LION BREEDING AND RELEASE PROJECT
GWERU, ZIMBABWE

A once in a lifetime experience to work with the majestic African Lion on this world first lion breeding and release project.  In addition to walking with lions, hand rearing cubs and conducting invaluable research into lion behaviour at this exclusive and beautiful game reserve in Gweru, volunteers will also have the opportunity to work with orphaned elephants. This game reserve, teeming with wildlife, is the headquarters of the project and the contribution made by volunteers helps to address the seriously decreasing numbers of lions in the wild throughout Africa.

	Location:	GWERU, ZIMBABWE	Dates:	Volunteer should arrive on the Sunday before the first and third Monday of each month.
	Fees:	£1,545 - 3 weeks £1,895 - 4 weeks	Payment:	£180 deposit at time of booking – balance of project fee due 8 weeks before departure
	Reference:	AV021

General Information

Although Africa was once home to some 250,000 lions, it is estimated that now less than 15,000 remain. This valuable project, the first of its kind in the world, aims to re-introduce captive-bred lions back into the wild through a phased programme.

Spending time with the lions in the wild each day is an essential part of the cub's upbringing.  If the cubs are to be released into the wild in the future it is important that they spend time out in this natural environment. They need to adapt and learn from it, and to understand, observe, feel and smell the wild. Since the beginning of this intensive programme, a marked increase in the lions' awareness of their natural surroundings has been noted, as well as an improvement in their hunting skills. The larger cubs are now able to take down smaller game species whilst out on walks, and these abilities are being enhanced each day whilst under the supervision of volunteers. These are invaluable discoveries, which have earned further support for this world-first endeavour.

Mission Statement

Conservation of the African Lion:

• through researching the reintroduction of captive bred lions into the wild
• through initiating and facilitating the controlled breeding of lions in a protected natural environment for reintroduction to the wild
• to ensure balanced ecosystems for the benefit of future generations

STAGE 1:

Young lion cubs (2 - 18 months) spend as many daylight and night hours as possible in the wild. They are observed and accompanied by volunteer workers, guides or lion handlers. This stage is already underway at the project headquarters and it is remarkable to observe the development of the natural stalking and hunting instincts of the young lions. By the age of 16 -24 months the young lions are already able to successfully stalk and hunt down the young of wildebeest, impala, zebra, kudu, tsessebe and other smaller antelope.  

STAGE 2:

Lions too old to walk with volunteers are given the opportunity to hone their hunting skills and develop a natural pride social system in a minimum 500 acre enclosure. They have plenty of game to hunt, and their progress is monitored closely.

STAGE 3:

From Stage 2 the lions are translocated in selected groups to a managed ecosystem where:

• There are no other lions
• There are no resident human beings
• There are sufficient prey species for the lions to hunt and on which to survive

These areas will generally be a minimum of 10,000 acres in size and will be located in various African countries.

STAGE 4:

The lions in Stage 3 will give birth to cubs, which will then be raised by their pride in the managed ecosystem.  It is believed that these lions, born in Stage 3 of the project, will be able to be released when and where necessary into appropriate game reserves, conservancies and National Parks across the African continent.

All four stages of the rehabilitation programme will have the potential to generate much needed income for the lion project and other wildlife conservation programmes.

Volunteers will be predominantly involved in Stage 1 of the project, spending part of each day with the lion cubs in the wild - the environment to which the cubs must adapt if this project is going to succeed.  

The rehabilitation and release project has recently entered its exciting second stage.  In the summer of 2007 the first pride of lions was released into a 500 acre enclosure within a large reserve in central Zimbabwe. This area is stocked with game and at this point of the programme all human contact is removed from the lions. This is the pride's chance to prove that they can establish themselves and survive in the wild. The animals are monitored during this phase of the programme to check their progress. Prior to release all lions are radio-collared, micro-chipped, DNA tested, screened for disease and vaccinated.  The progress of the project is going extremely well and the lions in this stage have established a pride structure and have hunting prey independently to feed themselves for a year now.  Volunteers have until recently been spending time at this site conducting vital data capture and wildlife management work which has produced some world first research.  

The project is currently in the process of securing a new stage two release site on land next to the stage one game reserve and this will be an project that volunteers will become involved in.  The lions from the existing stage two release site will be translocated to the new site when it is ready. This is an ideal opportunity that will allow the project to be managed even more effectively and once the area is complete and the lions released there, volunteers will again become involved in monitoring the lions behaviour and activities in this stage.  These activities might include: observing a pride of lions learning about their new environment and recording vital data on their behaviour; following the lions after dark and recording their hunting behaviour; staking out a water hole and observing the comings and goings.

Orphaned Elephants

In 1991 and 1992 severe drought threatened areas of Zimbabwe resulting in many young elephants being orphaned. Volunteers may have the opportunity to assist the trainers in their daily activities with these fantastic animals that have found a new home on this reserve. 

Volunteers will also assist with wildlife management tasks such as removing snares and checking that the boundary fencing is secure and repairing if necessary; these tasks may be carried out on horseback or even elephant-back! This is vital work if the few remaining wildlife areas of Zimbabwe are to be protected.

Highlights

• Walk with the lions and experience the excitement of watching young cubs play and learn to stalk their prey
• Nurse and bottle feed the young cubs - they will often fall asleep in your arms!
• Spend time in the bush - exploring the wildlife by horseback or riding the elephants
• Discover and enjoy the local culture
• Have horse riding lessons from experienced guides
• Take the elephants down to the lake at sunrise for an early morning swim
• Take a canoe out and explore the bird life on the lake as the sun sets
• Spend evenings under the stars around the camp fire with new friends from all around the world
• During your time off relax in the pool overlooking the elephants swimming in the lake!
• Get the opportunity to work on the stage 2 release site in Zimbabwe

Volunteers can also enjoy visits to other fascinating parts of Zimbabwe (at an additional cost payable on arrival) :

• the Granite Ridge Lodge in Matobo National Park where you can join a rhino walk, a game drive or a cave painting tour;
• the Miombo Safari Lodge in the Hwange National Park, the largest Park in Zimbabwe, where you may see elephant, buffalo, lions and hyenas;
• the fantastic Victoria Falls themselves and perhaps partake of some white water rafting, take a bungee jump or just admire the scenery!

An idea of how you might spend your days...

6:00am	Bottle feed the cubs - ranging in age from 3 weeks to 7 months - in camp
6:30am	Meet the guides and join them for a lion walk, taking cubs from 7 months to 16 months out into the bush. Watch as the cubs practice their hunting skills. Volunteers often undertake data capture to monitor lion behaviour for research purposes.
8:00am	Breakfast
9:00am	Involvement in various duties including enclosure cleaning, cub walking, snare sweeping, boundary patrols, food preparation and cub socialising activities.
12:30pm	Lunch
2:00pm	Afternoon duties could include elephant care duties and training, making fences, conducting a game count of the park's many antelope species, cub walks or data entry.
6.45pm	Briefing with volunteer coordinators on the following day's activities
Evening	The volunteers socialise at dinner at 7.00pm and around the camp fire pit. On some nights the larger cubs are taken out for a night hunt and watched as they stalk, chase and catch prey.

Age Limit:  Minimum 17 years, maximum decided on potential participants’ health
Project Requirements: Due to health and safety requirements, all volunteers must be 155cm or 5ft minimum in height to work with the lion cubs

Support

Support and advice is available from the Project Managers whilst on the project and from the UK Amanzi Travel Team.
Find out more about Amanzi Travel support

Orientation

A comprehensive information pack will be sent to all volunteers upon booking their trip and further advice and information will be provided via telephone and email before departure. A full orientation will be provided by the local support team on arrival at the project.

Volunteers' orientation upon arrival (duration 2 - 3 days)

• Introduction to all senior camp staff including guides, handlers of elephants, lions and horses, heads of departments and assistants.
• Familiarisation at the Safari camp and Game Park – including the park boundaries, internal roads and tracks and some of the wildlife species.
• Introduction to the cubs and activity enclosures including lion handling training and full safety instructions.
• Further information on the lion breeding programme and its ultimate objective of releasing lions into the wild.
• How to conduct "Snare sweeps" and "Boundary patrols".
• Familiarisation with all other duties in which volunteers are involved.
• Volunteers who have not ridden horses before may also spend time receiving instruction;  if they then prove capable horses may be used for carrying out some of the duties.
• Issuing of the basic tools required to carry out duties.
• Instruction on how to carry out game counts which provide essential information for the management and control of the game park and its own unique eco-system.

Accommodation and Meals

All volunteers will be accommodated in twin or triple rooms, with separate shower and toilet facilities adjacent to the sleeping quarters.  The rooms are cleaned daily and  located at the well-equipped main reserve camp.  The camp has internet access, satellite television and a swimming pool.  A free laundry service is available. Three buffet-style meals a day are provided and are taken in the main camp dining room, overlooking the lake.

Accommodation upgrades can be arranged in one of the luxury lodges or river tents.  These are either double or twin and have en-suite bathrooms and a private outside decking area overlooking the lake.  Please ask for more information and prices for the upgrade.

Getting There

Fly into Bulawayo or Harare where you will be met by local staff and taken to comfortable overnight accommodation before transferring the following day by Blue Arrow coach to Gweru.  Please arrange your flights to arrive in Zimbabwe over the weekend before the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month.

(There may be a number of ways to reach your destination airport - for further information or advice please contact Amanzi Travel)
Let Amanzi Travel arrange your flights for you

Project Fees

What is included

• A contribution to the project
• All transfers on arrival and departure (including the blue arrow coach service)
• "On-the-job" educational activities and support from volunteer co-ordinators and local staff
• All accommodation (including lodge accommodation in Harare on arrival and departure if necessary)
• 3 meals a day
• Unlimited tea, coffee and soft drinks
• Laundry and domestic service

What is excluded

• Travel insurance (to include cover for repatriation)
• Personal items eg clothes, travel goods
• Return flights to nearest Harare or Bulawayo Airport
• Use of internet (email) and telephone
• Wines, beers and spirits
• Visas and any trips undertaken other than in the planned programme