Eden recalled: Lioness, leopard, dog unlikely pals
Pauline Dikuelo | Friday February 19, 2016 15:42
One of the first things one notices when walking into the Mmegi newsroom is a framed copy of the September 20, 2013 Mmegi edition whose front page read: “Wena? O rua tau wena?”
The story was about government’s brash refusal to let Leganang Mutanzi, a Gumare farmer, capture some terror lions and tame them. The story became political when it surfaced that the same government had however offered then cabinet minister, Christiaan de Graaff the right to keep lions at his leisure. The story later unfolded to the canned hunting of the lions and this piled pressure until government finally changed her policy towards predators in captivity by banning the practice. So, naturally, when a lead came through of a couple rearing a lion on the outskirts of Gaborone, a Mmegi news team rushed out to investigate.
Southwest of Gaborone on the western foot of Kgale Hill in the small village of Mokolodi, the Mmegi team enquired from school pupils who were walking playfully from school, “Ko Taung ke kae?” (Where is the lion’s place?).
The pupils excitedly chorussed the directions of the place – the Verreynne’s place. Every dweller in the village knew the place.
In front of the locked gate of the huge yard protected by a high security electric fence, we were welcomed by the barking of two Jack Russells and two rather intimidating bull mastiffs – with their deep growling barks.
The owners, veterinarian couple Dr Marlize Verreynee and Dr Erik Verreynee, take over and chase away the bull mastiffs before unlocking the gates to let us in. After introductions – and welcome licks from the Jack Russells – the friendly couple shares the story of how they live with five dogs, 10 cats, a lion and a leopard in their backyard.
A paradisic set up at its best.
But interest is obviously on the wild predators – the lion and the leopard.
The veterinarians said they got custody of the wild cats in 2012 from the Department of Wildlife and Botswana Defence Force (BDF) after being asked to treat and take care of them for sometime.
The small leopard was found abandoned next to the road near the border. It was five-weeks old then and was an angry and distressed little wild cat looking for its mother.
Marlize says they were asked to look after it for some months by authorities from the wildlife department.
The lion was born at the BDF wild animals enclosure in Mogoditshane.
Marlize says immediately after the cub was born, it turned into a bone of contention between two adult female lions also at the enclosure.
“The cub was taken away from its mother by the other lioness and a fight between the lionesses ensued for the little cub. The soldiers managed to dig under the fence and take away the little cub and that is when we were asked if we could look after it for some time while the BDF prepared a new cage for the new mother and her cub,” said Marlize.
The couple happily agreed and provided a haven to the cub. Their house was temporarily turned into a loud, wild kindergarten of predators.
The Verreynees raised the lioness and leopard like domesticated cats. They named the lioness Kelele (noisy in Swahill language) because, they say, ‘she was such a noisy cub’.
The leopard was the fiery one. “She was always spitting and snarling so we gave her the name ‘Kali – the fiery one’,” said Marlize.
At home they had a small puppy that they named Button. Button was the same age as Kelele - the lion, but they were both two months younger than Kali - the leopard. The three animals lived, played and grew up together. “Button didn’t know that she was a dog or Kelele a lion,” explained Marlize. Eight months into custody of the animals they were asked to return them to the BDF enclosure and they obliged. Marlize still remembers the fateful day.
He said: “It happened that on the day we got to the BDF, it was a Monday, we coincidentally met President Ian Khama at the enclosure”.
Khama usually visits the BDF animal enclosure and plays with them. Most of the predators at the BDF enclosures know him as a friend. One leopard even once scratched his face leaving the President with a bleeding cheek. The Verreynees said the President was impressed by the way the predators were relating with the dog and the vets and so Khama allowed the veterinary to keep their custody.
“When the President saw Button, Kelele and Kali playing together he said, ‘Well, you had them for so long why don’t you take custody of them?’” Marlize said. The vets jumped at the offer as they had already created a close bond with the wild cats. Although the couple understands the politics of predators in captivity, they say it would be sad to see them go.
“The cats belong to the State. We are just offering them space to live and we do not profit from them. We get help from friends who help us feed them,” said Erik. Erik also explained that the cats cannot be released into the wild because the lion is a pride animal and cannot live alone.
“If it was taken into the wild, other lions would most definitely kill it. Lions are territorial pride animals. Kelele has grown accustomed to getting food from humans and if released, she would immediately approach people seeking food and no one would understand her. They would kill her,” explained Erik.
Everyday the couple gets into the enclosure to walk the animals. During the Mmegi team visit, the dog and lion are found in happy spirits.
It is evening and the afternoon showers have cooled down the hot summer temperatures. The lively lion and dog approach the fence ‘to greet us’. Kali, the leopard is in hiding in the bush apparently because she is in heat. The vets say their enclosure is bigger than the BDF’s and animals can walk around more freely. The couple goes inside the enclosure after a brief talk to the lion outside the fence – it is like a request to enter by the humans.
The fierce looking big cat agrees to let them inside and play – a mini demonstration for the journalists. They, however, get in carrying big sticks.
“As much as we are used to them and they too are used to us, we can’t forget that they are a lion and a leopard and they are very dangerous predators,” says Erik. Erik walks slowly and majestically followed by the dog and lion. There is boyish excitement with a tinge of nervousness on his face. His smile is just a wide grin. He makes no sudden movements. Journalists on the outside are awed and shooting pictures hoping the exhibition will not end in sad headlines of a lion showing its true nature.
Kelele the lion rolls upside down like an abnormally large dog and Marlize strokes it gently. The lion suddenly stands up attempting to jump onto Marlize the way dogs would do after enjoying a stroke.
However, Marlize is alert and dodges the lion because she says Kelele’s friendly jumps on a person could leave one with deep claw wounds. And that is when Kelele decides to chase Button – the dog. Button demonstrates that she can stop the big lion by growling to her ordering her to stop, both the chase and the painful slaps of the big claws.
It is that unusual relationship of Button and Kelele that is amazing to see. The vets say they do not advertise for people to come see the animals nor do they charge anything for viewing. It is all out of love for nature in harmony.