Kevin Richardson (zookeeper)
Kevin Richardson (born 1974)[1] is an animal behaviorist and has done extensive research on native animals of Africa. He has been acknowledged into a pack of spotted hyenas and pride of lions.[2] He works with hyenas and big cats such as cheetahs and leopards. He specializes with lions[3] and runs the Kingdom of the White Lion facility in the Lion Park in Gauteng Province, South Africa.[2] Known around the world as the "Lion Whisperer," Richardson is also an author and film producer.[3]
Early life
Richardson was born in the Nightingale Clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1974. He spent his childhood in the neighborhood of Orange Grove.[4] He is South African yet is of English descent. Patricia, his mother, worked for Barclays Bank, and was also born in South Africa. Her parents had emigrated from England. Richardson's father worked for a pharmaceutical company, and moved to South Africa from Reading, Berkshire. Kevin Richardson was the youngest of 3 children: an older brother and two sisters who were twins.[1] Kevin has, from the time he was an infant, loved all animals. He was breeding crickets and kept a toad called "Paddajie" at the age of 3. Nicknamed "The Bird Man of Orange Grove," he cared for multiple animals as a kid and grew up spending most of his time in his backyard.[5] At the age of 13, Richardson's father died. When he was about 16, he met Stan Schmidt and Richardson started his career as a zoologist.[4]
Zoologist career
Richardson went to university and started learning zoology, but quit after two years after repetitive lessons on marine biology instead of mammals. Richardson started his adult life believing that he would never work with animals as a career. He thought that his work with animals would be a hobby. He started taking courses in physiology and anatomy in college[3] and started a career physiotherapy.[6]and ended up helping people with exercise physiology. When he was 23, he came across the chance to work with two 6-month old cubs at the Lion Park near the outskirts of his home in Johannesburg.[7] He still works with the grown up cubs, Tau and Napoleon.[3] The owner, Rodney Fuhr, started him off with a part time job at the Lion Park.[7]
Richardson and his team work with animals for the commercial filming industry and make documentaries to generate income to fund his facility. They also have a volunteer program which brings in income and much needed extra hands to run the sanctuary. [3] Richardson is a self-taught zoologist. He develops a bond with his lion and gets to know them. Richardson has gained notoriety as a zoologist by living and sleeping with lions. Richardson has disregarded many safety rules concerning lions, and has dispelled many myths about their training.[5]
Facilities
Richardson worked in a 1600 acre Lion Park in Broederstroom a town 35 miles north of his hometown, Johannesburg in South Africa. While specializing in lions, he also interacted with hyenas and leopards.[6] He spent the majority of his lion career at the Lion Park before moving to the Kingdom of the White Lion. The Lion Park was founded by the Chipperfields Circus in November, 1966. Located in the Gauteng-Tshwane complex, the climate is perfect for Highveld fauna and the native animals found in this park. The Park is split into two areas. Herbivores and carnivores are separated and the herbivores such as zebras, giraffes, and antelope are available for viewing up close. The carnivores include 3 prides of lions and one clan of hyenas. They are surrounded by barriers and fences to protect each pride from each other. Lions are extremely territorial and will attack if intruders enter their land. The lions housed there are indigenous to Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Northern Gauteng, and Botswana.[8] The Lion park is open all year from 08:30 - 17:00.[9]
Currently, Richardson has a special facility called the Kingdom of the White Lion in Broederstroom[10] a small city 50 miles from Johannesburg.[11] The park which was set up with the help of Rodney Fuhr,[3] is 800 hectares (2,000 acres) and was built for the set of the movie White Lion.[11] He cares for 39 lions at this facility.[10] The farm is currently a private property, but there are plans to open it to the public. [12]
Lion Care
Richardson has worked with big cats and relies on instinct instead of static rules. He has slept next to, fed, and lived with his lions. Along with his lions, he has worked with cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas. He prefers lions to any other big cat.[13] His relationship, however, is not an instant one. Most of the lions he works with, he has known since they were cubs.[6] He still continues his bond with Tau and Napoleon, the lion brothers that introduced him to big cats.[3] His unique relationship with the genus Panthera has dispelled many myths concerning the care of lions. Richardson shows that lions and animals in general have personalities, feelings, and are social creatures. He shows that with mutual respect, many species can coexist together. That does not mean there are no dangers; Richardson, throughout his career, has had many close encounters.[14]
Dangers
Richardson quickly learned about the dangers of lion keeping early on. A four year old male held him down and bit him; the lion held on and then let go and walked away. From then on, Richardson has used his instincts and stays away if something feels wrong.[14] In another incident, the lions were in a good mood. Two 400 pound (180 kilogram) lions threw Richardson to the ground and another female jumped on him. He emerged with his face red. As he left, one lion smacked his shoulder with a paw.[10] Working with lions is not without dangers. Richardson has unintentionally been clawed before. Even with his long-standing relationship, he has been clawed and bitten. It is the nature of lions to scratch each other and they regard Richardson no differently.[6] Richardson is not dissuaded with these dangers. In an interview, he mentions, "Obviously one realizes the danger when working with animals of this caliber, I've weighed the pros and I've weighed the cons, and the pros far outweigh the cons." He warns about following in his footsteps, however. All the pictures of his adventures do not portray his years of experience and bonding. "People like to take things out of context. They don't know the relationship I have with this lion."[6]
Mission
The population of lions has dropped from about 350,000 to an estimated 25,000 in a 15 year span. Richardson hopes the media attention of his movies will raise public awareness and educate them on the conservation needed to protect Africa's animals.[6] Lion hunts in South Africa are worth more than 90 million dollar (£60 million) a year says the Professional Hunters Association. 16,394 foreign hunters (more than half of which fly from the US) killed 46,000+ animals from Sept. 2006 - Sept. 2007. Trophy hunter is worth $91.2 million a year and foreign tourist sometimes pay up to $40,000 to shoot a lion. The government supports hunting because of its revenue. Provincial government sell permits to kill rhinos, lions, elephants, and giraffes. 1,050 lions were killed in 2008.[15] White Lion hopes to give people second thoughts about participating in these events.[10]
Works/Publications
| Title | Minutes/Pages | Features | Produced/Published | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dangerous Companions | 52 Minutes | Lions | Unknown | Unknown |
| Growing Up Hyena | Part of Growing Up Series | Hyenas | Animal Planet | August 5, 2008(DVD) |
| In Search of a Legend | 52 Minutes | Black Leopard | Graham Wallington | Unknown |
| White Lion: Home is a Journey | 88 Minutes | White Lion | Peru Productions | February 19, 2010 |
| Part of the Pride: My Life Among the Big Cats of Africa | 256 Pages | Kevin Richardson | St. Martin's Press | September 1, 2009 |
| The Lion Ranger Series | 3 x 60 Minutes | Various | Renegade Productions | March 2010 |
Richardson has also featured in many documentaries, movies, and commercials. It was during his stint at the Lion Park that Michael Rosenberg decided to use Richardson's talents in documentaries such as Dangerous Companions and In Search of a Legend. Growing Up Hyena is a documentary where Richardson sets out to change the misconception of the hyena as a feared and loathed evil scavenger.[16] Richardson's work in the Okavango Delta and Lydenberg had brought forth another documentary concerning black leopards titled In Search of a Legend. With the amount of filming done, Richardson moved all his animals to the Kingdom of the White Lion property. Richardson's latest film is called White Lion: Home is a Journey and concerns a young white lion named "Letsatsi," who survives against all odds.[5] This film is the first to star native lions instead of the regularly imported ones. Rodney Fuhr along with his wife Ilana independently funded the movie and served as Executive Producer. The film was shot at the Kingdom of the White Lion, SA Lion Park, Nash's farm, Glen Afric, and Entabeni Game Reserve. The South African based company Peru Productions Pty. Ltd.'s first feature film was White Lion. -[11]
References
- ^ a b Kevin Richardson (2009). Part of the Pride: My Life Among the Big Cats of Africa. St. Martin's Press. p. 256. ISBN 0312556748.
- ^ a b Ochman, BL. "Lion Whisperer Kevin Richardson at Lion Park. Don't Try This at Home, Boys & Girls!". PawFun Blog. PawFun. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g Coder, Maria. "Kevin Richardson, Lion Tamer". I Work With Animals!. Pawnation. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ a b "Reach for a Star: Kevin Richardson". Reach for a Star. SA Career Focus Magazine. February. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=and|year=/|date=mismatch (help) - ^ a b c Caskie, Rob. "Kevin's Youth". Speaker: Kevin Richardson. Motivators International. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f Celizic, Mike. "Big cats purr like kittens for 'Lion Whisperer'". Today: Pets and Animals. MSNBC. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ a b "The Lion Whisperer: Kevin Richardson plays with white lions at a game park in South Africa". The Lion Whisperer. The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ "About the Lion Park". Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ "The Lion Park". Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ a b c d flashnews. "The Lion Whisperer Kevin Richardson". Zimbio. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ a b c "About the White Lion Movie". Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ "Can we see Kevin interacting with the animals?". FAQ. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ "The Lion Whisperer Kevin Richardson". Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ a b Admin. "Kevin Richardson The Lion Whisperer". Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ Faul, Michelle. "Movie highlights trophy shooting in South Africa". Daily Journal. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ "Animal Planet - Growing up Hyena". Animal Planet. Retrieved 26 January 2011.