Walking (and playing) with Lions

****The following is another blog post from Wild Lens volunteer Natasha Bowman, who is working at the Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa.****

Weekly walks with the lions are another form of enrichment for these captive animals. Kevin’s unique relationship with the lions allows for easy walks through the open terrain. Kevin is able to call upon them if they happen to wander off too far. This game reserve is considered a “Big Five”, which means Cape buffalo, African lion, African leopard, White/Black rhinoceros, and African elephants all inhabit this large region of territory. This gives these captive lions quite the environment to interact with. I was lucky enough to observe one of the lionesses attempt to hunt on a nearby heard of antelope.

This lioness, Ginnie, is the youngest and most rambunctious of the pride. I was lucky enough to capture her standing still for a second between weaving and frolicking through the grass. The lions transport cage lies in the back in case the lions get too tired for easy and quick transport back to their enclosures.

In the photo above, Vayetse smells a recent visit from a local wild lion. Lions wince as a reaction to certain smells, much like humans do when we get a whiff of something unpalatable.

Below, Kevin lies on Vayetse, what lions consider as cuddling, and scratches his neck to show affection. In the lion world, constant affection plays an important role in their behavior. Skin contact and rubbing their faces against each other provides reassurance that an important alliance exists. An act that is especially important for hunting.

All photos by Natasha Bowman.