Hi everyone, and thanks for coming onto my blog, here's my chance to tell you a little bit about myself and why this blog exists.
I've had a passion for lions for as long as I can remember, my life long love you could say, always nagging my parents to take me to zoos from the age of about three! Having many visits to Whipsnade with my grandparents when I was little always brings back fond memories of my first zoo visits. Always hoping to see as many lions as I can, I was quite upset when I went to Whipsnade for the first time to realise that their last lioness had just died! So it wasn't until 2001, when I saw my first lions. The first pair that I saw were at Paradise Wildlife Park near Broxbourne, and as I write this are still going strong at the zoo. (Sadly Turkana and Mana passed on in 2012 and 2013 respectively) Below is a photo from my first visit. For me at the age of six, to see the animals that I had researched and admired for quite some time, I am told by my mum that as I walked up the platform and saw them only a few yards away that my face lit up instantly! Something that still happens when I see them, especially the ones that I have grown close to.
So having seen my first lions, I kept trying to see as many as I could, always finding a zoo to go to on holiday, always looking to see what books I could find about them. It was in 2002 when I first visited Woburn Safari Park. I followed these visits up the following year, and whilst on these visits, I would insist on talking to keepers, and I started to record the lions there, however within a year of my visits the pride males Romeo and Legs Diamond, shown in the pictures below, died, and new males Sly and Shane were brought in. It is the cubs that were sired by these two that are the main focus of the blog, and little did I know it, were to become very important in my life!
Having visited Linton Zoo in 2001, It was decided in 2004 to visit again, the main focus of this visit was to see two cubs Riziki and Karla, born at Woburn Safari Park, but sadly rejected and then reared at Linton Zoo. For my ten year old self at the time, I had never seen lion cubs so close and I loved having the opportunity that a zoo gave me instead a Safari Park.
I next visited Linton Zoo in 2006 and came back truly inspired! Having seen on their website that a lion cub had been born, Safina to parents Riziki and Karla, I was keen to go and visit her, unknown to me was that another lion cub had been brought in too. At the age of twelve, not allowed to wander around zoos on my own, me running to and from big cat enclosures caught the eye of one of the staff members, who promptly asking my Nanny to look after me, were quickly bombarded by pictures that I had in my bag, and many questions that I had too, and the next time I walked into the gift shop I had my first proper encounter with a lion, Zuri as a cub shown below. Safina is then shown after that.
And after this for the last five years I have visited Linton on countless occasions following Zuri and Safi, from the age of a few months to the age that they are now as I write, five and six. I have seen the pair have their own cubs, and seen them raise them, and hopefully will see that happen again soon!
So this is what the blog is about, the two lions that I met on that Summers day in 2006, and hopefully you will enjoy my picture record of their lives so far, there will be lots more to come!
Of course since then, I have used keeper experiences and so on to still remain close to Zuri and Safi, and I am now at a point where they recognise me and will come up to see me at the fence, I have even been able to get them out of bed a few times when I call them! Something that many people who know even a few things about lions, will know is a very rare occasion! Below are pictures taken on a Keeper experience a couple of years ago.
So as i'm sure many of you will guess that working with lions is what I would like to achieve, and you are right! Since the age of 16 I have been able to volunteer at Linton Zoo, something I am very active in doing and something that I thoroughly enjoy. As shown in the picture I am stood with some enrichment for the lions.
However before I start to work with these guys properly I'm afraid I have to start with the smaller animals, something that I hope work experience in the very near future will help me with, so as for the future, it's just seeing what it holds once I can work properly, but to start, hopefully an apprenticeship. But all I can say is how very lucky I am at the age of 17, to have been so close to such wonderful animals, and to I dare say, have a friendly relationship with them. And hopefully in the long term hope to continue their survival where they belong.
Cheers, I hope you enjoy.
James
March 2012
March 2012
So what's new?
I have completed my 6 week work experience at Linton Zoo, and I am currently waiting for some surgery to then start my apprenticeship there. I have managed to spend an entire summer seeing lions every day which has been fantastic, and now I have furthered my relationship with them and they will know acknowledge me when I call them, as well as come down to say hello!
Below is a photo of me with Zuri, the cub pictured further above this page, as you can see he is more interested with a bit of friendly head rub and some affection rather than the food in my hand!
Above is a photo of my favourite girl! This is Safina, Zuri's mate. And she is a very special lioness as you can see. This photo was taken on a visit to Linton in October 2012.
James
October 2012
On the 28th January I started a career of a lifetime, I am now a trainee zookeeper at Linton Zoological Gardens.
And I am now able to see my favourite lions, Zuri and Safi on a daily basis, a position that I am incredibly lucky to be in.
So updates and photos will now be very regular for you all.
But of course there will always be more happening as everything always changes, so keep looking on this page for more information and discoveries.
Aside to my passion for lions, I must say that I am completely human! I have a fab set of friends who have all given me the help and most have always tried to seem interested even though I may go on a bit! And above all my girlfriend, who gets the whole brunt of it, however she does know that she does come up top!
So I suppose I do have to thank everyone who has ever supported me for the making of this blog, everything makes a little difference. Also a huge thankyou to all of the keepers who have spared their time to talk to me and answer all of my questions over the years, in particular Kim Simmons at Linton Zoo, for her years and years of support and enthusiasm in my love for lions I love that I know she shares especially for the lions in her care. Lions that in my opinion are some of the most superb and happiest lions in the UK. And to Nick Loudon at Paradise Wildlife Park for his endless chats about lions, a man truly inspired by the animals that he works with. I would highly recommend a visit to Paradise Wildlife Park just to see him and African Lion Turkana.
Thanks
James
February 2012
Hello everyone!
Six months into the job of my dreams, many things have happened. I have had further hospital nonsense and other such things, but I am still very happy at Linton Zoo, I absolutely love it there. I actually dislike my days off with a passion because I don't get to see the lions!
I am working heavily with the soft-billed birds at the zoo as well as with the tamarins and the lemurs, some really great species, i am incredibly lucky. However my favourite bit of the day is at 2 o'clock when I go back to the lions and I do my lion talk. I love educating the public about our charismatic and incredibly important lions and informing them about their troubles in the wild. I always love meeting people who are interested and I will always stay for a quick chat afterwards.
I have now succesfully organised Linton Zoo's first ever Lion Evening to celebrate World Lion Day. And we raised just about a hundred pounds just from activities that day! This goes straight in to help our sponsored charity Lion Guardians. Where we sponser a real Massai Tribesman "Mingati Makarot".
As you can see above I love educating the public about the plight of big cats, and here I am at the Lion Evening on the 10th August 2013.
I have been incredibly lucky this Summer to work with a wonderful bunch of keepers, all of which pulled together to make the Lion Evening possible.
Together we can all make a difference
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