Upon arriving to South Africa, we headed north of Johannesburg in our rental car (which was an adventure all in its own) to a lion reserve called Ukutula. On our two day stay, we had the privilege of playing and interacting with lions ranging from one month to six months old, and visiting and learning about the rest of the adult animals the reserve studies and cares for.
Hanging out with the little ones was our favorite and how we spent a few hours each day. These guys are four weeks old and were transitioning from milk to meat while we visited.
At around two months old, the cubs are transitioned to another group referred to by the staff as the Devils because at this age they begin to get increasingly 'naughty'. In other words natural instinct kicks in, and they start displaying behavior of a deadly predator and not a house kitten... Try to climb trees, leap out of enclosures and stalk and 'playfully' tackle caretakers and visitors. This unstoppable power of instinct, despite being raised by humans and in captivity, allows for many of the lions born in Ukutula to be rehabilitated and released into the wild.
Zach and I were still able to interact with this age group (2-6 months) during which time they showed off both their cuddly side, but also their Devil side.
Looking not so threatening belly up.
Zach spooning with Harry, one of the older Devils.
The devils stalking us to 'play'. It was very fun until the claws and fangs got through your jeans, jacket, etc
The same devil Zach spooned with just hours before showing his less cuddly side. A couple minor puncture wounds, a huge bruise and a torn puffy coat later, we finally pried Harry off Zach's leg.
Devil looking at me like I'm dinner as I approach to play.
This male was negotiated from a private owner and is one of the three males in the reserve used for breeding. All the males born within the reserve must be exported to other reserves or rehabilitated to prevent inbreeding. Rehabilitation for males is particularly precarious. The playful socialization the males grow up with within the reserve is a behavior that would get a lion killed approaching a new pride in the wild.
Many of the lions of Ukutula possess a recessive 'white gene' which creates this beautiful rare looking lion with bleached fur and blue eyes. This gene is so rarely found that National Geographic recently featured the lions of Ukutula in their documentary 'In the Womb'.
We reluctantly said good bye to the lions in our rental car after a two day stay. One bogus traffic ticket, two lost/stolen hub caps and a couple turns onto the wrong side of the road later, we hopped on our bus and were on the way to Durban.
We miss you all, and hope times are happy at home, wherever that may be. For the next month and a half, we are making our way down the coast ending in Capetown. We would love any recommendations from past travels!
No head in the lions mouth shot?
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