Jump to content
  • Join Gay Authors

    Join us for free and follow your favorite authors and stories.

Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Stronger Than Lions - 19. The Cape Town Herald, May 3rd, 200–

The Cape Town Herald

MORNING EDITION May 3rd, 200–

NATIONAL —page 6

Jonathan doing well at Kitty Boot Camp

POLOKWANE—Staff at the Predator Reintroduction Project (PRP) in northern Limpopo Province say that Jonathan the white lion—famed for escaping from a Cape zoo last year—looks set to be “a good candidate” for introduction into the wild. Since arriving at the Fitzpatrick Nature Reserve, where the project is based, he has gained weight after a spell of apparent depression at Cape Town’s Peninsula Zoo.

According to Saul Blake, conservationist and co-founder of the PRP, introduction of animals born in activity is an intensive process and carries a high failure rate. ‘Jonathan may end up having to be placed in a smaller facility like the Natal Lion Park,’ he says, ‘but… we owe [him] a chance to roam free in his ancestral homeland.’ Blake describes the PRP at Fitzpatrick a “kitty boot camp” where the young male will be acclimatized to the wild and monitored to see if he can develop the requisite hunting skills in order to survive.

Probably the most famous case of reintroduction is that of Elsa the lioness, who was hand-reared from cubhood by the British-Kenyan author and naturalist Joy Adamson in the 1960s, later recorded in the bestselling book Born Free.

 

— Seth Rabinowitz, Staff Reporter

2013, 2023 Sean J Halford
  • Like 21
  • Love 9
  • Wow 2
Thank you for reading! I would love to hear your thoughts and comments and greatly appreciate honest feedback from readers.
If you are enjoying this story, feel free to recommend it and/or post a review. 
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Story Discussion Topic

  1. The Lounge

    A general discussion forum
    No politics, solicitation, or commercial postings will be allowed.

    153.2k
    posts
You are not currently following this story. Be sure to follow to keep up to date with new chapters.

Recommended Comments

Chapter Comments

2 hours ago, Clancy59 said:

Is Jonathan an albino?  Isn’t it dangerous for albinos in the wild?  Although, if they have done their jobs properly and taught him how to be a wild lion, he just might be able to overcome this ‘handicap’  in the wild.  Please tell us this will be a successful release! 🦁

White lions are not albinos-- the colour is due to a genetic mutation. It fortunately doesn't seem to pose them any risk in the wild. They are very rare, but endemic to the northeastern part of South Africa and were in fact considered extinct until the mid-2000s. Jonathan's story is very loosely based about an actual reintroduction project that took place between 1992-2004 but his mini-story arc including the zoo escape is entirely my own invention … you’ll have to see what happens!  

  • Like 4
View Guidelines

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Newsletter

    Sign Up and get an occasional Newsletter.  Fill out your profile with favorite genres and say yes to genre news to get the monthly update for your favorite genres.

    Sign Up
×
×
  • Create New...