Alpha and Omega

THEIR STORY

In the notorious Canned Hunting industry, lions are taken from their mothers at birth to be hand-reared and habituated to humans, before later being shot by trophy hunters or sent to the lion bone trade. These two lionesses were born into this heinous industry.

At a young age, however, Alpha and Omega were rescued from the fate of becoming a trophy or “breeding machine”, with the intention of educating people about the atrocities of this industry. Whilst they were loved and cared for by their human family, they were used for commercial “cub-petting” and “lion-walking”. When they became too big to cuddle, they were kept in a separate enclosure but continued to walk with paying tourists.

Even if there is a loving relationship between human and lion, when lions are used for commercial purposes, history has repeatedly shown that it remains a tragedy waiting to happen. The tragic events that unfolded between Alpha and Omega and their “owner” demonstrated this.

In the case of Alpha and Omega, the first warning occurred when they escaped from their enclosure and a tragedy ensued. The event drew criticism from conservationists and tourist organisations, yet the commercial “walking with lions” tours were allowed to continue.

Linda Tucker has published numerous articles warning that tragedies of this kind are inevitable in a commercial industry that allows contact with wild animals. (Read the Huffington Post and TimesLive articles.) Sadly, tragedy struck yet again, when Alpha and Omega killed their beloved “owner” whilst he was out walking with them.

Within hours of this latest incident involving the lionesses, an appeal was made to the Global White Lion Protection Trust to take them in for safekeeping. Although, as a conservation body, the Global White Lion Protection Trust does not keep tame or “habituated” lions, Linda Tucker agreed to take temporary custody of the sisters to ensure their best interests were served.

After long deliberations and investigations aimed at finding a new home for the lionesses,  no dignified or safe alternative presented itself; so the Global White Lion Protection Trust  finally took the decision to take full responsibility for them.

THEIR MESSAGE

From their faces, it’s clear their message is delivered with deepest grief. Mother Nature will no longer tolerate commoditisation. There is an ancient African proverb that says, “Until the lion learns to speak, the story will be told from the hunter’s perspective”. For two decades, the Global White Lion Protection Trust has been speaking on behalf of the lions. As the apex predator, White Lions represent all wild animals, who are essential to the continuance of life on this planet. If we continue to exploit them, our own future is at risk.

Nature must be recognised as Sacred & Wild.

Linda Tucker has been campaigning for three decades for the rights of White Lions. There is a long history of these remarkable beings having been forcibly removed from their natural endemic habitat into unnatural captive circumstances with various degrees of exploitation. She has emphasised:

“Humanity needs to stop exploiting what is Sacred. Alpha and Omega, whose names mean The Beginning and The End, have delivered a message of break point to humanity. White Lions are Sacred animals, who hold great cultural and environmental significance and will no longer tolerate being used or abused for human greed and exploitation. We need to recognise and honour their message, as they speak on behalf of all of Nature.”

Linda Tucker appealed to the public to “help the Non-Profit-Organisation help the Lions, together we can grant Alpha and Omega a life of dignity and an opportunity for their message to be understood and heeded.”

THEIR FUTURE

Founded in 2002, one of the pioneering achievements of the Global White Lion Protection Trust is the successful return of White Lions to their ancestral homelands in a carefully phased scientific reintroduction programme, which has strict protocols to ensure that the lions are not habituated to humans. Unfortunately, the degree of direct handling experienced by Alpha and Omega has been too great for these tamed lionesses to ever be released back into the wild.

To honour these formidable lionesses as critically important ambassadors, the conservation organisation is committed to providing lifetime care, in a large protective enclosure with wild prides visiting and surrounded by the natural ecosystem.

THEIR ANGUISH

Their story is shared with a view to ending all commercialisation of lions, whether it is heinous or well-meaning. Shutting down this global exploitative model is an ongoing campaign to which the Global White Lion Protection Trust and its founder, Linda Tucker, over the decades.  She has taken this cause into urgent appeals in Parliament in South Africa and Great Britain, as well as talk shows in Europe, Japan, and the United States. It was the subject of her TEDx Talk in 2019.

Shockingly, the “cuddle-to-kill” industry (captive breeding of lions for the bullet) has been allowed to continue for thirty years, fed by the seemingly insatiable tourist demand to cuddle cubs.

Alpha and Omega delivered a POINT OF NO RETURN message, an ultimatum for SYSTEM CHANGE on behalf of Mother Nature.

STATUS OF THE CUDDLE-TO-KILL INDUSTRY

Shortly after Alpha and Omega were given sanctuary in the White Lion Heartlands, the South African government announced  its intention to shut down the despicable cuddle-to-kill industry. For the Global White Lion Protection Trust, this represents a culmination of decades of campaigning; however, there is still a long road ahead. Today, the leading conservation organisation is uniting its efforts with other reputable conservation groups to ensure a positive outcome that helps dismantle the commoditisation of Nature.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Normally, we ask for assistance measured in Days of Freedom i.e., what it costs our non-profit organisation to ensure the freedom and safety of every one of our lions every day – free-roaming in the heart of their Protected Area, as is their nature-given right.

You can help us ensure Alpha and Omega live out their lives with dignity in the White Lion Heartlands by assisting with the costs of their care:

List of costs:

ENCLOSURE: 5-hectare protective boma surrounded by double poacher-proof electrified fencing, built within natural habitat of lush woodlands and grasslands ~ US$40,000

NUTRITION: Their diet will comprise of wild game carcasses delivered without human contact on a weekly basis, in line with the Trust’s strict protocols ~ US$600 per week

VET CARE:  Should they need any veterinary attention this will be of the highest standard from our wildlife veterinarian who is an expert in wild carnivores ~ 3 callouts per annum US$2,500.

 DAILY MONITORING: Alpha and Omega will be visited daily by our team, to ensure their welfare ~ US$60.

Linda Tucker went on record, stating:

“This is a global issue. Whether well-intentioned or otherwise, commercial exploitation of predators removed from the wild is unacceptable. Through these formidable White Lionesses, Nature is delivering a clear ultimatum to humanity, globally. It is critical that we heed it. Love must be combined with respect in order to restore the right-relationship with our planet. Alpha and Omega have been granted their true ancestral names to honour the gravitas of their message.”