Zambia's Lolelunga Reserve Attempts First-Ever Rewilding of Captive Lions
Zambia's Lolelunga Private Reserve has begun what is believed to be the country's first attempt to rewild captive lions, with a male and female pair relocated from Mukuni Big Five, a commercial wildlife facility near Victoria Falls, to the 74,000-acre reserve in northern Zambia on 12 April 2026. The project is being managed in partnership with Zambia's Department of National Parks and Wildlife and the Ministry of Tourism, and follows the reserve's successful 2024 cheetah reintroduction programme, which resulted in the birth of three cubs - the first cheetahs born on a private reserve in Zambia.
The rewilding process is expected to take at least six to eight weeks and is being overseen by a wildlife veterinarian and a lion rewilding specialist. It involves three phases: establishing the pair's physical health and social bond, scavenging trials to encourage natural foraging behaviour, and a monitored release with GPS tracking collars. Both lions will be assessed for human aversion, as their early lives were spent in close contact with tourists. Lolelunga, which opened to guests in August 2025 and accommodates just 14 visitors at a time, is privately owned and fully fenced - giving the reserve direct control over wildlife management and conservation decisions. Reserve Manager Divan Grobler noted that success with this pair "will serve as the blueprint for future releases, helping Lolelunga establish a genetically diverse and self-sustaining lion population."
Source: Matador Network