Lion Population Re-established at the Samara Private Game Reserve
Samara Private Game Reserve is now home to the Big Five, as their founder pride of lions arrived on the reserve on the 29th of November 2018. They are thrilled to be re-establishing a lion population which had been locally extinct for 180 years.The Award-winning Samara Private Game Reserve is a luxury malaria-free safari destination with a passionate conservation mission set on 70,000 acres of breathtaking wilderness in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. Located just north of the famous Garden Route and 40 minutes from South Africa’s 4th oldest town of Graaff-Reinet, Samara offers a rejuvenating and pampering safari experience with a greater conservation purpose, delivering a safari for the soul.
Photo credit: Samara
The lion population declined in numbers by 43% over the past 24 years. The current population is estimated to be between 20,000 and 30,000 individuals. Lions face a number of threats, all thanks to humans. Humans orchestrate indiscriminate killing in areas like the Maasai Mara, whilst the bushmeat trade and habitat loss deplete the lions’ prey base. Further pressure on the species stems from the trade in lion bones shipped to the Far East, where lion body parts are sold under the guise of being tiger bones in traditional medicine. This illegal trade has fuelled South Africa’s ‘canned lion’ industry.
Photo credit: Samara
The ‘canned hunting’ industry refers to the act of shooting captive bred and/or tame animals in confined areas. The term canned hunting came into popular use in 1998 after the Cook Report, a British current affairs television programme, featured footage of a lioness being shot several times within a small enclosed area. The term soon became synonymous with any form of trophy hunting where hunters shot animals within confined areas, ensuring they had no or little chance of escape. Today, canned hunting is widespread in South Africa. Large numbers of wild animals are being bred in captivity specifically to be shot. This is truly terrible, and is the reason why sanctuaries like the Samara Private Game Reserve need to exist and thrive.
Photo credit: Samara
Samara’s founder lion pride will consist of several unrelated males and females to ensure genetic diversity. The lions’ movement, feeding and breeding patterns will be monitored through satellite technology and by researchers on the ground. The Samara experience will always be about more than just ticking boxes and chasing the world’s most famous megafauna (large mammals of a particular region, habitat, or geological period), but re-introducing contributing meaningfully to conservation and responsible tourism, as well as adding an exciting new dimension to their safaris. Samara is already home to elephant, black (and white) rhino, buffalo and the occasional leopard. We are excited about their new lion pride and if you’d like to visit the game reserve, get in contact with us today.
