Lions of Timbavati - Printable Version

Lions of Timbavati - Printable Version

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RE: Lions of Timbavati - Herekitty - 11-17-2018

So the small maned Mbiri has now also accepted their new coalition partner. Video by Turid Aasrum at Tanda Tula, November 13, 2018

Big maned Mbiri with the Zebenines at Kambaku. Image by Sharon Classen at Kambaku, November 16, 2018

*This image is copyright of its original author

RE: Lions of Timbavati - Herekitty - 11-17-2018

@Peteporker - changing lion dynamics in the Manyeleti, it'll be interesting to see how the Orpen males go. Here's a shot of the young Avoca male who the article refered to as mating with the Talamati pride there. Image by Christophe Philips, November 15, 2018

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It might be worthwhile to have a look at the old Ross male (we now know he was a Giraffe male) who was the last living among the fathers of the Avoca/Giraffe (they too were all Giraffes) males who still inhabit Timbavati, Manyeleti and Thornybush. He teamed up with the Duma male lion at the beginning of 2017, but passed on from old age shortly after. Image by Chad Cocking at Motswari, 2016.

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He looks very similar to one of the Giraffe males who is still seen around Tintswalo Safari Lodge. They both have that wide bone structure across the eyes. Image by Christof Schoeman, August 2017.

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The youngest Giraffe male is the Blackdam Giraffe male seen here sniffing around Royal Malewane.
Video by Dean Blechman, November 16, 2018.

RE: Lions of Timbavati - Potato - 11-17-2018

I assume that the Koppies pride is in the North of the Manyeleti. Am I correct? The Koppies males are the dominant there or are they just youngsters of this pride?

RE: Lions of Timbavati - Herekitty - 11-18-2018

Machaton males and Kudyela pride tear apart a warthog. Video by Pondoro Game Lodge, November 18, 2018

RE: Lions of Timbavati - Raj8143 - 11-18-2018

can any 1 say how many avoca males are roaming as a king...and whos their father?

RE: Lions of Timbavati - Potato - 11-19-2018

2 southern Avocas and 3 Northen Avocas. Also their fathers old Avoca males are terrytorial in central Manyeleti, but as far as I know they do not dominate any pride. Correct me if I am wrong at some point. I also would like to get answer to my question 2 posts above. Hope someone can give them to me.

RE: Lions of Timbavati - Herekitty - 11-19-2018

The original Blackdam male is still getting around the north of Thornybush when not in the Klaserie or Timbavati.
Image by ap.realadventures at Thornybush, November 18, 2018

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RE: Lions of Timbavati - Herekitty - 11-19-2018

As well as the 5 young Avoca males in the north and south of Sabi Sands, there's also two young Avoca males (called Xikukutsu males) who were fathered by the current Ross males. In the last couple of days the Mapoza male who is currently mating with the Avoca lionesses, got into a scrap with the Avoca boys around a kill. It looks like the young guys can fight. Images by Ziggi Hugo, November 18, 2018

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*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

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RE: Lions of Timbavati - Herekitty - 11-19-2018

Here's something ironic. The Giraffe male is with the Blackdam pride, and now the Blackdam male is with the Giraffe pride. Images by Ziggi Hugo, October 28, 2018

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*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

RE: Lions of Timbavati - Herekitty - 11-19-2018

(11-17-2018, 09:20 PM)Potato Wrote: I assume that the Koppies pride is in the North of the Manyeleti. Am I correct? The Koppies males are the dominant there or are they just youngsters of this pride?

The Koppies/Mothlarewang pride is around the north of Manyeleti and are controlled by the Red Road male (said to fathered by the Avoca/Giraffes). The Koppies also have two subadult males with them and the Red Road male has formed an alliance with one of the young Koppies males, and both were recently seen at a kill in Tintswalo with two young Birmingham males. There is a lion who visits Ngala regularly who looks a like the Red Road male who Roan Du Plessis is a Birmingham male around 4/5 yrs old, there is some conjecture that he is the Red Road male.

RE: Lions of Timbavati - Herekitty - 11-19-2018

(11-16-2018, 11:53 PM)Peteporker Wrote: From Tintswalo: looks like some new males moving in that Tintswalo are calling the Orpen Males

The lions stole the show this week, with 5 different prides being seen and 3 different coalitions of males. An amazing sighting unfolded when the Nharu Pride managed to bring down a sub-adult giraffe only to have it taken over by the Mbiri Pride. The two prides fought aggressively over the giraffe and the sounds coming off the carcass were incredible. Some of the Nharu ran off but amazingly some stayed behind and fought, and then continued to feed on the remains of the giraffe with the Mbiris. No lions from either pride were injured. The Mbiri’s managed to bring down a large male buffalo only two days later, and kept up their reputation of being the ultimate hunting pride in the area.

The Talamati pride was seen in the south with one young Avoca Male on a wildebeest carcass.

The Koppies prides is looking great and were viewed on multiple occasions with the two males growing in stature and into an impressive size.

Another pride was viewed in the far north consisting of 7 females and 5 cubs - we will be referring to them as the Orpen Pride in future posts, and the 2 large males that move with them as the Orpen Males. These two males are very impressive and are moving further south into the reserve, becoming a threat to the Koppies males.

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

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That first photo is a couple of the Avoca/Giraffe males, and it has been confirmed that the Orpen males are Junior Nkuhuma and his partner Buddy.

RE: Lions of Timbavati - Potato - 11-19-2018

Thanks for answer.

RE: Lions of Timbavati - Peteporker - 11-19-2018

Herekitty Wrote:
Peteporker Wrote:From Tintswalo: looks like some new males moving in that Tintswalo are calling the Orpen Males

The lions stole the show this week, with 5 different prides being seen and 3 different coalitions of males. An amazing sighting unfolded when the Nharu Pride managed to bring down a sub-adult giraffe only to have it taken over by the Mbiri Pride. The two prides fought aggressively over the giraffe and the sounds coming off the carcass were incredible. Some of the Nharu ran off but amazingly some stayed behind and fought, and then continued to feed on the remains of the giraffe with the Mbiris. No lions from either pride were injured. The Mbiri’s managed to bring down a large male buffalo only two days later, and kept up their reputation of being the ultimate hunting pride in the area.

The Talamati pride was seen in the south with one young Avoca Male on a wildebeest carcass.

The Koppies prides is looking great and were viewed on multiple occasions with the two males growing in stature and into an impressive size.

Another pride was viewed in the far north consisting of 7 females and 5 cubs - we will be referring to them as the Orpen Pride in future posts, and the 2 large males that move with them as the Orpen Males. These two males are very impressive and are moving further south into the reserve, becoming a threat to the Koppies males.

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

That first photo is a couple of the Avoca/Giraffe males, and it has been confirmed that the Orpen males are Junior Nkuhuma and his partner Buddy.

Thanks, I hope Junior and Buddy push further south so we can get more regular updates on them.

RE: Lions of Timbavati - Peteporker - 11-19-2018

Herekitty Wrote:In 2016 Shindzela Camp reported that the Avoca cubs born at that time were fathered by either the 5 Giraffe males or 3 Avoca males (hopefully the former to avoid inbreeding). The Avocas & Giraffes were all fathered by the old Ross males and had formed a loose coalition. The Avoca males are a year or two older than their half brothers and believed to be born around 2006-7. Some of these guys are still seen around Manyeleti and Timbavati, and are possibly still in residence with the Mbiris and Nharu (Birmingham breakaway) prides.

As well as the 5 young Avoca males in the north and south of Sabi Sands, there's also two young Avoca males (called Xikukutsu males) in the process of been kicked out of the Avoca pride in the vicinity of Makanyi Lodge and Shindzela. In the last couple of days the Mapoza male who is currently mating with the Avoca lionesses, got into a scrap with the Avoca boys around a kill. It looks like the young guys can fight. Images by Ziggi Hugo, November 18, 2018

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Good post with the history of the Avocas. Do you know if the Old Ross Males also fathered the two Ross males or did the two males just happened to be born into the Ross pride? I would have to say that the Old Ross Males were very successful in passing on their genes if all the Avocas (old, north, south and young) and the two Ross males are traced back to the Old Ross Males.

RE: Lions of Timbavati - Herekitty - 11-20-2018

EDIT: WE HAVE SINCE LEARNED FROM ZIGGI HUGO THAT SOME OF THE INFORMATION IN THE ARTICLE BELOW IS INCORRECT, THE GOOD & BAD WERE BORN INTO THE GIRAFFE PRIDE IN KLASERIE. THEY FATHERED THE CURRENT ROSS MALES, ROCKFIG MALE AND (CONFUSINGLY BECAUSE IT IMPLIES INCEST) ALL THE GIRAFFE MALES KNOWN AS AVOCA/GIRAFFES. THE AVOCA/GIRAFFE MALES WERE WERE BORN INTO THE GIRAFFE PRIDE IN EARLY 2009, AND THE DOMINANT GIRAFFE SUBADULT BRUTUS REFERRED TO BELOW IS ONE OF THE TWO OLDER 'AVOCA/GIRAFFE' MALES WHO FROM MID-2013 WENT INTO MAKANYI LODGE AND SHINDZELA IN THE TIMBAVATI AND DOMINATED THE AVOCA PRIDE, THEN FROM 2016 TOOK THE BIRMINGHAM PRIDE FROM THE NORTHERN MATIMBAS IN NGALA, THEN WENT INTO MANYELETI TO TAKE THE MBIRI AND NHARU PRIDE IN 2017.

THE ONGOING SAGA BETWEEN THE ROSS PRIDE VS THE GIRAFFE PRIDE has never failed to attract attention, especially given the tumultuous history these prides share. The Ross Pride in particular has a much publicised following that many readers have tracked religiously. Since 2008, when the borders between the Klaserie and Timbavati nature reserves were dropped, the formidable strength of this large lion pride has been fractured. The triumphs and successes match the tragedies that these lions have suffered, yet the Ross Pride continues to create excitement as they determinedly defend their territory in the Klaserie. Their opponents, true to tradition, are the members of the Giraffe Pride.

Each of these Kruger heavyweight prides is led by strong males that were once part of a coalition of three. Two of these males, hailing from deeper in the Timbavati, took on a few of the Ross females who had hung well below the radar between the years 2010 and 2012 after their dominant leaders, Tyson and Fabio, had been killed in a lion hunting incident. The Good and the Bad, as this leading pair is known, have bravely brought this pride out of the pits of destruction and now represent a strong and fierce male presence in the Ross Pride. Suffering tragedy after tragedy, this grand pride – once twenty females strong and reigning supreme under the leadership of Scar Face up until 2008 – has defeated the odds, and now, more than ever, fuels the fire of the lion fans.

In order to gain a full understanding of the might of this group of lions and the strength of the bond of a pride, it should be known (for those who may not have followed the story from the beginning!) that this spectacular group of beasts puts up a fight each and every time the arch enemy presents an attack. After losing two fearless leaders, the remaining pride members retreated and the end of their legacy was speculated, as the fading group of females and cubs scavenged and hid for their own protection. Without a territory to call their own, a pride of lions will not survive the odds. Over time, three females and fourteen cubs died and the remaining members of the Ross Pride were not seen very often for two years.

In late 2011, in a miraculous turn of events, old Ross Pride females were spotted around the Klaserie. Two Timbavati males were stepping up to stake their claims and territory was once again up for grabs. These comeback males, aptly named the Good and the Bad, for their contrasting physical appearances, regrouped this ailing gang of females and took them back to old Ross territory. All seemed to be looking up when these lions produced a few litters of cubs, including two rare white lion cubs!

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The Giraffe Pride, accompanied by the third member of the previous male coalition, also boasted two thriving white lions and a coalition of young strong males; including Brutus – a particularly menacing member of the group and no doubt, a future King! Young Giraffe King Brutus and his brothers.

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As soon as the future looked optimistic for the Ross lion pride, an unhealthy and desperate female started preying on the young cubs that were so fundamental in growing the pride once again. Eventually this burdened female passed away and it was possible for the Good and the Bad to lead their pride toward success.

Over December and January, the Ross Pride ate well and is gaining strength once again; however, it merely takes a territorial scuffle to remind one that these two ferocious teams are in a game of survival of the fittest, and they are not about to share the title! At a buffalo kill made by the Ross Pride, just too close to the Giraffe Pride territory, defense set in and the battle for land lifted dust high into the air as four Ross females were attacked and chased off their hearty meal; sadly losing their last living cub in the fight.

Aside from a bit of healthy competition, the handsome Good and the bedraggled Bad seem to be striding to the top of the ranks and present a formidable challenge to any potential young guns. One of the females is pregnant and the Ross Pride is hanging around the Africa on Foot & nThambo territory (known as “Ross”, hence the name of the pride) providing superb sightings right from the lodge viewing points. Still timid when approached on foot, these lions have been frequently spotted from game vehicles and are creating an excitable buzz, as lion lovers gear up for a powerful revival of a renowned pride! Images of the Good and the Bad.

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https://www.sunsafaris.com/blog/2013/01/the-klaserie-lion-lowdown-ross-pride-vs-giraffe-pride/