Good day. Thanks very much for your valued enquiry. Our lions go through a 3 phase program. Stage 1- Introductory phase Here young lions between the ages of 6-36months are taken out on daily excursions into the bush. Accompanied by paying guests, these lions spend a good portion of the first 2 years of their life learning and practicing being lions. Not only are these excursions vital for preparing the lions for a more natural life, but it has, over the years, become the primary source of funding for all of the various conservation and community development initiatives we have started around the lion program. As we raise these cubs from a young age, we essentially become their pride. They are completely comfortable in our presence and behave naturally when out in the bush. Honing and practicing skills that are instinctive to them. This period of time prepares them for the next stage of our program which is a semi wild release. Stage 2- Semi Wild Release We use the term semi wild because the area that the lions are released into is completely fenced off. This is to stop the lions from being able to get to people, and stop the people from being able to get to the lions. Obviously the bigger the area the better, but is also the most costly part of our program. To make an area secure for lion is no small task, and requires significant funding. Once secure, the area then needs to be established to provide a home to not only the lions, but also the other animals that will make up the natural ecosystem of the area, this includes water holes, road networks and so on. Essentially we create a secure suitable environment with available prey and water for us to be able to release a pride of lions that has been through stage 1. These lions are then left to live as natural a life as possible. All human contact is withdrawn, and the only encounters with people are in a vehicle, much like any national park. Once settled these lions then reproduce and have cubs of their own. However, these cubs are left with the adults to be raised by the pride in the secure natural ecosystem. Most importantly, the cubs are never fed by a person and are never handled by a person, and therefore show the natural fear of humans that is present in any wild born lion. Once mature, it is these cubs born in the semi wild areas that are unhabituated that we intend to release into the true wilds of Africa. Stage 3- Wild Release Once the cubs born in the semi wild areas reach adulthood, an area is identified that may be suitable for their eventual wild release. Here we have several options available to us. Due to the our lions coming from a captive origin, they are completely genetically diverse and bring much needed diversity to the existing populations. Our lions are also completely disease free, ensuring that only the strongest and healthiest lions are released. With the success we had been having with regards to our commercial lion walks and related volunteering opportunities, inevitably such activities started to crop up at other establishments. Sadly not all of these had the same vision and purpose in mind. Most of all the very unethical practice of canned lion hunting. Canned hunting is the breeding of lions purely for the purpose of being shot by a paying hunter. It is a practice that has been going on for many years. As the hunter only wants a mature trophy, the owner had little use for young lions and would often give them to family or friends to raise up as a novelty item, and therefore not have the expense of raising it. Once the lion is old enough he is returned to the owner, who then sells him to a hunter to be shot. Lion walking and cub petting now gave such owners an opportunity to earn money off the lion while it is young, and still ultimately sell it to a hunter for the final reward. As not many people in the world will support such a life cycle for a lion, these owners advertised their lion interactions under the banner of conservation and releasing lions into the wild. On several occasions we pursued legal action against such organizations who had gone as far as copying and pasting our conservation work and claiming to be part of the same efforts. Obviously several such operators have been exposed, and at the same time, canned hunting bought into the spotlight, and with it lion interaction activities. To the point now that anyone who has captive lions is painted with the same brush and must be involved in this very unethical practice.

If you go on the website there is a contact email and phone number. If you are currently staying in the victoria falls area, your hotel should be able to arrange something for you.

I think it's much better if you skip this "experience". It's simply lions in captivity. Not conservation. Please please please read more about this place, you'll realise its a money making machine doing nothing for the conservation of lions.

Good day, yes you are able to book once you arrive at your hotel. Just ask guest relations to make the booking for you.

Thank you for your question. This time of the year is rather wet with the rains, from June onwards is peak season, so my suggestion would be May. Please bear in mind that we do sometimes have late rains so I cannot guarantee it will be dry.

We were told that when the lions reach 24 months they would be released in a semi wild state where they would learn to hunt for themselves while still being observed. The 2 Lions we were with (Laila and Laika), both of whom were 22 months, were to be released in 2 months which would be around November in a semi wild state so that they could learn to hunt and fend for themselves.

Good afternoon, we charge $150 per person.

Hi Luanda, please check our website for contact details. Thank you and have a nice day. The lion encounter team