Powerful Mapogo Lions destroying Nkuhuma King Blondie in a brutal Attack | BATTLE OF SABI SANDS

Lion warfare in Africa: Mapogo vs Nkuhuma* 
Rangers report: Nightmare on the 8th
"The sun has set on yet another day here in the Sabi Sands. Nightfall in the bush awakes a predator. An illusive leopard hunts with caution, planning every step as he silently moves through the darkness towards his prey… but this story is not about a stalking leopard. It is a story of one of our well-known lions, the dominant male of the Nkuhuma (Kahuma) Pride, Blondie, who has tragically fallen to the brutal, destructive and terrifying coalition of five male lions, known as the “Mapogo Males”.
Last night, as darkness settled over the bush, the horrifying sound of fighting lions was heard to the south of Djuma somewhere across one of our borders. The Rangers knew immediately that the Mapogo Males were a part of it because they had been spotted close to Cheetah Cut-line a couple of days ago. True to their name, which means, “bandits”, they were once again on the path of destruction.
During the day, the two Nkuhuma males were seen with one of the Styx females. Blondie was mating with her when the Mapogo Males came across them. Sadly, the instinct to eliminate all competition prevailed and Blondie stood little chance against the five “bandits”. The younger male, Dozie, joined the struggle for a while but fled together with the female towards Buffelshoek, when he realized his big brother had fallen. Our hearts grew heavy as we heard the reports coming in over the radio. Blondie was paralyzed. His only chance of survival would have been retreat. His fate was now sealed.
The Styx female escaped unharmed and is now, surprisingly, with the Mapogo Males, who will mate with her to ensure the survival of their genes. The only remaining Nkuhuma male, Dozie, was seen in Buffelshoek this morning with one of the Nkuhuma females. Dozie must now rise and take his place as the new dominant male of the Nkuhuma Pride. Some of the females have cubs and the Mapogo Males will want to kill them too, so Dozie’s responsibilities are great. He is now the only one that can ensure the survival of the Nkuhuma Pride.
As far as we know the Nkuhuma Pride now consists of one male, Dozie, nine females and thirteen cubs (one of them was Sizanani). All of us here at Wild Earth are hoping that Dozie will succeed in his task of protecting the Nkuhuma Pride and that, in time the cubs will grow up to be a part of this very special group that we have come to know and love.
The sun has set on yet another magnificent male lion’s life here in the Sabi Sands but I am sure, that whenever we see a buried lion track on the roads he used to walk on, we will think of him and remember him dearly." R.I.P Blondie...
(written by ranger Pieter Pretorius on December 11th, 2007 at Djuma)

The entire body of my 6-year-old fur pet is covered in small scabs. It's not unbearable, but it's noticeable when you stroke her. I checked her and the other two cats for fleas but found none. Is there anyone else who has had a similar experience with their cat? I plan on taking her to the vet when I get off work this weekend (everything in my neighbourhood is closed tomorrow due to Labor Day, so I wouldn't take her then). My aunt says that this happened last year, and that she was instructed to wear a specific flea collar, but we recently moved, and as I previously said, I've thoroughly inspected all three cats for fleas. Please accept my thanks in advance for any ideas!!

Hello….. all wildlife lovers,

We all share an immense respect and fondness for the big cats,

As my handle name suggests, can you please share pics and videos of the direct male lineage of B2-Bamera-Bamerason.

Pls also enlighten me if another direct male lineage from B2 is alive.

Thanks.

The Killing of a Bull Muskox by a Single Wolf 

A wolf approaching the carcass of the bull muskox he had killed:

*This image is copyright of its original author

"Although there are many reports in the literature describing successful attacks of the wolf (Canis lupus) on muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus), the following observation of a single, male wolf attacking and killing a lone bull muskox is, to my knowledge, unique. The killing was observed from a distance of approximately 1 mile, using a 15 x 60 spotting scope, during a study of the behaviour of muskoxen on Bathurst Island, Northwest Territories."


Read the full account here:

https://vk.com/doc-68054567_442539135?ha...13687f4c1b

Cuttlefish exert self-control in a delay of gratification task

Abstract

The ability to exert self-control varies within and across taxa. Some species can exert self-control for several seconds whereas others, such as large-brained vertebrates, can tolerate delays of up to several minutes. Advanced self-control has been linked to better performance in cognitive tasks and has been hypothesized to evolve in response to specific socio-ecological pressures. These pressures are difficult to uncouple because previously studied species face similar socio-ecological challenges. Here, we investigate self-control and learning performance in cuttlefish, an invertebrate that is thought to have evolved under partially different pressures to previously studied vertebrates. To test self-control, cuttlefish were presented with a delay maintenance task, which measures an individual's ability to forgo immediate gratification and sustain a delay for a better but delayed reward. Cuttlefish maintained delay durations for up to 50–130 s. To test learning performance, we used a reversal-learning task, whereby cuttlefish were required to learn to associate the reward with one of two stimuli and then subsequently learn to associate the reward with the alternative stimulus. Cuttlefish that delayed gratification for longer had better learning performance. Our results demonstrate that cuttlefish can tolerate delays to obtain food of higher quality comparable to that of some large-brained vertebrates.

This is a directory to identify wild cheetahs.

Has anyone seen the nature documentary on disneyplus? It's about fangs pride and notch and his sons, which he is called kali in the film. The mother cheetah Sita and her 3 cubs that survived out of 5. My goodness what a wonderful film, cannot lie I did cry on a couple occasions for both the cheetah and the lions.

Before we answer the burning question on when one should book a tiger safari in India, it is Important to understand the story behind the question. It is safe to say, that the Tiger is most photographed animal in the world. And by all means, there are very few animals that can match the royal demeanor of a Tiger as it nonchalantly walks through breathtaking landscapes. It’s an image many will regard as one of the most memorable of their lives.



Tiger Tourism



The love for Tigers has grown faster than what the national parks could anticipate in India. While the overall tourism has grown by about 5%, Tiger tourism has seen an increase of about 12-15% consistently over the years. The main reason behind such numbers is the growing love of Indians towards their wildlife. Boasting a population of 1.3 billion, even a percentage of Tiger lovers in India is not small by any margin. Let us not forget that nature and wildlife enthusiasts from around the globe are pouring in too. The apex court understood this growth and placed strict regulations in 2012 to guide wildlife tourism forward.
The carrying capacity of the national parks was subsequently calculated and wherever the number of vehicles going to the park were found to be high, they were curtailed. Many parks in India lost out close to 50% of the vehicles. Currently, tourism takes place in only about 20% area of the national parks. The balance 80% of the park is completely devoid of human activity, which allows the wildlife carry out their extraordinary lives without any disturbances.



Rural Development, Conservation and Increasing Tiger Numbers



With Tiger tourism in India surging over the last decade. It’s no surprise that the inflow of visitors too has increased. Finding new and unique ways to accommodate an unprecedented outpour of guests The rural economies of India’s Tiger parks have flourished. While tourism has proved to be a worthy guardian angel of India’s national animal, the Tigers of India have given us more than we could even predict. Jobs are on the rise, livelihoods have been created, Infrastructure improved, while amenities such as electricity and education have been prioritized. By protecting and cherishing this beloved animal, not only have we helped the local communities but we’ve also safeguarded some of our pristine habitats and the countless number of species that play an important role in what we call the ‘Web of Life’. Tiger numbers have since then grown by a staggering 33% according to the recent census which means that the chances of seeing one in the wild is more likely than ever before.


How and when to book a Tiger Safari in India

We would advise one to book their safari at least 5-6 months’ prior to the date of travel. The reason for the long period is because many parks in the country open the online booking portal for the safari permits 120 days prior to the safari date. And with limited safari permits, they tend to get booked extremely fast. If one needs their safari booked 120 days earlier, they’d have to be certain of their travel plans even earlier. Hence, 5-6 months would be ideal. They should then proceed to submit their identification details and deposits to their tour operator if they wish to see the tiger in the wild.


Importance of the right Tour Operator for booking a Safari




Booking a safari well in advance will also give one’s Tour Operator enough notice to plan the safaris accordingly. Many parks are categorized into different tourism zones and keeping track of the movement of certain individuals might be crucial in increasing one’s probabilities of witnessing the Tiger. Therefore, it is vital that one chooses a tour operator who is well versed and up to date with the parks and the latest sightings. Although, no one can possibly guarantee tiger sightings, an experienced tour operator will most certainly craft the right tours where the chances of seeing the elusive striped cat is considerably higher.




So, do your research and book soon. The ‘Land of the Tigers’ awaits.

Top 5 National Parks for Tiger Safari India as of June 2021. As per the Tiger census conducted in India in 2018-2019, India had 2997 wild tigers residing in the 20 states in 52 Tiger reserves. This is approx. 75% of the world wild tiger population. Out of these 52 tiger reserves, 15 are very popular because of good Tiger sightings. This does not mean that there are no Tiger sightings in the other parks.


Suggestion of the park can also depend on your other interests. In case your focus is, only tigers while on a Tiger Safari in India tour, then the national park we recommend will be different. But if you wish to see species other than the tiger, then the choice of parks will change again. Therefore, it is important for us to know what you want from a tiger safari India tour. It is our constant endeavour is to supersede your expectations by delivering the best services when it comes to your tiger safari in India.

This thread is about the Giant cheetah-Acinonyx Pardinensis.