One of the 3 orphaned desert lion cubs eating a seal on the Skeleton Coast. Photo credit: Naude Dreyer
This week I was really moved by the PBS Nature documentary, “Lions of the Skeleton Coast” in Namibia, about three orphaned lion cubs, Alpha Bravo and Charlie, trying to survive in the Namib Desert, one of the world’s most unforgiving places. We watch fretfully as the cubs learn to adapt, hunt and defy the odds of survival in this vast unforgiving desert environment and finally, led by instinct and innate survival skills, reach the coast, the first lions to return in four decades.
For lion researcher Dr. Philip Stander this is history with a capital “H”. His passion and empathy for these majestic creatures is communicated throughout the film. A renowned biologist, he has devoted his life to studying the desert lions. As a big fan of lions with a capital “B”, the film immediately drew me in.
Dr. Stander’s first encounter with desert lions began 30 years ago, when he came upon a lone desert lioness cub he called the Queen on the Skeleton Coast shores. She was part of a small population of lions that had adapted to the arid conditions of the Namib Desert, a remarkable feat considering the challenges posed by its harsh gravel plains and endless dunes. The discovery of the “Queen” cub was the more remarkable as the last lion had been seen on the Skeleton Coast in the early 80s.
An enthralling tale of survival against all odds
In a gripping saga, the film “Lions of the Skeleton Coast”, by award-winning wildlife filmmakers Will and Lianne Steenkamp, focuses on the Queen’s grandchildren, three orphaned cubs. One day a tragedy occurs when the mother is likely killed in an elephant attack and Alpha, Bravo and Charlie are orphaned. Lion cubs are dependent on their mothers for learning hunting and socialization skills and so, alone, facing starvation, they embark on a harrowing journey through the empty desert.
The loss of their mother is traumatic. From the cubs’ faces and subdued behaviour the cubs clearly appear distressed. Dr. Stander’s voice too is forlorn. His voice says it all. Initially, the cubs stop playing and socializing as they cope with the trauma and stress of their situation. The footage provides a poignant look at their recovery and adaptation as they learn to navigate their environment and develop social interactions without their mother.
Eventually Charlie finds his aunt in the desert and they form a strong bond which plays a pivotal role in his development and emotional recovery. The aunt takes on a maternal role, providing him with companionship, support and guidance and he establishes a pride of his own.
Learning to hunt giraffe given limited food resources in arid desert
It is also Charlie who learns to hunt giraffe. Soon the three orphaned cubs learn the art of hunting giraffe in a group. This remarkable behaviour showcases the adaptability and skill of desert lions in Namibia, as hunting larger prey like giraffe requires considerable strength, strategy and teamwork among the pride members. The three orphaned lion cubs also learn to catch oryx springbok and various bird species gathering at the oases and watering holes of the Namib Desert.
Wheels of history come full circle as cubs return to coast
After all their trials and tribulations shown in the documentary, we see the three orphaned cubs reach the coast thereby vanquishing the past. Charlie arrives first, Alpha and Bravo come later. This is the first time in 40 years that desert lions return to the Skeleton Coast after being killed off by local farmers.
Photo credit: Desert Lion Conservation Foundation.
“Lions of the Skeleton Coast” highlights Dr. Stander’s total devotion and passion for the lions and his intrepid quest, during a life of self-sacrifice, to also preserve and protect the lions, actions that have served as a guarantor of their survival. All ardent lion lovers like myself can breathe a sigh of relief as the population of Desert Lions now stands at around 150. This is thanks to the efforts of Dr. Stander who has meticulously documented and monitored three generation of desert lions primarily focusing on the populations in the Kunene region and the Skeleton Coast.
Photo credit: Desert Lion Conservation Foundation
Watching orphaned cubs walking along the coast and among a seal colony at the end of their incredible journey in late 2017 was a poignant moment. The return of the desert lion to the coast, after lions abandoned the coast in the 1980s, was to see that the wheel had turned full circle. It showed the impact of Dr. Stander’s conservation efforts and his efforts to mitigate human-wildlife conflict with the local communities.
As Dr. Stander himself notes: “The lions returned to their coastal habitat and are once again hunting marine prey, knowledge we believed desert lions had lost. We were responsible for lions being wiped out in the coastal area by the early eighties, but we also have the ability to repair a wrong. Lions are now back on the beach and their culture has been restored”.
_____
Postscript
In the last eight years, the three orphaned lionesses have led a lion coastal hunting revival on the beaches around Torra Bay on the Skeleton Coast. Today, Alpha, Bravo and Charlie are around seven years old and all have had cubs of their own contributing to the conservation and recovery of the desert lion population. 1
1 Donations for the preservation on the Desert Lions can be made through the Desert Lion Conservation Foundation