Background on lion hunting
Facing a lion in the African savannah is an experience of a life time. From this day your life will change forever. Hunting a lion is traditional, fun, and dangerous.
Lion hunt is a historical practice that played an important role in the Maasai culture. The practice is different from trophy hunting; it is symbolically a rite of passage rather than a hobby.The Maasai tribe sees lion hunting experience as a sign of bravery and personal achievement. In the past, when the lion population was high, the community encouraged solo lion hunting. However, over the last ten years,due to the decline of the lion population, mainly because of rabies and canine distemper virus, the community has adapted a new rule that encourages warriors to hunt in groups instead of solo lion hunt. Group hunting, known in Maasai as lamayio, gives the lion population a chance to grow.
Lion hunting experience allows the Maasai warriors to show off their fighting ability on a non-human target. At the end of each age-set, usually after 10-15 years, the warriors must count all the lions hunted, then compare them with those hunted by the previous age-set.
The success of lion hunting brings gratitude and excitement to the entire community. The achievement is perceived as individual bravery. The community will honour Olmurani lolowuaru (the hunter) with much respect throughout his lifetime. The hunter will also receive a nickname, for example, Miseyieki, from his colleagues. Miseyieki means no one will ever dare to mess with him. When the warriors attend ceremonies in other communities, they will praise their colleague through songs, so other warriors can acknowledge their member. (Source The Massaai Association)
Social structure
Lions are predatory carnivores who manifest two types of social organization. Some are residents, living in groups, called prides. The pride usually consists of five or six related females, their cubs of both sexes, and one or two males (known as a coalition if more than one) who mate with the adult females (although extremely large prides, consisting of up to 30 individuals, have been observed). The number of adult males in a coalition is usually two, but may increase to four and decrease again over time. Male cubs are excluded from their maternal pride when they reach maturity. The second organizational behaviour is labeled nomads, who range widely and move about sporadically, either singularly or in pairs. Pairs are more frequent among related males who have been excluded from their birth pride.
Note that a lion may switch lifestyles, nomads may become residents and vice versa. Males have to go through this lifestyle and some never are able to join another pride. A female who becomes a nomad has much greater difficulty joining a new pride, as the females in a pride are related, and they reject most attempts by an unrelated female to join their family group.
The area a pride occupies is called a pride area, whereas that by a nomad is a range. The males associated with a pride tend to stay on the fringes, patrolling their territory. Why sociality - the most pronounced in any cat species-has developed in lionesses is the subject of much debate. Increased hunting success appears an obvious reason, but this is less than sure upon examination: coordinated hunting does allow for more successful predation, but also ensures that non-hunting members reduce per capita caloric intake, however, some take a role raising cubs, who may be left alone for extended periods of time. Members of the pride regularly tend to play the same role in hunts. The health of the hunters is the primary need for the survival of the pride and they are the first to consume the prey at the site it is taken. Other benefits include possible kin selection (better to share food with a related lion than with a stranger), protection of the young, maintenance of territory, and individual insurance against injury and hunger.
Lionesses do the majority of the hunting for their pride, being smaller, swifter and more agile than the males, and unencumbered by the heavy and conspicuous mane, which causes overheating during exertion. They act as a co-ordinated group in order to stalk and bring down the prey successfully.
However, if nearby the hunt, males have a tendency to dominate the kill once the lionesses have succeeded. They are more likely to share with the cubs than with the lionesses, but rarely share food they have killed by themselves. Smaller prey is eaten at the location of the hunt, thereby being shared among the hunters; when the kill is larger it often is dragged to the pride area. There is more sharing of larger kills, although pride members often behave aggressively toward each other as each tries to consume as much food as possible. Both males and females defend the pride against intruders. Some individual lions consistently lead the defence against intruders, while others lag behind. Lions tend to assume specific roles in the pride. Those lagging behind may provide other valuable services to the group. An alternative hypothesis is that there is some reward associated with being a leader who fends off intruders and the rank of lionesses in the pride is reflected in these responses.
The male or males associated with the pride must defend their relationship to the pride from outside males who attempt to take over their relationship with the pride. Females form the stable social unit in a pride and do not tolerate outside females; membership only changes with the births and deaths of lionesses, although some females do leave and become nomadic. Sub adult males on the other hand, must leave the pride when they reach maturity at around 2-3 years of age.
(Source http://en.wikipedia.org)
Subspecies
Traditionally, twelve recent subspecies of lion were recognised, distinguished by mane appearance, size, and distribution. Because these characteristics are very insignificant and show a high individual variability, most of these forms were probably not true subspecies, especially as they were often based upon zoo material of unknown origin that may have had "striking, but abnormal" morphological characteristics. Today only eight subspecies are usually accepted, although one of these, the Cape lion, formerly described as Panthera leo melanochaita, probably is invalid.Even the remaining seven subspecies might be too many. While the status of the Asiatic lion (P. l. persica) as a subspecies is generally accepted, the systematic relationships among African lions are still not completely resolved. Mitochondrial variation in living African lions seemed to be modest according to some younger studies and therefore all sub-Saharan lions sometimes have been considered a single subspecies. However, a recent study revealed, that lions from western and central Africa differ genetically from lions of southern or eastern Africa. According to this study, Western African lions are more closely related to Asian lions, than to South or East African lions.These findings might be explained by a late Pleistocene extinction event of lions in western and central Africa and a subsequent recolonisation of these parts from Asia. Previous studies, which were focusing mainly on lions from eastern and southern parts of Africa already showed that these can be possibly divided in two main clades: one to the west of the Great Rift Valley and the other to the east. Lions from Tsavo in Eastern Kenya are much closer genetically to lions in Transvaal (South Africa), than to those inthe Aberdare Range in Western Kenya. Another study, revealed, that there are three major types of lions, one North African-Asian, one Southern African and one Middle African. Conversely, Per Christiansen found that using skull morphology allowed him to identify the subspecies krugeri,nubica, persica, and senegalensis, while there was overlap between bleyenberghi with senegalensis and krugeri. The Asiatic lion persica was the most distinctive, and the Cape lion had characteristics allying it more with persica than the other subsaharan lions. He had analysed 58 lion skulls in three European museums.The white lion is not a distinct subspecies, but a special morph with a genetic condition, that causes paler coloration. They are not albinos, having normal pigmentation in the eyes and skin. White Transvaal lion(Panthera leo krugeri) individuals occasionally have been encountered in and around Kruger National Park and the adjacent Timbavati Private Game Reserve in eastern South Africa, but are more commonly found in captivity, where breeders deliberately select them. The unusual cream colour of their coats is due to a recessive gene.
How we hunt
A canned hunt is essentially a trophy hunt in which the animal is kept in a more confined (cages) area or space.* We do not hunt lion kept in a cage or in confined space anything smaller than their natural range or pride area.* We only hunt lions on foot (Walk and Stalk).* We do not hunt drugged or injured lions.* We will only hunt matured lions.
Hunting area and accommodation
The hunting area is situated in the western parts of the Kalahari between Vryburg and Kuruman. If travelling by road it will take approximately 5 hours from OR Tambo International Airport. The nearest landing strip is just outside Vryburg, from there it is a 45 minute drive to the 4000 hectare ranch with a beautiful luxury lodge and 7 comfortable chalets. Each can sleep 2 people with the choice of double or 2 single beds with an on suite bathroom and private lounge.
Early morning clients will wake up with a spectacular sunrise while enjoying a cup of fresh coffee and muffins before the hunt starts. Approximately 11 o’clock hunters will return to the lodge for breakfast / brunch. In the evenings clients are treated with a great and well-prepared three course dinner with table wine.
Other species available on the ranch include: Sable, Kudu, Oryx, Red Hartebeest, Black Wildebeest, Zebra, Blesbuck, Impala, Jackal, Warthog and baboon.
Special Terms and Conditions on lion hunting
No lion hunting or any hunting will start before the trophies have been paid for. We accept USD and EURO. Should a client not find the lion, he or she will be refunded (The price minus CITES permit cost - 1000 USD) - I have a 100% success rate.
I will get the client in a comfortable range which will allow him/her to place a perfect shot but should the lion charge, myself and back-up team will start shooting from 15 meters. Should we kill the lion under these circumstances the trophy still belong to the client and he will be responsible for the trophy fee.
Safety always comes first. Should a second or other lion attack, we will protect the client at all cost. Unfortunately the client will be responsible for the cost of such lion. It never happened before but I think it is important to know before the hunt.
Hunting is done on foot.
Costing
Costing are mainly done based on the lion's sex, age, sub specie and size. You are more than welcome to send me an email. Hunting packages on male lion prices start from 22 000 USD / 16 000 EURO and can go up to 45 000 USD / 36 000 EURO pending on lion size, age and sub specie, lioness packages from 7 500 USD / 6 000 EURO .
We do have pictures of all the lions available in various price ranges and we can work a deal out to match a hunter's requirements and budget.
General Terms of business:
50% deposit is needed to confirm reservation, the balance is payable 14 days prior to commencement of the Safari by electronic Transfer. Please Note only Cash in camp. Prior to the commencement of your safari, clients will be requested to complete and sign a Safari contract as well as our own indemnity form as prescribed by the Professional Hunters Association. Any client wishing to fly between areas is responsible for their own and one PH’s airfare. In case of cancellation within a period 30 days prior to the commencement of the hunting season, no refunds can be made. Loss of hunting days due to illness, lost luggage, delayed flights, etc. is at clients expense.
Liability:
Hennie Viljoen Africa Hunting Safaris will take the utmost precautions to ensure your safety. Hennie Viljoen Africa Hunting Safaris and agents, is not and cannot be held responsible for illness, injury or death of any client, or for any reason whatsoever. It is the discretion of Hennie Viljoen Africa Hunting Safaris to terminate any agreement with immediate effect, if found necessary due to willful damage to private property, or due to any clients endangering the life or lives of any other person or persons.
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