Durban - A new generation of lion cubs may soon appear at Somkhanda Community Game Reserve in Northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Three lions were re-introduced to the reserve and rangers monitoring the daily activity of the big cats said the cats had been observed mating, as well as hunting and feeding.
The pride of one male and two females were translocated earlier this year from Phinda Private Game Reserve and kept in a boma until their recent release into the 12 140 hectare reserve.
Wildlands conservation strategic manager Dave Gilroy said: “Upon their release, the lions travelled a short distance outside the boma and made their first kill a day after their release – a zebra, which they stayed with for a few days before exploring more of the reserve.
“They are doing very well and have been observed, hunting, feeding and mating, so the future looks bright for them.
“Somkhanda has a team of dedicated priority species monitors who spend their time tracking and monitoring their movements and physical condition of the lions daily,” he said.
Lions mate all year round and have a gestation period of 100 days.
Somkhanda is now also officially a Big Five reserve with the re-introduction of the lions and Gilroy said endangered species had been methodically introduced to the reserve over the past 10 years in partnership with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and WWF’s Black Rhino Expansion project.
The species on the reserve include white rhino, wild dogs, buffalo and elephant “along with a host of plains game species to support the predators that now exist on the reserve”.
A lion and a lioness are released into their new home in Somkhanda Community Game Reserve in Northern KwaZulu-Natal. Picture: Supplied
The Gumbi Community and Emvokweni Community Trust are the owners and custodians of Somkhanda and Nathi Gumbi, Wildlands strategic manager for community engagement in northern KZN and member of the Gumbi tribe, said: “We are very happy about the lions coming to Somkhanda. The community feels privileged that the reserve is now going to be a Big Five reserve as our dream is now a reality.”
The project is also as a result of the documentary Blood Lions, which lifted the lid on canned lion hunting. Consultant and lead character in the documentary, Ian Michler said: “The Somkhanda release is good news for the lion conservation community because it focuses attention on the real issues and solutions to securing the future of lions.”
With only 2 000 lions left in the wild in South Africa, the species is considered to be under threat and vulnerable.
Today Durban will join a global march against poaching and the illegal trade of wildlife, leaving Suncoast at 9.30am.
According to Cath Jakins, who heads the Durban chapter of the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos, the estimated number of elephants being killed annually in Africa is about 35 000, while in South Africa more than 1 000 rhinos were poached last year, compared with 13 in 2007.
“On average, three rhinos are now killed in Africa every day – about one every eight hours,” Jakins said.
Thousands are expected to march today across 97 cities worldwide to raise awareness on the impact of poaching.
The Independent on Saturday