Lions' Donkey Dinner Shocks Visitors
"The Namibian"
11 June 2003

AN incident in which two British tourists witnessed what they perceived to be a "staged lion kill", has sparked outrage among conservationists and in the tourism industry.

In a letter to The Namibian, the couple wrote of their disgust at having to watch three lions hunt and kill a donkey at the IntuAfrica lodge near Mariental.

The managing director of the lodge maintains the incident was "an accident" and was not staged.

But John and Julie Gregory saw it differently.

While on a game drive, the couple were driven into a 500 hectare enclosure, where they say they saw almost no game, but were told that three lions were kept.

The Gregorys say they did see a donkey that appeared to be domesticated as it approached the vehicle.

The animal did not shy away from human contact.

Some time later the lions were discovered on top of a ridge where John Gregory noted "they appeared to be dozing, and were languid in their movements".

The lions eventually saw the donkey and began to stalk it.

"There can be little doubt, in my view, that the donkey had been introduced to the enclosure for the purpose of feeding the lions. There can equally be little doubt that, in due course, the lions would have discovered and killed the donkey," wrote Gregory.

He added that the guide began to drive the donkey towards the lioness telling it "Go on donkey, do your job".

The tourist said that in its own time the lioness brought the donkey down while the vehicle occupants (including two German tourists) watched the three lions feed on their kill for about 40 minutes.

Apparently by the time they drove away from the scene, the donkey was still alive.

Managing Director of IntuAfrica, Howard Hebbard, maintains the incident was regrettable and "happened by accident".

He vehemently denied "staging" kills for tourists and told The Namibian that the game guide in this incident "made a stupid mistake".

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