History's most brutal killers, the Majingilane Male Lions

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(11-06-2017, 12:15 PM)Fredymrt Wrote: Credits to Christine Lamberth
Friday, December 16, 2011

The excitement of spending a weekend at Londolozi in the Sabi Sands Reserve however is not dampened by any amount of rain. I am on my way to Star in My Own Safari – a competition run by the Safari Interactive Magazine in conjunction with Londolozi

Nkuhuma boy and othawa female

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Investigation over, I am comfortably seated in my armchair, my gear is stowed and the Landrover (yes, it’s a Landrover) fires up and we head out North of the Lodge. We cross the river and start scouting around for a Lion and Lioness seen together earlier that day. I spot something in the bush and after some discussion we go to investigate. And there they are. Not fifteen minutes into the drive and we have our first sighting. We hardly spend any time at all with these two when the call comes and we are off again.

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Back down South and the Majingilane boys (a coalition of four male lions) are on the move. However, only three of the clan are together. Some manoeuvring of the vehicle and I am down at floor level clicking away with trio of huge and hungry Lions walking straight into my lens. Lighting aside, what more can I ask?

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Then the magic starts weaving its spell around us. After some discussion between Rangers and Trackers it appears that they are of the opinion that these three boys are going to cross the river. For the uninformed, a cat does not like water. And Lions are no exception. They will only cross the river when they have no other option open to them. It is the first time (according to our Ranger Jess) that this may be captured on camera. Some quick about turns and engines blazing we head for the river and position ourselves on the opposite bank.

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Suddenly there they are. I hold my breath, my heartbeat increases ever so slightly. The three survey the veld and move softly down to the water. The tangible tension in the waiting vehicles can be cut with a knife and you can almost hear the silent encouragement from all for the crossing to happen. Each of the three takes a quick drink of water from the stream and then, it starts.

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The first Lion gingerly dips his paw into the water and it involuntarily flicks up a spray. One or two more flicks and he is on his way. Everyone is silent and all that can be heard are the sounds of the camera shutters furiously clicking away. The other two Lions follow soon after wading up to their stomachs through the water, determinedly on a mission. They have moved past and we all look at each other, grinning and know that we have witnessed something spectacular.

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

The event now over, we follow the three Lions up the bank. There is a small clearing on the banks of the river and the Lions move silently forward. Suddenly there is a desperate howl and the three Lions launch into action. The unmistakable cry comes from a young Hyena who is pounced on by two of the Lions. It takes us less than 30 seconds to get around a tree but already two of the boys have the Hyena firmly by the throat and the hind legs. It is over quickly and one of the group starts feeding on the kill. The other two move along and do not seem interested in the kill. We follow.

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A little way away the two settle down to wait for their brother and when he does not appear we are treated to a call of the wild. There is nothing quite like feeling the vibration of the sounds of a lion’s roar travelling through your body. This is the essence of Africa. It is an experience that cannot be conveyed through any other medium than when you find yourself sitting next to a Lion in the bush and you are privileged to hear it. A definite gooseflesh moment.
My decision is made, when I die, God is going to send me back to the African Bush with a Camera and a Landrover, as this must truly be heaven.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011
LONDOLOZI TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

The radio crackles and we move off in search of more adventure. Our next sighting is of a Lion pride with cubs. This is the The Tsalala Pride who has their own story of bravery, courage and steely determination.
5-month-old-lion-cub-survives-weeks-alone sad thing about this story is that after surviving alone only to be killed by one its fathers killed him I thing it was scar nose.

We sit and contemplate in awe and wonderment at two Lionesses that have lost their tails to Hyenas and one cub that has survived against the odds.  This is just one of the stories that make the magic of Africa so mysteriously spellbinding.

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Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Londolozi - A Grand Show

The divine brunch prepared by the Sorceress in the kitchens of Tree Camp at Londolozi goes down a treat. Then it’s off to our heavenly “chateau” – you can’t call the digs at Londolozi “rooms” – it is tantamount to an insult to the glorious luxury in which we are ensconced between the game drives.  After a quick spit and polish and a short 40 winks it is time to head off again.

The rain has lifted slightly and although there is still cloud cover the quality of the light is encouraging. Decision made we head back to the Lion sighting of the morning. More likely than not, the Lions will have found the unfortunate Wildebeest as the Vultures had been gathering when we left the sighting earlier.

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From a distance we can already see the circling Vultures. As we near the sighting the presence of the birds of doom is overwhelming. They adorn every tree and bush while there is an ominous gathering taking place on the ground. The Wildebeest is no more and one of the coalition Lions is jealously guarding the carcass. Another Lion has taken the unborn calf. We park the vehicle and as the engine dies the sound is replaced by that of bone being snapped and crushed. This is an opportunistic kill and the three boys are not sharing.

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The Hooded Vultures are surprisingly brave. They creep up behind the Lion preoccupied with his fresh kill and slyly peck at the abandoned bits and pieces lying on the ground. Vulture action around a fresh kill is some of the best action a photographer can hope to get. The constant ebb and flow of movement as birds fly in and land, hiss and bite at each other and vie for the best position on the kill can keep a lens and shutter occupied for hours. At this sighting however, we have the added bonus of three snarling Lions who are not giving an inch.

Scar nose

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Hip Scar

*This image is copyright of its original author

I am a Lion and I am listening to the flapping wings of each little bird as it flies by, I can hear the huge wings of each vulture as it lands and I can hear every vehicle from far, far away. No, I am not flying off in lalaland. I am wearing the earphones connected to the sound equipment on the Super Vehicle. What a revelation. The magnified sound gives me an inkling of what animals can hear. The cacophony that reverberates in my head is astounding. Each footfall, each chirp and whistle, each grunt can be heard. It is like entering a new domain, a parallel universe where senses are transported to unbelievable heights. It is a spiritual moment granted to those who partake of the African Bush.

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Hip Scar

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Scar Nose

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