LIONS

Support our Strategy for the Protection of Lions and  all the flora and fauna in their natural Kingdom.

The White Lions are a genetic rarity of great cultural and ecological importance, unique to this region. Culturally, the White Lions are associated with restoration of ethical leadership, while ecologically, they are the capstone species critical to the regeneration of their ecosystem. Yet the plight of the White Lions is catastrophic – parallelled in the state of the Earth – both consequences of the diminished quality of our current leadership, which has lost its ‘heart’. The heart-centred consciousness shift upheld and modelled by the Global White Lion Protection Trust drives all its initiatives, advocacy and pioneering research in service of the planet.

The lions within our project come from eight separate bloodlines of the highest genetic integrity. This strategy extends to strengthening the genetic pool for Panthera Leo in our area, as the lions of the Kruger-to-Canyons Biosphere are at serious risk of a population crash.

The White Lions under our care now govern over 5500 hectares of pristine wilderness lands which border the Greater Kruger. These lands have been secured for the reintroduction of this capstone species into its endemic rangeland – resulting in the long-term restoration of the biodiversity in this sensitive UNESCO Biosphere. Annual operating costs, including ecosystem management and predator-prey re-balancing, are enormous.

1. DAYS OF FREEDOM – FUNDING TARGET – US$1,000,000.00 (±R18,500,000.00)

The Trust’s mission is to ensure the freedom and flourishing of White Lions within their lands of origin. Amid a global crisis that treats Africa’s most Sacred Animals as commodities to be killed and traded in cross-border commercial transactions, we have created a safe haven where these magnificent Kings and Queens perform their critical physical and metaphysical purpose of restoring harmonious coexistence to one of the most important ecosystems in the world.

We invite you to consider measuring your gifting in terms of Days of Freedom. One Day of Freedom for each lion is conservatively estimated to cost US$95 (±R1,800.00). These costs include the following.

• Veterinary costs: As a frontline project that is ensuring the protection and thriving of an endangered species, we do require urgent veterinary assistance from time to time. Wildlife veterinary intervention entails travelling long distances through rough terrain at all hours in cases of emergencies.
• Collars: Each of our adult lions requires a tracking collar , to establish their safety and whereabouts at any given time. We must replace the collars every two years, which requires that our wildlife vet locates, darts and tranquilizes the lions. This intervention also provides an important opportunity for a thorough “check-up” on their health and general condition.
• Tracking radio receiver: This high-tech receiver is used by the tracking device to locate each of the lions’ collar frequencies on a radio/GPS or LoRa system.
• Hand-held radio and charger: Our team on the ground is in constant communication by means of a hand-held radio system. These devices ensure that we can coordinate everyday activities such as lion monitoring and fieldwork as well as manage crisis situations such as in the event of a wildfire, poaching threat or injury.
• Fuel for lion monitoring vehicle: Every morning, a member of our monitoring team tracks the whereabouts of every lion and reports on their condition to the scientific team. This reporting system not only maintains up-to-date records for research purposes, but also ensures that the rest of our team is able to avoid the lion’s whereabouts for the remainder of the day, allowing the prides to enjoy their freedom with as little human impact as possible.
• LoRa Tracking system: On our newly acquired territories, the Global White Lion Protection Trust is trialling the efficacy of the LoRa long-range remote-tracking system that allows the location of the White Lions without the need for physical presence on the ground. Its grid network functionality proves practical, especially on larger properties with undulating topography, dense vegetation and minimal road networks.

2. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH – FUNDING TARGET – US$100,000.00 (±R1,850,000.00)

The Trust has, since its inception, pushed scientific frontiers by uniting cutting-edge science with indigenous knowledge to save species. The Trust supports research and researchers who are aligned with this goal.

Covering a 20 year period, the Trust’s lion ecologist, Jason A. Turner produced comparative studies on the ecological importance of the White Lions within their endemic habitat.

After the Trust initiated a 6-year comparative study in collaboration with 7 genetic labs around the globe (comparing the white lion genetics with the Canadian white bear Ursus Americanus, white tigers and ordinary golden lions) the White Lion “genetic marker” was finally discovered, the genetic code that makes the White Lions unique.

As a next step, the Trust intends to initiate genetic testing, together with The Kruger National Park authorities and other scientific experts, to determine the Frequency of Occurrence of White Lions in the region of their origin. This study would be invaluable in understanding the genetic prevalence of the White Lions in this region – the only place on Earth where the White Lions have been known to occur naturally. Scientific corroboration of this understanding would assist in having the White Lions and their ecosystem protected under national law, with a hunting ban on lions in the greater area.

In advancing this scientific frontier, the Trust is currently supporting a leading scientific study on the effects of Bovine Tuberculosis in lions in the greater Timbavati area and the Kruger National Park. During this study, blood samples will be taken for genetic research. The Trust wishes to offer a scholarship for this genetic research in support of a PhD student to responsibly lead this initiative.

To date, the Trust has already contributed roughly R600,000.00 into the support of ethical and relevant scientific studies centred around lions.

3.BIODIVERSITY SUPPORT – FUNDING TARGET – US$100,000.00 (±R1,850,000.00)

The White Lions teach us that ethical governance supports the well-being of all who live within a natural ‘Kingdom’. Each species within a region fulfils a vitally important ecological role and the relationship between biodiversity and the apex predator is inextricably linked. As the threat to wildlife continues to escalate, the Trust recognizes, appreciates and supports the work accomplished by many other organisations working tirelessly to do their part in conservation. The Trust continues to donate funds towards projects that make an impact in the lives of various endangered or threatened species.  In addition to assisting organisations with wide scale de-snaring operations in the region, we have also supported initiatives protecting wild dogs, elephants, pangolins, hyena’s and vultures.