The Lonely Lioness of Liuwa
The lions of the Liuwa plain in Zambia had been wiped out by poachers – or so everyone thought. But one survived, a lioness now known around the world as “The Lady Liuwa”. This lioness survived entirely on her own for several years. Then, driven by her need for company, she came out of her solitude and looked for friends in the most unlikely of places.
The Liuwa Plain lies in the most western part of Zambia. Measuring 70 kilometres by 30 kilometres, it forms part of the Liuwa Plain National Park, which has been managed privately since 2003 by the African Parks Network (APN) based in Johannesburg.
The Liuwa Plain is home to over 30,000 wildebeest which migrate around the park in November every year following the onset of the rains. This migration is second in size only to its more famous counterpart in the Serengeti and Masai Mara in East Africa. The plains are covered with long golden grass. Individual trees and small copses are the only breaks to the horizon, which otherwise can be seen for a full 360 degrees. From November to June, most of the plains are flooded, making access for humans almost impossible and life very arduous for the animals, especially the predators. Catching elusive prey on dry ground is difficult enough, but on the floodplains the chase involves charging at speed through deep pools and thick, clinging mud.
It was here that the lions of Liuwa evolved. Only the largest survived, developing unusual skills for lions, becoming strong swimmers and agile tree climbers. However, their size was also to be their downfall. Unscrupulous hunters looking for trophies, and the lack of adequate management of the park prior to APN taking over, was a combination that proved fatal to the lions of the Liuwa Plain.
Then, in 2004, a professional videographer, Herbert Brauer, who was on the plains making a wildlife documentary, saw what looked like a large lioness in the distance. Only the story of Androcles, who, as legend has it, became close friends with a wild male lion after removing a thorn from its paw, comes close to what transpired next.
Unbelievably, this massive lioness, the last of the Liuwa race, chose men – the architects of her family’s downfall – to fill her overriding emptiness and need for companionship.
Lions are the most sociable of the cat family, living in prides of up to 30 individuals, and in the absence of her own kind, this lioness chose men to be her pride. Every day she followed the film crew, at times coming close by and rolling on her back, purring loudly. Then she started coming into their camp at night, resting close by the tents, comforted by the reassuring night noises from the sleeping occupants.
Many sudden and unexpected confrontations with terrified staff and visitors ensued, but all passed without incident and usually ended with “Lady Liuwa”, as she was now affectionately known, lying down nearby, relaxed and happy in human company.
For over two years this went on, long after the departure of the film crew, and although everyone involved had become very attached to her, the wildlife experts at APN knew that a mature lioness with friendly and perhaps even “amorous” intentions towards humans could eventually lead to disaster. So a plan was hatched to provide Lady with company of her own kind.
The first attempt in September 2008 ended in disaster when a lion which had been darted and transported from the Kafue National Park, 700 kilometres east of Liuwa, choked on a piece of regurgitated meat as he was recovering from the anaesthetic and died.
Undeterred, the team tried again in May 2009 and succeeded, this time with two healthy young males. Lady has been with them ever since. At first she just stared with evident delight at them in their enclosure, where it was hoped they would spend a few weeks to recover from the move and get used to their new surroundings before being released.
Then, after they escaped only six days later, creating panic amongst the APN team, they were discovered sitting calmly with Lady who, once having found them, clearly had no intention of letting them out of her sight! They quickly bonded, and Lady has been making up for lost time, mating frequently with both of her new “toy boys”.
Lady Liuwa now has a worldwide following, thanks to the internet, various written articles and a moving National Geographic documentary which tells her story in a way that melts even the hardest of hearts. All are now hoping and praying that this happy ending will be turned into a perfect one when Lady produces the cubs that will ensure the continuation of the Liuwa line.
Story & Pix © Stephen Williams
