future generations will meet each other but that won’t happen for a
couple of years.”

For more information on the White Lion release visit: www.whitelions.org

Words by Jack Fletcher
Pictures by John Liebenberg / Barcroft Media

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