Global White Lion Protection Trust

White Lion Conservation Project

A Solution Based Approach- Linda Tucker

“No-one in their right mind would ever travel to Siam and there murder the rare White Elephants that we

find in that country. But people come to South Africa to brutally murder the White Lions of Timbavati in the

name of manliness and in the name of sport. The sacred icons of other races and nations in this world

are respected, revered and protected. But the icons of Africa are massacred with cold impunity”

- Credo Mutwa

Engaging the South African Government, Communities, Parks and Tourism 2003 - 2008

WLT Representatives• Linda Tucker:

– MA CANTAB from Cambridge University (1987) – Author “Mystery of the White Lions” ( 2001)– Founder Global White Lion Protection Trust (2002)

• Jason Turner:– MSc Wildlife Management - University of Pretoria (2005)– White Lion Ecologist and Scientific Advisor – Head of White Lion

Reintroduction– Professional Memberships:

• Member Cat Specialist Group• Member African Lion Working Group• Member Conservation Breeding Specialist Group• Member SA Veterinary Association

• Wendy Strauss:– BA (Hons) – University of the Witwatersrand (1992)– MA Mass Communication – Leicester University (2000)– Senior Communications Partner – Head of White Lion Community Development and Heritage

Mission Statement

The protection of the White Lions, their endemic land and their cultural

heritage in perpetuity through science and sacred science.

International Congresses

• World Wilderness Congress(2001),• World Summit of Sustainable Utilization

(2002),• World Parks Congress ( 2003),• World Carnivore Congress Sante Fe (2004) • World Wilderness Congress Alaska (2005)• Desert Soul Festival Namibia (2007)

Current Zoological Partnerships

• Canada: Park Safari• Belgium: Olmense Zoo• Canada: Toronto Metropolitan Zoo• Italy: Safari Park Pombia• South Africa: East London Queens Park Zoo• South Africa: Johannesburg Zoo• United Kingdom: West Midland Safari and Leisure

Park• United Kingdom: Paradise Wildlife Park• Denmark: Naestved Zoo

Zoological Facilities: Expressed Interest

• South Africa: National Zoological Gardens of South Africa• Canada: Papanack Park Zoo• China: Shangai Wild Animal park• China: Guangzhou Panyu Xiangjiang Safari Park• France: Jurques Zoo• France: Beauval Zoo• France: Le parc des félins• Tenerife Island: Las aguilas Jungle Park• Germany: Fritz Wurms Hollywood & Safari park• Greece: Attica Zoological Park• Japan: Tohoku Safari Park• Netherlands: Ouwehands Dierenpark• United States: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden• United States: Philadelphia Zoo• United States: Siegfreid & Roy's Secret Garden• United States: Toledo Zoo• United States: Zoological Animal Reproduction Centre• Finland: Korkeasaari Eläintarha• Sweden: Junsele Zoo• United States: San Diego Zoo (Conservation and Research for Endangered

Species)• United States: Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

White Lion Reintroduction- Jason Turner

“The Reintroduction of White Lions back in their endemic habitat

represents a critical landmark in conservation history”

- Dr Ian Player (2004): world renowned for his work in protecting the White Rhino. Dr Player is on the WLT Advisory

Panel

Conservation Paradigm

The overall objectives of the Global White Lion Protection Trust align with the conservation paradigm of today – conservation through sustainable utilization, with particular emphasis on community participation, education and cultural upliftment

APEX PREDATOR

PREYPEOPLE

HABITAT

Holistic Approach

White Lion Facts

• Genetic rarity of Panthera leo (African lion)

• Not albinos – but the result of a recessive gene (as in blue-eyed humans)

• Not classified as a subspecies -although morphologically unique and geographically limited in distribution

White Lion Facts (cont.)

• Classified as Panthera leo, therefore listed on CITES Appendix II and can be traded or hunted

• Lack of objectivity in lion classification - no legislation protecting lions e.g. lions in west and central Africa (Barnett et al. 2006) & White Lions in Timbavati region

• The lions in the Sabie Sands region (Greater KNP) are 1 of 4 uniquely defined lion groups (Dubach et al. 2005) - Timbavati region?

• No white lions in the wild; < 300 world wide

• Founder white lions in the reintroduction are of the highest genetic integrity

• Occurred naturally in one region on the globe – the TIMBAVATI and southern KNP

White Lion Facts (cont.)

Global Map: Natural Distribution of the White Lion

White Lion Endemic Range

Kruger to Canyon’s Biosphere

White Lion Project

History of White Lions

• First sighted in Timbavati in 1938

• Frequency of occurrence increased - 12 births in 9 different prides in Timbavati & KNP between 1975 and 1980

• Artificially removed from Timbavati in 1981 - another 16 known lion removals (one of which I witnessed)

• Timbavati made 2 attempts to reintroduce white lions in the late 1980’s and in 1993

• SA Government statement: white lions should not leave South African soil (McBride 1981)

History of White Lions (cont.)

Wild White Lioness in Timbavati

© Jamie Rankin

Status of White Lions

• No sightings in the wild for 13 years (1994 to 2006)

• Two sets of white cubs born in Timbavati in 2006

• Pride male trophy hunted - no cubs survived

• Status of white gene unknown - gene pool needs to be protected

Reintroduction ObjectivesThe objectives of the white lion reintroduction program are in accordance with those outlined by the IUCN:

• to maintain and/or restore natural biodiversity

• to enhance the long-term survival of a species

• to provide long-term economic benefits to the local and/or national economy

• to re-establish a keystone species (in the ecological or cultural sense) in an ecosystem

• to promote conservation awareness

Biodiversity Conservation

Biodiversity conservation aims to avoid the loss of nature’s exceptional diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. Given the endangered state of many felid species and subspecies, reintroductions are being increasingly proposed and practiced as a conservation strategy and method to return extirpated populations to their former range (Miller et al. 1999; Fischer & Lindenmayer2000; Ray 2005, Johnsingh et al. 2007).

White Lion Reintroduction• 7 years of research and input from experts• 1st White Lions being reintroduced to the wild in

natural distribution range• Founder white lions have the highest genetic

integrity – lineage of the adult lioness from tawny carriers in Timbavati itself

• Hunting self-sufficiently after only 5 weeks in the wild

• Establish sub-population(s) in wild within endemic range

• Future wild-born offspring of founder white lions may be considered for reintroduction to Timbavati

Genetic Lineage of Founder White Lions

(Global White Lion Protection Trust)

© Jason Turner

Sub-Adult White Lioness Kills an Adult WildebeestSub-Adult White Lioness Kills an Adult Wildebeest

Sub-Adult Males Kill an Adult WildebeestSub-Adult Males Kill an Adult Wildebeest

© Jason Turner

0

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Month (number and calendar) of white lion food self-sufficiency post-release

Kill

rate

(day

s / k

ills)

APNR Sohbhele pride average annual kill rate: 3.000

APNR Matamani pride average annual kill rate: 2.500

APNR Caroline pride average annual kill rate: 2.385

White lion group kill rate: Jul. - Mar. 3.209; Aug.-Mar. 3.038

Madjuma Lion Reserve pride average annual kill rate: 4.400 (Source: Power 2002)Welgevonden Private Game Reserve pride: average annual kill rate: 2.960 (Source: Kilian 2003)

Fig. 1. Hunting success of the White Lions vs wild tawny lion prides in the Limpopo province, South Africa. (Turner & Vasicek2008, in prep.)

White Lion Hunting Success

1. Identify genetic marker for the white phenotype 2. Identify & protect gene carriers of highest genetic integrity3. Re-establish White Lions in their natural endemic habitat4. Establish > 1 sub-population within endemic range (Meta-population approach) 5. National protection: National Biodiversity Management Plan6. National protection: List on the IUCN Red Data List7. Listed for international protection by CITES

White Lion Protection Plan™

Meta-Population Approach• In accordance with current strategies for lion

conservation, the present lion reintroduction aims to contribute to the meta-population management approach which has already been put into place in southern Africa (Nowell & Jackson 1996).

• As lions have become increasingly confined to protected areas individuals are moved over large distances between protected areas (Barnett et al. 2006).

• In order to completely re-wild the White Lions and ensure genetic diversity, our aim is to establish and manage a number of separate subpopulations before ultimately integrating wild-born white lions with a resident pride/s in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve itself.

White Lion Captive Breeding

THE DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF INBREEDING

Legislation

• No legislation protecting white lions

• White Lions can be hunted into extinction

• Need to be listed as critically endangered variant / regional polymorphism of Panthera leo - (i) locally, (ii) nationally, and (iii) internationally

•Unique contribution to Biodiversity - National Biodiversity Management Plan for Species

•Need to be listed on the Schedule of threatened and protected animals of National Importance

•GLOBAL PRECEDENT: Kermode (‘Spirit’) Bear protected by law in British Columbia (Canada) and 220 000 ha land set aside for their protection

•Like the White Lion, the white coat of the Spirit Bear is believed to be the result of a double recessive allele. The Spirit Bear has been classified as a ‘sub-species’

National Protection

As much as we would like to “let Nature take its course”, the reality is that there are very few ecosystems today that are not ‘managed’.

The Kruger National Park (KNP), in spite of its large size (> 20 000 km2), is not a self-contained system and is ‘managed’ (Mills 1992). Vegetation is burnt on a rotational basis, species are trans-located to and from KNP, and an elephant culling program is imminent.

Conservation: The “Hands-Off” / “Purist” Approach

“The wildlife of today is not ours to dispose of as we please. We have it in trust. We must account for it to those that come after.”Motto of the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve (1977)

“The wildlife of today is not ours to dispose of as we please. We have it in trust. We must account for it to those that come after.”Motto of the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve (1977)

White Lion Heritage Value- Wendy Strauss

“ It is our firm belief that our communities can prosper economically and socially from the eco-cultural

conservation and development programmes of the White Lion Trust and their partners in industry. Rather than

having small groupings of citizens benefit through practices of lion hunting – and specifically canned lion

hunting in the area – we believe the economic development through tourism and conservation and

broad-based community empowerment will strengthen and support the sustainable growth of our region.”

- Mr MJ Mafogo, Mayor of Maruleng Municipality

Comparisons: Revenue PotentialHunting Photo-Safari / Eco Tourism

Courtesy: Africa GeographicVol. 10, No. 9 – October 2002By Ian Michler

White Lion Associates

Open Africa White Lion Eco-Tourism Route

A National “Living” Heritage

• White Lions are a valuable and irreplaceable natural heritage

• Our Generation is the trustee of this cultural and natural legacy for future generations

• Their preservation is in the interest of all South Africans

• Recover the cultural interest associated with the White Lions in the region

• White Lion conservation efforts are underpinned by ongoing scientific and cultural research

• Strong links with the history of local indigenous cultural groups

• Historical value: natural, cultural, social and spiritual understanding

• Much documented evidence of the special cultural significance of the White Lions to the peoples of the region

A National “Living” Heritage (cont.)

White Lion Community Conservation and Heritage

White Lion Heritage Centre and Sanctuary

White Lion Eco-Education

A Solution Based Approach- Linda Tucker

“Since the scientific community has not yet determined the 'genetic markers' of the White Lions it is both premature and unscientific for any scientist to declare that White

Lions have no conservation value. Indeed, preliminary indications provide a sound basis for a

theory that the White Lions of Timbavati are, at the very least, a subspecies of Panthera leo in the same way that

the Kermode bear of British Columbia has been declared a subspecies of Ursus americanus and are now classified as

Ursus americanus kermodei”.

- Dr Atleo, indigenous elder of the Canadian Nuu-chah-nul people, is an Associate Professor at the University of Victoria, who served as Co-chair of

the Scientific Panel for Sustainable Forest Practices:

Government Support for a Solution Based Approach

• Immediate Moratorium on the hunting of White Lions - in captivity as well as in their natural habitat in the wild.

• Immediate Moratorium on all lion hunting in the White Lions’ endemic area of the Greater Timbavati region - to ensure the survival of the gene-pool.

• Prohibition of captive breeding of White Lions, unless under strict scientific supervision - and only for the purposes of reintroduction to the wild.

• Listing of the White Lions on the Schedule of Threatened and Protected Animals of National Importance, even if it is on a provisional and interim basis until their status is determined scientifically through CITES listing.

• Establishment of a Cultural Heritage Site in collaboration with local, regional and national government.

• The ongoing dedication of our skills, competencies, financial resources and professional networks to establish an eco-cultural route through Open Africa.

• The ongoing establishment of programs and projects to develop skills and competencies in the region through integrated craft and development programs.

• Establishment of a sanctuary and facilities to assist the Government in placing White Lions that have been removed due to illegal activity.

Government Support for a Solution Based Approach

The Trust’s Pledge

• Ongoing commitment to a long-term scientifically monitored reintroduction program in which the White Lions are reintroduced to their endemic range.

• Ongoing commitment to protect the White Lions’genetics, and pursuance of international CITES and IUCN Red Data Listing.

• Provision of our scientific and genetic expertise to assist captive breeding institutions that are functioning as part of a reintroduction program to the wild.

Government Support for a Solution Based Approach

The Trust’s Pledge

• Ongoing international awareness campaigns on the importance of South Africa’s White Lion heritage.

• Ongoing eco-educational programs within South Africa, using the White Lions to promote conservation awareness.

• Acquisition of land in the White Lion’s natural distribution range, with the purpose of protecting this genetic rarity as part of the biodiversity of the region.

Government Support for a Solution Based Approach

The Trust’s Pledge

• Creating procedures towards establishing a national and world heritage status.

• Assisting the Government with placing currently-captive White Lions with reputable institutions worldwide, which are committed to supporting the Government with cultural and conservation programs.

• Ongoing implementation of the White Lion Protection Plan™

Government Support for a Solution Based Approach

The Trust’s Pledge

• Thank you