Yahoo – AFP,
Sophie MIGNON, September 6, 2017
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| The hunting simulator is operated by a joystick and aims to return the big cats to peak condition and ultimately, possibly, to the wild (AFP Photo) |
Anna
Paulowna (Netherlands) (AFP) - Suspended from a large butcher's hook, a prime
piece of raw steak glides and then zigzags through the air in a big arena under
the watchful eye of Dumi, the lioness.
With her
hunter's instinct taking over, the big cat runs down her "prey"
across the rocks and ponds of an artificial savannah at a lion sanctuary north
of Amsterdam, then hooks her claws into her quarry after a spectacular leap.
Perhaps one
day, thanks to this unique hunting simulator manipulated by a joystick, former
circus performer Dumi will be able to hunt on African plains.
"It's
a system which is meant to train the animals and not only give them back a
little of their instinct, but also improve their motor control, their muscles,
strength and reactions," said Daphne Pels, a keeper at the Stichting Leeuw
(Lion Foundation) refuge.
There are
35 wild cats at the sanctuary in the small town of Anna Paulowna, some 80
kilometres (50 miles) north of Amsterdam.
Most have
been born in captivity, and the foundation aims to get the big felines --
lions, tigers, cougars and leopards -- back into peak condition to improve
their lives and ultimately, even to hunt in the wild.
 |
The big
cats train in an artificial savannah and are challenged according to
their
physical condition, while some have become lazy in captivity (AFP Photo)
|
'Dependent on humans'
The cats
were mostly rescued from inexperienced and sometimes malicious private owners.
Some are
survivors of circuses that used wild animal acts -- now partially or totally
banned in some EU countries -- and find it too expensive to feed the rapacious
carnivores that can devour up to six kilogrammes (13 pounds) of meat a day.
Like Omar.
Used as a cub by a circus to attract tourists who could hug the baby lion for
selfies, Omar was eventually sold to a Slovakian mafia boss, who kept him in
his garden as a pet.
When the
foundation rescued Omar in March 2015, the male lion suffered from advanced
malnutrition and was basically just skin and bones, with no muscle, and covered
in sores and faeces.
It took
Omar two years to recover. He now sports a large fawn-coloured mane, but he
bears a scar on his muzzle and his small, amber eyes remain vigilant and
mistrustful.
"These
are animals that depend on humans a lot because they were bottle-fed, born in
the circus and declawed" by their tamers or owners, said Pels.
"We
can't just put them back in the wild," she told AFP.
 |
Established
in 2011 by a passionate businessman, the Stichting Leeuw (Lion
Foundation) refuge in The Netherlands is looking after 35 wild cats (AFP Photo)
|
Chasing
prey
Now Sarabi,
the lioness, and Ambra and Laxmi, two tigresses, regularly train in this
"playground" of roughly 80 metres by 50 metres (262 feet by 164
feet), which took three years to build.
Prey can
vary: sometimes it's a toy, sometimes a piece of meat and even, when there's no
audience, a dead rabbit or pigeon to help rekindle their hunting instincts.
The cats'
target is suspended a few feet up in the air and moved around in a random
fashion by keepers using the joystick in a small control room. The aim is to
push the cats, which have sometimes become lazy in captivity, to chase their
prey.
The small,
artificial savannah is dotted with obstacles such as rocks, pools and tree
trunks "so the animals have to learn how to watch and run at the same
time," Pels said.
"The
first few times we see them maybe bump their noses or accidentally fall into
the water," she said laughing.
Training is
adapted to each individual depending on its physical condition, age and needs.
"We
are able to give the animals some training (too), but it's natural training.
They don't have to jump through a hoop."
 |
A puma, as
well as lions, tigers, cougars and leopards, are among the big
felines at the
foundation and most were born in captivity (AFP Photo)
|
Back to
Africa
Established
in 2011 by a passionate businessman and financed through private donations, the
foundation hopes to relocate Omar back to Africa this year "to give him a
family."
Relocation
costs 25,000 euros ($29,700).
Now aged
five, Omar will join five other lions already living at the Emoya sanctuary in
the Bahati wildlife estate in northern South Africa. Two Bengal tigers are also
expected to join the Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand (WFFT).
Once in
their new homes, the felines have to learn to adapt. Those too dependent on
humans will live in a small one- to two-acre area of savannah.
Others move
on to the next stage, living in an enclosure of 50 to 100 hectares learning to
hunt for real.
But it's a
long-term project.
"We
have to start with small prey and have to observe whether they will develop
skills" to be able to feed themselves before introducing larger animals,
Pels said.
"For
now the most important thing is to bring the animals to Emoya to upgrade their
lives and free up space for new animals that need help," Pels added.
This
includes elephants, which the foundation hopes to take in in the future.
Dutch give rescued and retired circus cats hunting lessons in hopes of one day returning to the wild https://t.co/RR7BVCVMHR pic.twitter.com/66d6R9Bvlz— AFP news agency (@AFP) September 6, 2017
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