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Lions of Sabi Sands - Printable Version

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RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - Tr1x24 - 05-10-2022

(05-10-2022, 12:29 PM)Potato Wrote: An interesting time ahead with the Lions in the Western Sector.
The Othawa Pride have been dodging 2 new coalitions coming in both from the North and South East.
A few nights ago the lion activity around the lodge was intense. We listened to roaring lions the whole night and the next morning was a huge challenge to track the lions. We followed tracks of 3 males running and chasing each other all the way down to the South.
Finally we caught up with the Birmingham and Nkuhuma males. By the sounds of it we believe they were being chased by the Tumbela Male.

Wow, Skorro Jr fights back, but he needs to be careful, he has best shot to stay with Othawa females, who showed that they are willing to defend the cubs.

Also Ximhungwe female might help in distracting those 2.

RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - Hairy tummy - 05-10-2022

Skorro jnr, brave guy! If it was nhenha and tinyo, with their experience, skorro jnr would probably be dead?! The pc males seem to have been quiet the last week or two, i wonder when they will make another move

RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - Tr1x24 - 05-10-2022

(05-10-2022, 04:08 PM)Hairy tummy Wrote: Skorro jnr, brave guy! If it was nhenha and tinyo, with their experience, skorro jnr would probably be dead?! The pc males seem to have been quiet the last week or two, i wonder when they will make another move

PC boys are busy with Mhangeni female :



RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - Slayerd - 05-10-2022

(05-10-2022, 12:52 PM)Tr1x24 Wrote:
(05-10-2022, 12:29 PM)Potato Wrote: An interesting time ahead with the Lions in the Western Sector.
The Othawa Pride have been dodging 2 new coalitions coming in both from the North and South East.
A few nights ago the lion activity around the lodge was intense. We listened to roaring lions the whole night and the next morning was a huge challenge to track the lions. We followed tracks of 3 males running and chasing each other all the way down to the South.
Finally we caught up with the Birmingham and Nkuhuma males. By the sounds of it we believe they were being chased by the Tumbela Male.

Wow, Skorro Jr fights back, but he needs to be careful, he has best shot to stay with Othawa females, who showed that they are willing to defend the cubs.

Also Ximhungwe female might help in distracting those 2.
Except this was a couple of days ago whilst the recent interactions happened two days ago. Nhenha is currently mating with the Ximunghwe female who for some reason doesn't actually look pregnant although it's hard to tell. The Nkuhuma Male isn't far behind but Nhenha is clearly taking mating rights. The Tumbela Male chasing them is also just a theory as it could be the opposite or just a back and forth. It clearly didn't ward of the Intruders because they are still in his territory mating with his female and interacted with his pride.

RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - Tr1x24 - 05-10-2022

(05-10-2022, 06:16 PM)Slayerd Wrote: Except this was a couple of days ago whilst the recent interactions happened two days ago. Nhenha is currently mating with the Ximunghwe female who for some reason doesn't actually look pregnant although it's hard to tell. The Nkuhuma Male isn't far behind but Nhenha is clearly taking mating rights. The Tumbela Male chasing them is also just a theory as it could be the opposite or just a back and forth. It clearly didn't ward of the Intruders because they are still in his territory mating with his female and interacted with his pride.

Idk when it happened, it doesnt say, regardless before or after, point is that Skorro Jr. is still in there and fighting, even after the clash he reunited with all Othawas again, meaning that NK/Nhenha where somehow "pushed" back or "distracted" from Othawas as they now turned to Ximhungwe female. 

It is 1 vs 2, Skorro Jr is doing miracle for now, most males would already abandon this area in his position.

He had encounter with PC males and multiple encounters with NK/Nhenha, even fight with Nhenha thru the past weeks, and still holds on.

Even if he gets ousted/defeated eventually, he tried his best.

RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - Tr1x24 - 05-10-2022

Nhenha vs NK male fight over Ximhungwe female :



I mean NK male didn't want to fight, but Nhenha is showing he is still a beast at over 11 yrs of age.

Shame that somebody didn't film Nhenha vs Skorro Jr. that was prob way more fierce and intense.

RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - Slayerd - 05-10-2022

(05-10-2022, 06:44 PM)Tr1x24 Wrote:
(05-10-2022, 06:16 PM)Slayerd Wrote: Except this was a couple of days ago whilst the recent interactions happened two days ago. Nhenha is currently mating with the Ximunghwe female who for some reason doesn't actually look pregnant although it's hard to tell. The Nkuhuma Male isn't far behind but Nhenha is clearly taking mating rights. The Tumbela Male chasing them is also just a theory as it could be the opposite or just a back and forth. It clearly didn't ward of the Intruders because they are still in his territory mating with his female and interacted with his pride.

Idk when it happened, it doesnt say, regardless before or after, point is that Skorro Jr. is still in there and fighting, even after the clash he reunited with all Othawas again, meaning that NK/Nhenha where somehow "pushed" back or "distracted" from Othawas as they now turned to Ximhungwe female. 

It is 1 vs 2, Skorro Jr is doing miracle for now, most males would already abandon this area in his position.

He had encounter with PC males and multiple encounters with NK/Nhenha, even fight with Nhenha thru the past weeks, and still holds on.

Even if he gets ousted/defeated eventually, he tried his best.

Yeah its nothing on Skorro, he is trying his best but his situation isn't improving

RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - Brahim - 05-10-2022

2 oldest Kambula males (Birmingham males sons) have moved further away and now seen near Phabeni today.
Credit: Kruger Gateway Safaris

RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - Gavskrr - 05-10-2022

and here we go again, hope they have better luck than the last ones that went that way, i really don't like this area due to the historic

RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - Tr1x24 - 05-10-2022

(05-10-2022, 08:29 PM)Gavskrr Wrote: and here we go again, hope they have better luck than the last ones that went that way, i really don't like this area due to the historic

Young males will move in Kruger, thats how it is, theres very few young males (coalitions even less) that stayed and become dominant in Sabi Sands, in past 10 years, what, only Othawa Male and now Nkuhuma male (we could also argue Fourways and Charlestons, but they also eventually moved into Kruger).

Also 90% of young, nomadic males moves from Sabi Sands towards south, idk if its random but thats how it is. It looks like thats the normal "flow" of male coalitions in this part of western Kruger, to move south : Timbavati -> Manyeleti -> Sabi Sands -> Southern Kruger. 

As for young males who moved southwest, towards Phabeni and Pretoriuskop areas (Mhangenis and Talamati, Southern and Selati Talamatis and now recently Othawa males) we actually dont know what happened to them and what their fate was, as far as we know, some of them might be still alive south of Pretoriuskop, area from which we have 0 reports as theres pretty much no roads there. 

Yes, that area is known for high poaching and "snare" acitvity, but that doesnt mean all of them had that fate, in the end, majority of young, nomadic males doesnt survive nomadic phase.

RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - Wyld@Heart - 05-10-2022

(05-10-2022, 09:31 PM)Tr1x24 Wrote: as far as we know, some of them might be still alive south of Pretoriuskop, area from which we have 0 reports as theres pretty much no roads there. 

Yes, that area is known for high poaching and "snare" acitvity
Yes, and yes. Apart from the loop roads just outside Pretoriuskop South of the camp all the way to Berg en Dal is just the single road, the Voortrekker Road (can't think of the road number now) and the Wilderness Camps. It's a vast area of wilderness larger by far than the entire Sabi Sands.

Sadly though, the neighboring communities border almost right onto the Kruger boundaries as well and being so vast and remote also means SANPARKS and the SANDF face huge challenges to patrol it and poaching and snares are a problem. Interestingly, on my way out of the park when I visited, I used Malelane gate to exit and on the way down I noticed that alot of the no entry roads that rangers use to patrol into that area had signs warning of cameras in use so it seems that remote observation is in use in that part of the Kruger now and hopefully it's making a difference.

I'd also like to think of nomadic males getting 'lost' in such remoteness and finding a pride and a territory. We can hope, eh?

RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - Duco Ndona - 05-11-2022

The Ximhungwe lioness is nomadic and not really anyone's lioness. Lionesses in her position mate with any male lion in the neighbourhood to confuse them into accepting any cubs, to distract males from cubs or to not get killed. So this behaviour is not weird for her or indicative of any power shifts. Just her trying to survive in a shifting lion political landscape. Still, if the Birmingham and Nkuhuma male become the Ximhungwes new pride males, it could buy the Othawas time to leave the area and diffuse the conflict for a while. 

Some Mangheni lionesses are currently hanging out with the PC males so that could explain why they haven't made any moves lately.

And yeah. In nature, nomadic male lions aren't worth much. They are constantly chased away from food and often killed by other lions. Only the best of the best get to survive, so young coalitions disappearing is nothing new or strange.

RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - kobe8jf1234 - 05-11-2022

(05-11-2022, 12:12 AM)Duco Ndona Wrote: The Ximhungwe lioness is nomadic and not really anyone's lioness. Lionesses in her position mate with any male lion in the neighbourhood to confuse them into accepting any cubs, to distract males from cubs or to not get killed. So this behaviour is not weird for her or indicative of any power shifts. Just her trying to survive in a shifting lion political landscape. Still, if the Birmingham and Nkuhuma male become the Ximhungwes new pride males, it could buy the Othawas time to leave the area and diffuse the conflict for a while. 

Some Mangheni lionesses are currently hanging out with the PC males so that could explain why they haven't made any moves lately.

And yeah. In nature, nomadic male lions aren't worth much. They are constantly chased away from food and often killed by other lions. Only the best of the best get to survive, so young coalitions disappearing is nothing new or strange.

hope all 7 stick together that there best way to survive it rough

RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - Tr1x24 - 05-11-2022

(05-11-2022, 12:12 AM)Duco Ndona Wrote: And yeah. In nature, nomadic male lions aren't worth much. They are constantly chased away from food and often killed by other lions. Only the best of the best get to survive, so young coalitions disappearing is nothing new or strange.

I wouldn't say "best of the best survive", i think "luck" is more important, such as being lucky to be born with many brothers and form big coalition with them (very important), or if alone being on right place at the right time to meet partners or some free pride and empty area, or being in the right area where theres no big coalitions ruling, or age at which they are forced to leave their natal pride (3.5 - 4 yrs old males have greater chances then 2 - 2.5 yrs old) etc..

But in the end numbers are key, 1 lone young male can be "best of the best", far superior then some males who are in a coalition of 4-6, but he has far less chances to suceed then them, and if he doesn't get "lucky", he wont.

RE: Lions of Sabi Sands - Potato - 05-11-2022

I find a bit suprising that Nhenha seem to be more dominant of the two. Nhenha surely is still in top shape, but Nkuchuma male is just about as large as Nhenha, but younger, fitter and one could expect also stronger. It doesn't seem to be the case through unless it will later on turn out that it is just single instance when Nkuchuma male is more subbmissive. 

Even if those two won't be able to takeover Othawa pride then sitll having 2 females coming into heat (Ximunghwe and Othawa breakaway) is still decent price.

Tumbela male might try to stick to the Othawa pride, keeping also low profile, through it would be dangerous game. Leaving arena would be best bet for him through it would also lower chances of his offspring for reaching adulthood. Probably not by much through as anyway little he would have done if he would be up against 2 adult males.