At the heart of the project is Varty's and Salmoni's ability to teach captive-born tigers to be "wild." It is a grand — some would argue grandiose — experiment. Others have attempted to do it before and failed.

"If Ron and Julie cannot sustain themselves in this area, then the project's off," Varty says. "It's not a fait accompli. I had said (at the outset) there was a 20 percent chance (of succeeding). Now, I'm 80 percent sure they can sustain themselves. ... It's an experiment that may add to tiger conservation."

Right now, all at the sanctuary are poised and facing a defining moment: The tigers are about to be released into the sanctuary and start fending for themselves without the aid of Varty and Salmoni.

Salmoni has faith in them and in himself. "I learned from Ron and Julie that just because people are saying that something is impossible doesn't mean it is," he says, adding: "I believe that the people telling me that is impossible to train tigers how to hunt were absolutely right. They could never do it. That doesn't mean it is impossible for me."

Ron and Julie are no longer playful, dependent cubs. At 4 years old, Ron is close to 400 pounds and Julie is approaching 300. They know, now, not to be afraid of ostrich as well as the proper technique in taking down a wildebeest — without getting horned. Time and again, they've practiced patience and holding in the bushes when they're itching to pounce.

"Cats instinctively do know how to hunt," Salmoni says, "but taking the step from occasionally making a kill to having successful hunts on a regular basis, that's a big one."

Salmoni has taught and trained the pair for release into the sanctuary as he would athletes for the Olympics. He's convinced they're at their peak in terms of agility, muscle mass and cardiovascular conditioning.

Still, there are no guarantees. "Just yesterday the tigers caught a warthog but it got away," Varty says, explaining that Ron choked on dust kicked up during the struggle and suffered a nasty fall into a hole while negotiating rugged terrain.

Varty plans to monitor the tigers' movements and we'll be with him live, from Sept. 10 through Sept. 18, enjoying a unique and privileged perspective. If you're wondering whether Ron and Julie will earn their wild stripes, come prowl with us.

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