Antelope Park Lion Research Photography Project Detail

Antelope Park Lion Research Photography Project

About the Antelope Park Lion Research Photography Project:
 
In 1975 over 200,000 lions roamed the African continent. Today, that number may be as low as 23,000. The causes of its decline are, according to the IUCN, “not well understood and are unlikely to have ceased.” While some organizations look for reasons, our partners are seeking solutions.

The African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (ALERT) and Animals on the Edge are two world-renowned, pioneering conservation NGO’s determined to protect the African lion for future generations and all of Africa. Through your photographs, you will be helping their cause.
 
On the 1st of September 2010, in line with its 4-stage programme, ALERT released its first pride of 8 lions into a controlled site of around 430 acres. In their new home, devoid of human contact, the pride will develop a natural social structure, interacting with each other and their environment, and hunting prey.

During this time, the prides’ progress is monitored closely. As part of the African Lion Photographic Research project team, you will have a unique opportunity to observe and photograph the behaviour of these lions and their future offspring in a truly natural environment.

Your daily tasks will include:

The majority of your time will be spent within the lion release site where your aims are to:

• Photograph the lions in the release pride, recording behaviour and interaction within the pride and with prey species
• Photograph the lions within their environment, recording the development of the pride’s social structure
• Photograph the development of cubs born into the pride (when applicable)
• Work with the scientific researcher to provide photo documentary evidence of the researcher's findings

When you are not in the release site, you will need to upload your images to the ALERT/AOTE image library, edit and organize the image files and provide caption data and information.

OUR PARTNERS: ALERT and Animals On The Edge

ALERT is a UK-registered non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the African lion.  Its aim is the release into appropriate National Parks and Reserves the wild-born offspring of rehabilitated captive bred lions through a unique, multi-faceted 4-stage program, which includes involvement of local communities so that they may prosper from the presence of wild lions, and recognition that habitat protection is paramount to the long-term success of the project. All elements of the project are carried out in partnership with appropriate national and local authorities and ALERT works alongside partner organizations to ensure that cross-program cooperation is achieved.
 
Further detailed information regarding ALERT and the lion release program can be found by visiting www.lionalert.org 

Animals on the Edge (AOTE) is a dedicated conservation NGO, conceived by conservationist and film maker, Leo Grillo, and renowned UK wildlife photographer, Chris Weston. Their goal is to conserve and protect wildlife by bringing together local communities and decision makers, and proposing economy-based solutions that provide people with a financial and social incentive to conserve wildlife.
 
The Animals on the Edge program began in 2008 with co-founder Chris Weston beginning a series of discovery assignments with the aim of exposing the root causes of the problems facing threatened wildlife and identifying probable solutions for future implementation. At the same time, Weston has been photographing some of the world's most endangered species for the book “Animals on the Edge - Reporting from the Frontline of Extinction”.

Together, ALERT and AOTE make a formidable force. By participating in this project you will be contributing to their unique and exciting legacy of conserving the African lion.

Additional opportunities

You may also have the opportunity to get involved with other activities relating to our Lion Rehabilitation Programme when you are not working in the release site or on photography related tasks. These may include the following:

Research
 
Photography volunteers may assist our research technician. The research studies will vary depending on the needs of the project at the time but may include looking at hunting development, character traits, spoor sizes or mane growth. You will receive all the training you need in order to ensure that you are able to provide valuable input to this program regardless of previous experience.

Lion Walks:

Lion walks are a vital aspect of the 4-Stage programme and an essential part of the cubs’ upbringing. If the cubs are to be successfully released it is important that they learn to adapt to their environment: understand it, observe it and feel and smell the wild.

Elephant experience: 

You will also have the opportunity to spend time with our orphaned African elephants and their trainers.  The elephants at Antelope Park were saved from certain death during a severe drought that ravaged Zimbabwe’s south-eastern lowveld in 1991 and 1992.

Free Roaming Wildlife:

The few remaining areas of wildlife sanctuary in Zimbabwe are extremely precious and must at all costs be protected. Part of your project will involve assistance with the wildlife management scheme, such as finding and removing snares within the game park and checking for holes or fence cuttings on the boundary fence and repairing them. These activities are usually conducted on foot, within the Park and accompanied by one of our trained guides.

PLEASE NOTE: For images taken outside the release site, Animals on the Edge has no usage rights and the photographers are free to use those images as they wish. For images taken within the release site, copyright remains that of the photographer but AOTE has exclusive, unlimited usage rights to those images.

Antelope Park, Lion Photography project, Volunteer with Lions