Steve Bloom (1) (1953–)

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Undue popular believe!! : →
Lions and cheetahs do not roam the South African streets, SO YEAH SOUTH AFRICA IS SAFE TO VISIT!!!!


Katy Perry - Roar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CevxZvSJLk8
Memory - Elaine Paige
rel="nofollow" target="_top">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1R4OEnMLLM

DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYymFWsBxk0

TWO places where you can still see this magnificent animals in SA to mention a few
South African Kruger National Park: →

Kruger National Park, in northeastern South Africa, is one of Africa’s largest game reserves. Its high density of wild animals includes the Big 5: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos. Hundreds of other mammals make their home here, as do diverse bird species such as vultures, eagles and storks. Mountains, bush plains and tropical forests are all part of the landscape.

Address: South Africa
Area: 19,485 km²
Established: May 31, 1926
Lion Park →

Lion Park is a 2 km² (500 acre) wildlife conservation enclosure in Gauteng province in South Africa for Transvaal lions. The Lion Park is situated near Lanseria Airport and Fourways within distance of Johannesburg and Pretoria. The park has a large variety of predators and large herbivores indigenous to Africa.

The Lion Park is home to over 80 lions including the rare white lions and many other carnivores such as South African cheetah, Cape wild dog, hyena and spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, and a wide variety of antelope which roam freely in the antelope area.


The Best animal welfare initiative classification is bestowed to a tourism trade or organization leading the way in their method to the care, security and self-worth of animals.


The consequences of allowing wealthy foreign hunters to pervert conservation policies and move the conservation debate away from true fundamentals, will hasten the destruction of the African continent’s priceless, irreplaceable wildlife heritage. Then what?

A legal analysis of the comoditisation and exploitation of lions in the commercial lion industry of South Africa.

July 2015
It’s estimated that around 700 lions are shot by hunters for trophies every year in the country, but in some cases these are half-tame lions, straight from captivity. Watch the clip for the latest on the topic,
eNCAlive we debate the merits and dangers of wildlife businesses. How is canned hunting contributing to South African tourism? Are private game parks big enough to accommodate wild animals? Do patrons follow the rules?

In an article published in the Sunday Times a week ago [May 31], Edna Molewa, the minister of environmental affairs, admonishes conservationists to “put the lid on” what she believes are unfounded claims of canned lion hunting in South Africa that are “damaging our reputation for species conservation”.

The South African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus), also known as the Namibian cheetah


Previously estimated at a population of 4,190 individuals in Southern Africa since 2007, the total population of the South African cheetah has likely reached to over 6,000 individuals,] with Namibia having the largest cheetah population worldwide. Since 1990 and onwards, the population was estimated at approximately 2,500 individuals in Namibia, until 2015, the cheetah population has been increased to more than 3,500 in the country. There were 550 to 850 cheetahs left in South Africa.

But mommy I love you, I will check for predators while you sleep

The South African cheetah is a medium-sized cat. An adult male cheetah's total size can measure up from 168 to 200 cm (66 to 79 in) and 162 to 213 cm (64 to 84 in) for females. Adult cheetahs are 70 to 90 cm (28 to 35 in) tall at the shoulder. Males are slightly taller than females and have slightly bigger heads with wider incisors and longer mandibles.

The South African cheetah usually lives on grasslands, savannahs, scrub forests and arid environments such as deserts and semi-desertsteppes. The cheetah can be found in open fields where they chase and hunt herbivorous mammals such as antelopes at a very high speed. In South Africa, the cheetah also prefers woodlands (in Kruger National Park), shrublands, high mountains, mountainous grasslands and montane areas with exotic vegetables where favorable preys are mostly available.

Threat
The South African cheetah is a vulnerable subspecies, due to poaching, habitat loss and lack of prey. Indiscriminate capture and removal of wild cheetahs in southern Africa continue to threaten the survival of this species, as it may reduce the genetic diversity in the wild and they breed poorly in captivity. The South African cheetah's survival is also threatened by inbreeding. In Botswana, the cheetahs are mostly threatened by habitat changes.

AFRICAN LIONS ARE NOW CONSIDERED AN ENDANGERED SPECIES





Another lion subspecies—P. p. melanochaita of east and southern Africa—will be listed as threatened. There are about 17,000 to 19,000 lions left in this subspecies, most of which live in protected but restricted habitats.

In a press conference, FWS director Dan Ashe called lions “iconic,” “a part of our culture,” and one of the most beloved wildlife species on the planet.

A statement released by the Fish and Wildlife Service said "The process will ensure that imported specimens are legally obtained in range countries as part of a scientifically sound management program that benefits the subspecies in the wild,"



Description
Divided into several different subspecies, the African lion is a large and magnificent feline carnivore, taller at the shoulder than tigers (123 centimeters in large males, 91 centimeters in females) and weighing up to 250 or 180 kilograms respectively for males and females. Average weights are closer to 181 and 126 kilograms, however. African lions measure from 1.4 to 2 meters long, and males sport a regal-looking mane, whose thickness and color varies by region.
My friend being shy :D


Pride structure: African lions live in prides, family or clan groupings that include one to three males and perhaps ten or twelve females, plus cubs. These large social units are needed for cooperative hunting, since many of the prey species African lions rely on are large, robust animals that need several cats working together to bring down. The speed of other prey animals requires cooperative ambush tactics to have any chance of regular success in capturing them.


Lionesses do much of the hunting, though males sometimes participate and also perform the critical task of defending the pride’s territory from intruders. Male lions also protect the cubs while the lionesses are hunting. Young males are usually ejected from the pride when they grow large enough, and either live alone or with one of their brothers for companionship. These youths attempt to take over existing prides, or may try to form a new one with nomadic females.

Let’s Cuddle

Hunting: Lions are powerful hunters but have small hearts for their size, meaning that they do not have the long-distance stamina that other hunters possess. Instead, they attempt to creep to within 30 meters of their prey, using cover or darkness to hide their approach, before making a sudden rush.

My friend trying to wink :D


Wildebeests, buffalo, zebra, impala, and warthogs are all taken, but wildebeests are the preferred food of these great cats, making up around half of their diet. Lions kill much of the time by biting the throat, rapidly suffocating their prey. Strong, well-protected animals like elephants, rhinos, and hippos are usually safe from lion attack, as are fast-moving gazelles.

Location: African lions are found in favourable habitats throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Formerly, they were found along the Mediterranean coast, throughout the Middle East, and into Europe. Lions are found in grassland and savannah habitats, scrubland, bush, and open forests.
Threats: Few lions die peaceful deaths – most are either killed by other lions or humans. It is human activity, however, which presents an actual threat to the species’ survival. Lions are hunted for sport and to reduce risks to domestic animals that they may hunt from time to time. Habitat destruction also has its part to play in the decline of these spectacular carnivores, as growing populations of people appropriate more land for their cattle, goats, and farming activities. Some 75% of the savannah has been fragmented by humans over the past half-century.

Conservation efforts:Large parks and reserves are the best conservation hope for lions at the moment, though even more area is needed and better protection is urgently required for the existing areas. Many organizations, such as the Lion Conservation Fund, are also attempting to reduce conflict between humans and lions (which the lions inevitably lose) through education, as well as the establishment of wildlife protection corridors.

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