LION INTERACTION PROGRAMME

Monday – Sunday @ 10:00 or 14:00

R 450.00 p/adult (Children under 10 are half price & children under 5 are free of charge)

Includes:  Tea, coffee & light refreshments, interaction with young lions, a guided tour to the lion, cheetah, tiger, caracal and hyena enclosures.  

(Program is between 2 – 3 hours)

www.ukutula.com

GUIDED BUSH WALK WITH LIONS

Monday – Sunday @ 08:00 or 16:00

R 600.00 p/person (No children under 12 years allowed – minimum height 1.5 metres)

Includes:  Tea, coffee & light refreshments and an hour walk into the bushveld to observe young lions in their natural environment. (Program is +- 1½ hour)

Great photographic opportunity on the walk! 

www.ukutula.com 

FAQ #8 – What happens when a male lion takes over the pride?

When male lions reach full maturity, they are ready to take over territory – which means taking over a pride.

When a male lion takes over a pride, the first thing he does is to kill off the previous males offspring. He kills the cubs because they are not biologically related to him, and does not want to spend his energy ensuring that other lions’ genes will be passed on.

However, within days or weeks of losing their cubs, the female lions come into oestrus and mate with the cub-killing male, and produce other cubs.

FAQ #7 – What projects have been done at Ukutula?

Ukutula is a lion research center situated in South Africa. The game farm comprises 260 hectares of unspoilt bushveld boasting a variety of antelope species, giraffe and zebra.

Ukutula has hosted several research projects, such as a research documentary with National Geographic a few years ago, where a German Professor did 4D scanning of the foetus, inside the worm of the lioness.

We have also been part of the white gene research project, a scientific research for the gene responsible for the white lion.

The University of Pretoria, Faculty of Veterinary Science’s Veterinary Genetics Laboratory embarked on a collaborative project with Ukutula to study the lion in captivity and particularly the white lion. Ukutula has the largest family of lions that carry the white mutation and this has provided the genetic material for the research. 

Ukutula’s lions have also provided material for disease and immunological research.

FAQ #4 – What is your view on Lion hunting?

Ukutula is a lion research center situated in South Africa. The game farm comprises 260 hectares of unspoilt bushveld boasting a variety of antelope species, giraffe and zebra.

Ukutula and it’s owners Willie and Gillian Jacobs are fully opposed to the practice of lion hunting and are fiercely dedicated to conservation and the protection of lions and all animals.

 For more information on Ukutula please visit our website: http://www.ukutula.com/

FAQ #3 – How often is a male replaced in a Pride and Why?

 

Usually a male is replaced every two to three years. The reason for that is, should a male remain in a pride longer than two to three years, it is more likely that he would than start mating with his own female offspring.

 

In nature, it works that way, that after these few years another male would challenge him and oust him from the pride. The new male lion would then take over the pride.

 

Lions are the only cat species that form social groups, known as prides. These prides are often described as matriarchal because more females belong to a pride and remain long-term members of the pride, unlike male lions.

 

Ukutula is a lion research center situated in South-Africa. The game farm comprises 260 hectares of unspoilt bushveld boasting a variety of antelope species, giraffe and zebra. 

 

Ukutula is also home to more than 130 different bird species. 

 

Known as the “place of quiet” the lodge is nestled in lush bushveld where the roar of the lion can be heard for miles around.

 

For more information on Ukutula please visit our website: http://www.ukutula.com

FAQ #2 – Are Lions Endangered?

Lions are an endangered species! Over the last couple of years, there has been a rapid decline in lion numbers. We have seen large numbers of lions disappearing from the wild.

According to a new report, the African lion is facing extinction across the entire West African region. The report, titled: The lion in West Africa is critically endangered, was published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE. The report found that the ‘situation is most critical for the geographically isolated populations in West Africa, where the species is considered regionally endangered.’

This report presents sobering results, and paints bleak and dire pictures of the conditions that lions in the wild face. It has also outlined the need for conservation.

Lions in Africa, more especially West Africa, may soon disappear entirely unless conservation efforts improve.

FAQ #1 – How old do Lions get?

This depends on the species of lion and where they live. Due to the tough life that lions lead in the wild, they life expectancy is between 12 and 14 years.

In captivity, lions can live up to 20 years because they lead quiet lives with regular feeding times. They are under constant medical observation and are well taken care of.

While life in the wild is much more dangerous and exhausting, due to the fact that lions have to constantly hunt for food and are prone to violent fights with other lions and animals.

Ukutula is a lion research center situated in South Africa. The game farm comprises 260 hectares of unspoilt bushveld boasting a variety of antelope species, giraffe and zebra.

Ukutula is also home to more than 130 different bird species.

Known as the “place of quiet” the lodge is nestled in lush bushveld where the roar of the lion can be heard for miles around.

For more information on Ukutula please visit our website: http://www.ukutula.com