LONG LIVE THE KING

Plight of lions, particularly rare white lions, is in the spotlight at the CITES meeting this week, writes Claire Keeton

LEOPATRA was very keen on Mandla. So keen that every time the tawny C lioness came into oestrus she would leave her pride, swim across a river, dig under a fence and roar for the attention of the white lion who lived on a nearby r e s e r ve . Mandla — at the time the only adult male white lion in the bush in South Africa — had been rescued by lion conservationist Linda Tucker from captivity and released at Timbavati, adjoining the Kruger Park, the only place where these unique lions are born wild. But then things got complicated. After months of Cleopatra pursuing Mandla, the dominant male in her pride followed her and dug under a second fence to fight his rival. Mandla survived the bloody clash and Cleopatra was put on a contraceptive to stop her courtship. But years later, when the drug wore off, she once again swam across the river and was back roaring to the white lion pride. It was then that Tucker, founder of the Global White Lion Protection Trust, arranged to acquire Cleopatra and she was i n t e g r at e d into the white lion pride. At the time the pride had three young lions sired by Mandla, so Cleopatra had to get another contraceptive implant. This month, when she came back into oestrus, she finally got the chance to mate with two white lions, the sons of Mandla. White lions, the species c ove t e d by trophy hunters because they are so rare, have no special protection and went extinct in the wild from 1991 until 2006 when the trust reintroduced its founder pride. In Africa, lion populations have plunged 43% in the past 20 years to about 20 000 lions, according to a recent report by three conservation WHITE LION FEVER: A male white lion engages in a mating ritual with a tawny lioness wearing a monitoring collar in the Timbavati region, Limpopo Pictures: KEVIN SUTHERLAND NGOs, “Beyond Cecil: Africa’s Lions in Crisis”. Protecting lions and banning scenting and mating with Tswalu. The odds are against a t aw ny forcibly removed from the endemic canned hunting, which is rife in Cleopatra was on the move, with lioness giving birth to white cubs habitat where they occur naturally South Africa, are on the agenda at Matsieng padding a hopeful pace after mating with a white male. into breeding camps and zoos and the 17th meeting of the Conference behind her. This can happen though if the they have been hunted. A trade red in tooth and claw ... of the Parties to the Convention on Lion ecologist Jason Turner, who tawny female has a white lion “White lions are at the centre of International Trade in Endangered studies the critically endangered genetic marker, which is rare. the killing industry in South Africa. CITES, the Convention on enough to prevent the Species are listed under three Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, white lion prides, said: “This is Tu c ke r ’s conservation trust is The lion-petting and canned- International Trade in overexploitation of endangered appendices: which started in Johannesburg unusual behaviour as normally working to boost the white lion hunting industry work together. Endangered Species of Wild species. ý Appendix I includes species ye st e r d ay . other lions mate only when the gene pool in habitats where the The same cubs which are hugged Fauna and Flora, is an agreement The illegal trafficking of threatened with extinction. When the Sunday Times visited dominant male is away. We were lions are endemic. The trust has six by visitors are hunted as trophies between 182 countries and the wildlife, worth roughly Trade in these species is the Timbavati reserve last week, surprised to see the males swapped white lions and four tawny lions in when they get too big,” she said. EU that aims to control the $20-billion (about R280-billion) permitted only in exceptional the white lions pursued Cleopatra ove r . ” three prides in its Tsau! reserve on In South Africa there are about billion-dollar international a year, is ranked as the fourth- c i rc u m s t a n c e s ; and another tawny lioness known the Klaserie River. 2 500 lions in the wild compared to trade in wild animal and plant largest organised crime arena in ý Appendix II includes species as Tswalu, mating three to four White lions Dispelling the myth that white more than 6 000 in captivity. They species so that it does not the world after illicit arms not necessarily threatened with times an hour around the clock for lions — which are not albinos — are confined in lion-breeding/ threaten their survival. trading, counterfeit goods and extinction, but in which trade a few days. are at the centre cannot survive in the wild, Turner canned-hunting farms which are Roughly 35 600 species are human trafficking. must be controlled to ensure For the first 48 hours Tswalu of the killing published research this year found mostly in North West and the protected by the treaty, which Member states attend the their survival; and and the male Matsieng were ❛ industry in SA. showing that they hunt as Free State, she said. has helped to prevent the Conference of the Parties ý Appendix III lists species inseparable, and Cleopatra hooked effectively as tawny lions. Blood Lions, a documentary extinction of many animals held every two to three years, named by at least one country up with Zukhara. Lion petting and Tucker said: “We have seen a released in December, exposed this and plants. where they discuss and vote on that has asked other countries When we saw them they had canned hunting drastic decline of lions in the wild multimillion-dollar industry in But some conservationists the level of protection needed for co-operation in controlling swa pped partners and Zukhara, while their numbers are escalating warn that it does not go far for a species. their trade. growling at a low pitch, was work together in captivity. White lions have been ● Continued on Page 14

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