TURKANA - THE INSPIRATION

Everyone has a moment in their life where everything just clicked, for me this is when I first saw a lion, and it was when I first saw this lion "Turkana".

I can remember how excited I was, I had never seen a lion before, my parents had promised to take me to see one, and they decided to take me to Paradise Wildlife Park near Broxbourne. The first enclosure you came to was the lions, and I ran up the stairs as quickly as I could and ran right up to the railings at the top of the viewing area and this is the sight that met my eyes.

"Turkana" was five years old, he was in his prime, has mane sat on his head full of such rich colours, he was truly stunning and he just sat there so relaxed without a care in the World. This was my first view of a lion, and I have never looked back since. "Turkana" lived with his sister "Mana" which you can see with him below, they were both all I ever imagined a lion would be, and more.

I always came back to visit "Turkana" as often as I could and the more I learnt about him the more I realised that he was a very special lion indeed. 

Throughout my years visiting I have been able to meet the man who hand-reared this incredible lion, and someone who I am now very privileged to say I consider a friend. His name is Nick Loudon and I found this letter that he wrote whilst doing a bit of researching. I feel that he is the best person to give an entrance to "Turkana".

"I started work at Paradise Wildlife Park, broxbourne in mid march 1996. Turkana was born with his twin sister Mana on the 1st July 1996, and was found not only to have a hernia but also very thin stomach lining. He was thought to have only a moderate chance of surviving past cub-hood.

He came away from his mother at just ten days old and I was detailed to nurse him. I slept with him for some eight months and nursed him through five hernia operations, as the hernia's kept popping out again. The first in October 1996 and the last on January 17th 1997, when the vet did a major two hour operation.

 I was by now very worried about him and recall thinking that "baby T" as I called him might well not make it, as my colleague Giles Clark, the head cat keeper drove him home with his mother that night. The next morning he was fine, and within a month he was big enough to be living in the lion enclosure, which is his home now, with sister Mana and tigress Indi. It really is an immense privilege to have played a small part in such a magnificent lion being alive, and he and I are very close to this day. He is named after a northern Kenyan tribe and lake, Lake Turkana, a harsh, savage and uncompromising desolate area, the very cradle of the birth of lions. A truly mythical and legendary place, and a magnificent name for a lion."

"Turkana" was a lion who existed because of the love and care given to him by his team of keepers as a cub, and by Nick. Nick doted on him for his entire life, looking after him with only a couple of years in which he was absent. Nick was there right till the very end.

"Turkana" was born to previous Paradise Wildlife Park lions "Jade" and "Blanco", Jade came from Woburn Safari Park whereas "Blanco" was an old circus lion, sadly they died shortly after "Turkana" was born, this ironically was the reason why he stayed at the park, otherwise he would have probably been sent elsewhere. His father died from a very bad skin complaint, something that had always been a concern in "Turkana's" future.

Nick returned to the park in 2001/2 and was there right till the very end. Throughout these years of visiting, I will now show you how Turkana looked at the prime of his life but unfortunately how he deteriorated towards the end.

Inspiration is a very important thing and it is something that I believe has to be remembered. My love of lions was set alight by "Turkana" and thanks to lions such as "Safina" and her mate "Zuri" it has been able to burn, but it all started with this lion here. This lion really did set my life onto a course that no one had ever predicted so I feel that it is right to remember him, because hopefully even in his death he may inspire people all around. I have always felt a bit of an affinity with "Turkana", both of us were ill when we were born and both of us suffered hernia problems (however I only had three, whereas "Turkana" has five) perhaps there is a connection here as to why he was my 'first' lion, but that's a different story altogether. 

"Turkana" lived with his twin sister "Mana" and a tiger "Indi" for the first six years, however eventually, differences began to appear and the friendship forged during their cubby years began to wear thin, and "Indi" had to be taken out to live on her own, "Indi" was eventually moved to the Wildlife Heritage Foundation and then sent back to Paradise Wildlife Park where she died in October 2012. I am very lucky to possess a photo of "Indi" and "Mana" which you can see below when they lived back in their happier days, this was taken on my very first visit back in 2001.

"Turkana" let me know that dreaming was possible, and from this day on, I sought to see as many lions as possible, I started to research them at the age of six, collected photos and books, and thanks to him, I have still never stopped, and will always keep going.

I can remember watching "Turkana" this day, a lovely summers day in May, and crowds gathered to see the King of the Beasts in his excellence  As you can see he really was stunning wasn't he? He may not have been a big lion, but he was perfectly formed, his mane varied of colours all over, and was a great length covering his face perfectly. He had a very long face, which gave him a very majestic look where-ever his eyes went. I really can see why Nick fell in love with such a magnificent creature, but not only did he have the looks of a king but his temperament was like that of a friend. The connection that Nick and "Turkana" had, is something that has inspired me right from the beginning, I feel incredibly lucky to say that I have a bond with "Zuri" and "Safina" but what Nick had with "Turkana" was something even more special, To Nick, "Turkana" was like a son I think, that is a very simple thing to see when he talks about him even now, you can see the love in his eye.

"Turkana" was ten years old in these photos and it is after this where he started to decline health-wise, because of his previous health issues as a cub, no one expected him to live to a grand old age, but here he was, ten years old already and he was doing so so well.

Not only did he always have Nick by his side, but his sister "Mana" there to provide him company and affection and something warm to snuggle up to every single night in their house. I visited the two once in 2007 and then once in 2008, but it wasn't until February 2011 that I saw them once again.

It has been three years since I had last saw "Turkana", I knew that he wouldn't be the same as he was the last time I saw him as he was going to turn fifteen years old in a couple of months. I saw "Turkana" first he was outside his house and the difference really was incredible. He had turned so pale, almost white in some places. He was also suffering from a skin complaint on his back and face, chatting to Nick at the time he seemed to think that he would be okay, he was definately showing his age now. However if you look at the photos below, you can still see fragments of the lion that he used to be all those years ago, he was still just as magnificent.

It may have been a freezing cold day, but lions know best and "Turkana" and "Mana" spent the rest of their afternoon in the sun on the top of their platform. Age may have caught up with "Turkana", his mane looking a bit more worn and untidy, but his face still has the look of a lion, that proud and majestic look from his chin, he was still magnificent. The two photos below are two of my favourites, capturing his magnificence with a slight hint of age. You can see the skin above his nose was really bad, this is something that actually did improve. This was a concern as it was very similar to the skin complaint that killed his father "Blanco".

"Mana" was by Turkana's side as always, but unfortunately this was going to be the last time that I saw her. 

"Mana" sadly passed away on the 16th June 2012. She was only fifteen years old when she died, not too bad for a lioness. No one would have ever put her first in this way, it was a complete shock to everyone. Fortunately for her it was a very quick illness and Nick was there by her side to the very end. With no one by his side anymore my priority was to visit "Turkana" as soon as I could to see him. When animals have been together for so long sometimes the loss of a companion can be very hard on the individual for them. However fortunately for "Turkana" Nick remained by his side and would spend all of his days there with him. He installed an extra heater so that he was warm enough at night without having someone to snuggle up too and would provide him bigger straw beds just to make up for it. "Mana" will always be missed and my thoughts were with all Paradise Wildlife Park staff and friends at the time, the loss of an animal is never an easy one, but most importantly "Turkana".

Even more sad news was to follow in October 2012, when their cub-hood tiger companion "Indy" passed away of old age related causes. No one would have thought it, but "Turkana" was now the only one out of the trio left.

It took me a couple of months but after recovering from surgery and saving up enough money I made the journey down to Paradise Wildlife Park to see "Turkana" after a very long eighteen months. It is a visit that I will never forget, for many reasons. "Turkana" appeared to be holding on very well, he was active, he was healthy, he was looking in much better condition and he was eating very well.

Nick even fed him that evening and let me through in the food for him, something that I was incredibly happy to do. "Turkana" seemed to be doing just fine, he was completely doted on by Nick, and "T" had all that he needed. At the age of sixteen he was doing so well, despite of all his troubles he had made it, and he was still going strong.

"Turkana" spent the morning waiting for Nick to finish cleaning his house and bed before being let back in as you can see below, he was a superb lion, very graceful with age, there was definately something very gentle about him this visit. Nick and I both thought that he would have another couple of years left in him, and I couldn't wait till my next visit to come and see him.

Sadly that visit was never to happen, and it turns out that this is the last photo that I will ever have of my first lion.

I can remember sitting down on the floor checking my twitter where I read "Paradise Wildlife Park is very sad to announce the death of their African Lion Turkana". At first I couldn't believe it, and I had to read it again. I will admit now, I did shed a few tears for him that night, especially at that moment. Turkana died on the 9th March 2013.

The last memory that I have of "Turkana" is a happy one, he is bounding around his enclosure happily awaiting his food before I throw it in for him, this is the "T" that Nick will remember too i'm sure, he always said that he loved his food. I had been meaning to visit "Turkana" for a couple of months but unfortunately due to work and petrol prices I had been unable to make a visit, even more frustratingly I had just been thinking about the possibility of visiting in the upcoming Easter holidays. His death was a complete shock to myself, no one could have guessed what he was wrong with him, as to everyone else he seemed in perfect health. "Turkana" died of cancer in the spleen, it was a very short illness that only lasted a couple of days. When the tumour was discovered by the vet it was quickly decided that he shouldn't be woken up again, Nick said there was no doubt about it, it was the fairest thing to do.

I will end this page with a happy photo of the two in their prime when I first saw them as seen below.

I have never seen a male lion that has looked quite like him before, his mane was stunning, almost a dark red in some places and his face always gave him that majestic look that a lion must have. Unfortunately as with everything age got to him and we have to say goodbye to "Turkana" but we actually don't...

Through all of these photos on here and the ones below taken and kindly given to me by friends Diane and Nick, he lives on. This is the whole reason for this page. All of us have been inspired by one individual like this, and we will never forget them, thanks to the wonder of the internet no one has an excuse to forget "Turkana" anymore, he can continue to be an inspiration to all he knew him and to those who have all only just read about him.

I visited Paradise Wildlife Park in April to see Nick again, and we spent hours chatting and sharing photos of him, sat on a bench by the enclosure in which he was born, grew up and died. We spoke of his personality, his character, stories of laughter ending with the saddest story of all. Nick was there when all the way right up to when he died, "Turkana" will never be on his own, now he is back with the others.

"Turkana" has no cubs to continue his line, or any siblings that are still alive, so all that we have to remember him by are memories and photos, we will never see a lion quite like him again.

Rest in peace "Turkana" I may not have known you very well, but I feel honored to have known you, you changed my life completely. It must be made sure that he is never forgotten, and here at the Safina Lion Project I will do my very best to never forget him, if we can do one thing for him, we can help save the rest of his kind.