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Lion tales
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http://bigonwild.co.za/the-mazithi-males-defend-their-territory/?fbclid=IwAR0RMgdAubjcXB1rxnDZsUTMugW9KL2GMhb75908sC1ZvRu6VXpaf_tIvBs
November 2019 Mazithi males defend their territory against intruder male We are excited to have a guest on the blog for today’s post, Leigh-Ann Aingworth, she was recently at the Kruger and she is here to share an incredible sighting from her trip. Leigh-Ann is a part-time photographer, wildlife being her passion. She is from Durban and since Kruger is around 700km away she makes it a point to visit the park once a year, but visits Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park for her bush fix. “We were staying at Lower Sabie and had been sitting at an awesome sighting of my favourite animal, the leopard, it was up a tree with a kill. We decided to move on from the causeway and we carried on along the H4-1 and had stopped someone heading the opposite way to tell him about the leopard and he told us there are two male lions on the river bank about 500m on, I think the gentleman meant 5km, because we drove on for a while thinking we had missed the lions completely and all of a sudden they were there!” Leigh-Ann told us, Leigh-Ann, who is Greame Mitchley cousin, found out from him that the two male lions were the Mazithi brothers who are often seen around the Lubyelubye rocks with their cubs and pride lionesses. “So we parked on the side of the road to take some pictures, a while later someone pointed out that there was a third lion further up the river bank. The third lion was firstly laying low and relaxing like only lions know how to, when he started making his way down the river bank, and we just assumed he was going to join his “brothers”, he looked very unflustered and didn’t approach the other lions aggressively at all, next minute the Mazithi brothers are up and all hell broke loose. “My heart nearly jumped out of my chest!! I have seen lions fighting on TV programmes and it’s never nice to see, my finger just pressed down on my camera button and I clicked away, I actually was so scared for the poor trespassing lion, that I didn’t really remember seeing too much just hoping I was getting good pictures and also hoping that the poor lion lived. “The sighting only lasted a couple minutes, the trespasser submitted to them and the Mazithi males waltzed off and sat together on the rock whilst the other lion sat for a while and then thankfully got up and walked off licking his wounds.”  *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  *This image is copyright of its original author
http://rtrwildlifevideos.blogspot.com/2012/03/new-era-begins-meet-selati-male-lions.html
Late 2011/early 2012 Salatis vs Mapogos take over The Selati Males are a coalition of four lions born into the Southern Pride in 2007 and 2008 and sired by the Golf Course males. When they first left their maternal pride there were five males but their wanderings brought them into the territory of the Majingalane males where a fight between the two coalitions resulted in one of the younger Selati males being fatally wounded. The four males needed to find a place to grow and avoid contact with the Majingalanes and that saw them pushing towards the western section of the reserve, a place that they had been previously as youngsters when the pride was spending time trailing the buffalo herd. It was a slow approach, the young males were accomplished buffalo hunters and following the big herd and building themselves up was the primary goal at the time. At this time the young Othawa pride had also taken a liking to the buffalo herd and inevitably the two groups met, this time it was the Selati males that emerged as the victors, killing the youngest male of the pride. The victory proved to be short lived as the Mapogo coalition somehow got wind of the new males on the edges of their territory and chased them back south. It would be a while before we heard of the Selati males in the west again, but eventually they did return, again following the big buffalo herd. At the same tome two of the Mapogo males were in the same general area, also looking for the buffalo, speculation was rife as to what would happen if the four young males bumped into the two big old males - would numbers or experience win the day? In the end there was no confrontation, both sets of males making a kill a few kilometres apart. The two mapogos only took down a calf, whilst the Selati boys had an adult, this meant that the two older males finished first and began patrolling, straight towards the younger males. It seems that upon hearing the roars of the Mapogo getting closer, the Selati males left their buffalo kill and moved briskly in the opposite direction, the older males never even knew they were there and another conflict had been avoided. Again it would be a couple of months before the Selati males were heard of in the west, but the next time they were close things were beginning to change. One of the lionesses from the Ximhungwe pride had come into oestrus and was looking for a mate. The three Mapogo were a long distance from the pride with a buffalo kill and she did not know where they were. The Selati males were roaring to her east and following her urge to find a mate she went towards the position where she would be sure to find a male. Mating occurred with one or more of the Selati males and she returned to the pride a few days later, just as the Mapogo had finished their kill. The Mapogo would have had no idea she had mated with rival males so there would be no problems with any eventual cubs. The Selati males had now received a confidence boost, the lure of females brought them further west once more, again at a time when the ruling Mapogo coalition were indisposed, this time with two buffalo kills between the three of them. The Selati males were patrolling and marking late one evening and were seen heading in the general direction of where the older males were feeding. The next morning the four young males were found looking very pleased with themselves only a short distance away from where the Mapogo coalition had been feeding, the three Mapogo were found shortly after, heading away from the area, one of the males was badly beaten. It seemed that the Selati males had begun a serious attempt to takeover the Mapogo territory. Whilst the Mapogo males stayed quiet in the southern reaches of their territory, the Selati males began to explore the northern areas and made themselves a buffalo kill, the takeover was on pause whilst they fed. At around this time the Ximhungwe lioness came back into oestrus, and again the Mapogos were quiet whilst the Selati males were roaring, having finished feeding. Again the lionesses hormones took her to the younger males as her pride males were inactive. A day or two later the Mapogos did begin to advertise their presence and the lioness hurriedly left the young males to continue mating with the males she was more familiar with. The 4 Selati males, knowing the position of the older males, began to further explore the northern areas before becoming hungry and returning south to look for the buffalo herd. The mapogos again took down a pair of buffalo, close to the spot where the previous double kill occurred. The Selati males were at this time only a maximum of two kilometres away and it seemed another fight was on the cards. To begin with, nothing happened, the two coalitions missed each other. Then on the morning of the 16th of March they met... The ensuing battle resulted in two of the Mapogo heading east to the far edge of their territory and one of them lying dead on the side of the road, tattered torn and broken. The four Selati males had some superficial scratches and seemingly a new territory. In the days since the fight the Selati males have been up and down the western section, making, calling and generally establishing themselves as the new owners of the area. they still have to take over the two resident prides (Othawa and Ximhungwe) and there is till the possibility that the remaining two Mapogo males may try to fight back. The coming months will be an interesting time for the local lion population as well as for those that follow the developments, already the tracks of the remaining two Mapogo males have been seen in the area again, and the one of the Selati males got a bit of a hiding from the lionesses of the Ximhunwe pride when he came too close this morning!  (02-05-2020, 10:23 PM)Potato Wrote: Late 2011/early 2012 I always wondered why Selatis moved north instead of south into Kruger, idk why but majority of coalitions / nomadic young lions move south instead of north in/thru Sabi Sands. We can see this pattern in numerous examples : Majingas, S. Matimbas, Avocas, Bboys, Tsalalas, Charlestons, Fourways, Styx males, Mhangeni and Talamati males, Sparta males and recently 2 Talamatis with 2 Southern Pride males. All this coalitions moved south thru the years from where they first emerged, Selatis are the only coalition that moved north, very strange. Yea we had coalitions that came from Kruger into the south of Sabi Sands like Kruger males, Toulons and Sand River males, but they never pushed further north like Selatis did.  (02-06-2020, 12:19 AM)Tr1x24 Wrote:(02-05-2020, 10:23 PM)Potato Wrote: Late 2011/early 2012 Isn't it more a case of the path of least resistance? The Selatis found it easy to take on the aging Mapogos and so moved north. If they had run into Majingas, they probably would have moved south.
I think it is generally random. There were coalition which decided to push north insteed of south beside Salatis like Othawa males (Mapogo sons), Sizanani males, Northen Matimbas (althrought that one was more like forced move than willing one), Junior Nkuhuma or Matshipiris. Also Southern Matimbas were moving north after they were ousted by Matshipiris.
https://www.leopardhills.com/blog/safari-game-rangers/what-happens-when-two-male-lions-meet-while-a-lioness-is-in-estrous/
September 2009 Mapogos clashes with each others over mating rights  *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  *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  *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 These are 2 of the Mapogos; the one with the dark black mane is the oldest Mapogo and the other one is the one with the ‘dread lock’ on his chest. He also has a scar on his left shoulder (you can see the scar in some of the pics). Both are still alive but limping a bit; noting too serious. The younger male was the victor and stole the female from the old one. (02-06-2020, 12:57 AM)Matimbalani Wrote:(02-06-2020, 12:19 AM)Tr1x24 Wrote:(02-05-2020, 10:23 PM)Potato Wrote: Late 2011/early 2012 They actually had run into Majingilanes as well and it did not end up well for Salatis.
http://singita.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Singita-Sabi-Sand-Wildlife-Report-January-2014.pdf
January of 2014 The end of Sparta male Cleo The Selati male lions continue to reign supreme in the north and the west of Singita, even though they've lost one of their coalition members. Two of the Selati males moved south for a few days and they had a successful kill of a buffalo cow that they fed on for two days. Lions are the most visible, most gregarious and nosiest of all the cats. The patriarchs, regal with their large manes of hair as fragmented as dry grass, dominate the territories and invisible lines are drawn between prides. As dawn broke across the grass plains we could hear distant roaring. After a few minutes it was evident that the roaring was coming from more than one lion. As we continued our route towards the sound we realised that the roars were further and further south, as if the two animals were moving very quickly. We eventually got sight of a single male and in a zigzag motion he continued to mark his territory and emit short 'grunt roars'. A second male appeared and they both swiftly changed direction again, this time heading further east. We were now bordering the area where the Mashingalane male lions roam. In the distance we could see a third lion. Was this the battle that we had all been waiting for between the great coalitions of the east and the west? The Mashingalane males currently out-number the Selati males by one, and are a force to be reckoned with. As we approached the single male we noticed that the Selati males had already attacked him, as there were bite wounds around his rump and close to his spine. It was also noted that he was younger and smaller despite his darkened mane of hair. The two Selati males approached the third male cautiously but valiant enough to have short bursts of charging the male lion into submission, and instinctively the single young male lion sat on his hindquarters and moved his body in a circular motion to protect his spine and rump area. Teeth were exposed in a fierce grimace towards the two male lions. Within the short time that we saw this interaction several fights broke out between the three males and often with the two Selati males taking advantage of the fact that they could attack from various sides, keeping the single male lion at a disadvantage and inflicting more bite marks around his rump. After a couple of hours the three lions settled down and lay in the shade a short distance from each other. The exertion of the fight had exhausted the males. The two males then stood up and walked off from the third male and headed back west roaring again as they moved through the long grass. The third male was identified as the Sparta male that had been seen on a few occasions with the Tsalala male. They both were initially seen on a wildebeest carcass and were later chased by a large herd of buffalo. The Tsalala male lion was much larger than the Sparta male. The Sparta and Tsalala male lions had ventured from the south obviously in search of territory and we saw them on several occasions after the wildebeest carcass incident. They had disappeared for approximately two weeks since then. Lions will often move in search of territory and one of the most vulnerable times is when they try and establish a territory of their own. Wounds are often inflicted around the rump from fights amongst males - these could be scratches or bite puncture wounds from the large canine teeth. At about five years of age a male lion has developed a thick mane of hair to protect their necks during fierce battles. On the topic of lions and their injuries I have witnessed a female lion in Singita Kruger National Park survive with a broken front leg. A young male accompanied the female lion for the several months and she was dependent on the male for survival. They had been seen several kilometres to the west of the Singita concession in the Kruger National Park still moving together and the female was in good condition despite her now deformed leg. Lions are resilient creatures and will often overcome injuries very quickly, particularly skin tears, puncture wounds or ligament tears. Lions are afforded the ability to rest for long periods and rely on the remaining pride members to hunt on their behalf. There is also an added advantage to being in a pride or a coalition - they will often mutually groom each other and during this bonding they'll clean a wound by instinctively licking it. We returned later in the afternoon to the area where the Sparta male was lying in long grass, in the shade. Nearby was a small pool of water that had accumulated from the rain. He had been rolling in it and was lying on his back to avoid the flies from bothering his wounds. The following afternoon we found the male again in long grass, still lying on his back, but he had moved a considerable distance therefore his injury was not life-threatening. We stopped for a sundowner before deciding to return to the sighting. As we stood listening to the silence of the bush, we suddenly heard a lion roar just to the west of where we were standing approximately 200 metres in the bush. As the light faded we all stood motionless with our binoculars to try and find the male. Finally he put his head up in the long grass. As the light faded we packed up our sundowners and decided to head back to lodge and not put unnecessary strain on the Sparta male that was not too far away from the roaring lion. The following day the Sparta male was seen still in the same position, but by the afternoon he'd gone and that's the last we've seen of him. (02-16-2020, 11:17 PM)Potato Wrote: January of 2014 Cleo and Solo:  *This image is copyright of its original author Unfortunately they lived in a time surrounded by big coalitions, but they still become legends of Sabi Sands..
https://inyatigamelodge.com/2012/10/18/ndzhati-september-2012-wildlife-journal/
https://inyatigamelodge.com/2013/05/01/nyenyenyani-february-2013-safari-journal/ https://inyatigamelodge.com/2013/05/06/nyenyankulu-march-2013-safari-journal/?fb_source=pubv1 https://inyatigamelodge.com/2013/07/04/april-dzivamusoko-2013-safari-journal/ https://inyatigamelodge.com/2013/07/14/may-mudyaxihi-may-2013-safari-journal/?fb_source=pubv1 https://inyatigamelodge.com/2013/09/26/august-mhawuri-safari-journal2013/ https://inyatigamelodge.com/2013/10/26/ndzhati-september-2013-safari-journal/ https://inyatigamelodge.com/2013/11/15/nhlangula-october-2013-safari-journal/ http://singita.com/wp-content/uploads/20...l-2013.pdf http://singita.com/wp-content/uploads/20...-20142.pdf http://singita.com/wp-content/uploads/20...4.docx.pdf 2012-2014 Majingilanes vs Salatis warfare September 2012 The Selati males and Ximhungwe lionesses have been very active giving great sightings throughout the month. The males are now starting to look like pride males as their girth and confidence improve. The four males killed three buffalos this month of which one was only couple of kilometres from the lodge. One of the interesting things worth mentioning is that Majingelane male coalition had a few visits into area, keeping the Selati males on their toes. The larger male of Selati coalition of lions were seen running past the front of the lodge while roaring , one morning, upon close observation we noticed fresh, bleeding battle wounds, we latter received reports of two Majingelane males and one Othawa lioness were in the area he came running from. On the following drive we located one of the other males (one with bad limp) of the Selati male coalition with battle wounds. [color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6)][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6)]  *This image is copyright of its original author [/color][/color]February 2013 The coalition is still going very strong in defending their territory. During the month of this report we have seen them pushing more towards the eastern section of their territory, possibly following Othawa pride. This resulted in a territorial battle with the Manjingelane males, a coalition of four males that denominate the north-eastern of the Sabi sand game reserve. Two of the Selati males were injured in this fight, one had his bottom lip split and the other got his eye badly injured. Sadly the Selati male who got injured by buffalo who was recovering his condition have change direction, he now deteriorated, looking thin again. March 2013 [i]The last three months have been tough for the Selati coalition, the Majinilane have been keeping them on their toes. There was another dispute between these two groups of male lions this month. Three Majingilane male lions came across one Selati male, the smaller one and a Othawa lioness mating. Majingilane retreated immediately and one other Selati join in chasing the intruding males north-west across the sand river. We herd commotion across the river unfortunately we could follow across. It was on few minutes after the two Selati males chased Majingilane males, when suddenly we saw our boys running back across with the three males chasing them back. It was only the younger two of the Selati males that were in this territorial dispute. The Majingilane had the upper hand since three of the Selati we still injured, two were injured in previous battle and the third one was injured by buffalo and was not well enough to participate in this fight. There were no major added injuries on the recent territorial fight. However one of the males who was actively fighting and chasing the three intruding male is now badly limping. The boys are recovering well even managed to kill two buffalo cows in one evening. One of the Selati males showing battle scars after the encounter with the Majingilane males.[/i] [i]  *This image is copyright of its original author [/i][i]April 2013[/i] [i][i]The four male lions are recovering well from the battle injuries, the Majingelane coalition of lions have stayed away for a while. The Selati spent good part of the month of trailing behind the three Othawa lionesses.[/i][/i] [i][i]From the Singita April[/i][/i] [i][i]We set out for our afternoon game drive with the intention of following up on a male lion that had been seen in the morning, lying on the sandy banks of the Sand River - at a place we call 'the beach'.[/i][/i] [i][i]As we approached the first drainage line, lined with massive jackalberry trees, we heard the sound of a Wahlberg’s eagle that was not happy about something... Not being able to see what the commotion was about, we used our binoculars to have a closer look, and discovered a large Verreaux’s eagle-owl, perched in the shade. The eagle was taunting the owl. Owl mobbing by diurnal birds is fairly common, as they see them as a threat. Owls will prey on roosting birds, and in the case of Verreaux’s eagle-owls, they feed on a wide range of prey including young monkeys and warthog piglets. [/i][/i] [i][i]As the owl flew off to another large dense riverine tree, followed by the eagle, we heard a male lion roaring and the sound was coming from the beach. As we arrived there my colleague, Mark Broodryk, radioed that he had found the lion lying close to its last position. [/i][/i] [i][i]We were lucky to hear him roaring once more. Roaring is ability unique to leopards, lions, tigers and jaguars. It is due to two hyoids bones in their throats that vibrate, and a specialized larynx. The male was most likely trying to find his brothers - they had been separated for the past week since one of them had been seen mating with a lioness. The male we were looking at had not been as victorious and was recuperating after a rather vicious fight that left him limping and in a rather sorry state! What followed next could not have been predicted.[/i][/i] [i][i]We saw the head of a rival lion emerge from the tall grass on the northern bank, a mere fifty metres from him. We sat patiently and saw another head appear… then another. They were three large males from a coalition known as the Majingilane. Their territory extends to the east of Singita and rarely have they been seen so far west. [/i][/i] [i][i]Our male, the Selati male, seemed to have no clue of the danger he was facing, as the three males peered down the bank but were unable to spot him lying on the sand! Luckily for him he didn’t roar and opted for what lions do best, which is sleep... [/i][/i] [i][i]A hooded vulture landed right in front of him, adding to the eeriness of the scene. My tracker Mishack and I were convinced the males would soon descend the bank and most likely kill the lone male. After 30 minutes of sniffing the air and gazing intently they made their move. Choosing a prominent game trail north of our male, scent marking as they came down the bank, they arrived at the river's edge. Two of the Majingilane then crossed the river. At this point the third male saw our single Selati male. Our male crouched and held his ground. The Majingilane male started making soft moans and contact called his brothers who were looking about on the southern bank. The Selati male then, to our utter astonishment, stood up and strode towards the third brother, who quickly crossed the river to join up with the other two.[/i][/i] [i][i]When all three regrouped and realised they had no sign of him on the southern bank, they turned to see him standing defiantly on the opposite side. Galvanized together they chased after him, running through the river and out of view. The Selati male had a good 50 metre lead on the Majingilane males, and ran due north. After 10 minutes we heard lots of roaring and saw three Majingilane males running south, through the river and being trailed by the Selati male and a couple of minutes later one of his missing brothers. [/i][/i] [i][i]The territorial dispute was over and the Majingilane males opted for a hasty retreat rather than fighting the two Selati males. What an amazing afternoon full of surprises and excitement that ended well for all of them. It was good to see the Selati males stand their ground, because a couple of years ago, before they had become territorial males, they had lost another of their brothers to the Majingilane males. This was the first time we've witnessed them coming face to face since, and it will surely happen again. They are now evenly matched, a total of four in each coalition, and all in their prime.[/i][/i] [i][i]May 2013[/i][/i] [i][i]These males have been very active throughout the month moving great distances covering every corner of their territory. It could because of the recent encounters they had with Manjingelane coalition of male lions, but it could also be that they have pick up scent of the new pride(southern) frequenting the area.[/i][/i] [i][i]  *This image is copyright of its original author [/i][/i][i][i]One of the Selati male lion has fresh wounds, we are not sure what happened. He could have met the Manjingelane males again. The boys may have fought among themselves as there is a lioness of Othawa pride that is in oestrous and they have been taking turns in mating with her.[/i][/i] [i][i]  *This image is copyright of its original author [/i][/i][i][i]August 2013[/i][/i] [i][i][i]Three members of the coalition are doing great often seen together hunting or patrolling their territory. The male that had injured paw has recovered well as he is able to keep with the group. Unfortunately we can’t say the same about the male with broken ribs. His condition is worsening and is he appears to be having difficulties in keeping up with any group of lions, his brother or any of the prides. [/i][/i][/i] [i][i]  *This image is copyright of its original author [/i][/i][i][i]September 2013[/i][/i] [i][i][i]Three of the Selati males are often seen together constantly patrolling and marking their territory. They spent a good fair amount of time with the Othawa pride. Unfortunately the fourth male is still not doing well. He continues to lose condition due to the broken ribs and possible punched lung from when he was hit by a buffalo. [/i][/i][/i] [i][i][i]  *This image is copyright of its original author [/i][/i][/i][i][i][i]October 2013[/i][/i][/i] [i][i][i][i]Sadly the formidable four – Selati male coalition – known for defeating the Magogo coalition is now down to three. One of the males has passed on after battling for over eight months from the internal damage caused by a buffalo hitting him. He was found dead east of our boundaries, we are not sure how he died but there is a theory that he was finished off by another buffalo.[/i][/i][/i][/i] [i][i][i][i]February 2014[/i][/i][/i][/i] [i][i][i][i]The last few weeks have been exciting to say the least, it has been action-packed for the month. The Mhangeni pride has been within the central sections of the property, periodically moving south and maintaining a permanent movement between the various drainages and successfully hunting game within these areas. This lasted for a period of almost two weeks.[/i][/i][/i][/i] [i][i][i][i]The central sections of the Singita property are currently the dividing line between the two major male lion coalitions, the Majingilane males in the south east and the Selati male coalition in the north west. Both coalitions have been seen over this boundary line on different intervals. Two of the Majingilane males ventured across the territorial boundary at the same time that it was reported that the Selati males were roaring. The sound of other males roaring instinctively caused the Majingilane males to start roaring as well, and within a few hours the remaining two males of the Majingilane coalition had joined forces, and were found in the early hours of the morning well into the Selati males’ territory.[/i][/i][/i][/i] [i][i][i][i]With only three males in the Selati male coalition it was evident that they were out-numbered and even though they had a brief conflict, it most likely ended quickly with a retreat by the Selati males. However, there were a few wounds within each coalition - signs that the battleground had been drawn. Perhaps this was a reminder to each of the males in the north west that they are out-numbered and this may cause their territory to shrink somewhat and caution them to avoid courageous movements into the south east or close to that area. Only one Selati male was seen licking his wounds after the encounter so this was a fortunate incident for the coalition not to lose another male to a stronger coalition.[/i][/i][/i][/i] [i][i][i][i]Two of the Majingilane male lions had been patrolling the area frequently as they were following the Mhangeni pride, in addition to the large herd of buffalo that was in the area. Could this be a change in the territory for Majingilane males? [/i][/i][/i][/i] [i][i][i][i]With nine cubs and four females the Mhangeni pride is large, and based on the success of the cubs surviving thus far it shows that they are well protected by the females and the strong defence of the coalition of the four Majingilane males. [/i][/i][/i][/i] [i][i][i][i]April 2014[/i][/i][/i][/i] [i][i][i][i]The Mhangeni pride marched in from the southeast and remained within the central area for a few days before venturing into the north. With the Majingalane males fixated on finding females and overpowering the Selati male coalition it’s inevitable that this is the time of change amongst the lion prides. The coalition of the four Majingalane males has been spending time in the northwest, well out of their normal territorial range. One of the male lions has been reported to be mating with an Othawa lioness. As the Majingalane coalition were increasing their territorial stake within the Sabi Sand, the Mhangeni pride were left on their own. The pride is doing well and all nine cubs are in a good condition. With the males not being around to chase the pride off the kills it has resulted in a positive effect for the pride, particularly when food is abundant for all. [/i][/i][/i][/i] [i][i][i][i](yet will continue)[/i][/i][/i][/i]
https://www.leopardhills.com/blog/game-ranger-reports/rangers-report-combined-february-march-2014/
https://www.facebook.com/LeopardHills/posts/we-started-drive-this-morning-with-the-news-that-the-four-majingilane-male-lions/687785891284174/ https://www.leopardhills.com/blog/game-ranger-reports/rangers-report-april-2014/ https://www.facebook.com/Inyatigamelodge/photos/a.253643860536/10154135739500537/?type=1&theater https://www.leopardhills.com/blog/game-ranger-reports/combined-rangers-report-may-june-2014/ https://www.facebook.com/215946271812134/posts/the-last-few-months-have-dashed-by-in-a-flurry-of-excitement-although-you-need-t/716119851794771/ https://inyatigamelodge.com/2015/03/31/march-2015-field-guide-report-by-matt/?fbclid=IwAR1t_N69kJSN_bx1-VEclR7MII2GaJtdBmBM1fK4_n4fBatXWLJgV_sJ9cE Salatis vs Majingilanes warfare part 2 February 2014 The Othawa’s once again have been moving all over. Some days they were all together and other days some cubs were on their own away from the rest. A couple of times the Selati males did some babysitting. The last that we saw of them all 3 females and 8 cubs were in very good condition. They also however did cross the river to the North late in the month. All 3 the Selati brothers have been patrolling their territory to the West and East. They spent a couple of days on a Buffalo cow and calf that they killed. This put them all back into good condition. They would split up to patrol and then join up for a day or two before splitting up again. They have been facing pressure from the East in the form of the Majingilane coalition.  *This image is copyright of its original author These 4 Majingilane males have been coming into Selati male territory more often. Luckily they have not come across one of the prides to be able to kill the cubs. The Selati’s seem to be standing their ground. At the time of writing of this report the Majingilane have had an altercation with one of the Selati males. The extent of the injuries are unknown. Follow our Facebook page for up to date updates on the situation. 30 of March 2014 We started drive this morning with the news that the four Majingilane male lions had come across one of the Selati males and that there was a lot of interaction between them. When we got in to the sighting the fight was over and the rivals were laying about twenty meters apart from each other. Between the four boys there was a few scars on their faces and for the Selati male we could see blood running from his neck and scars on hind back legs. The last update we got was that the Selati male was moving away from the four Majingilane males. (on the left one of the Majingilane males and on the right the scared Selati male)  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author April 2014 The one Selati male that had the fight with the Majingilane males also seems to be recovering. His two brothers spent most of their time with the Othawa pride with him eventually also catching up to them. The Majingilane males came back into the West on the last day of the month. They were actively scent marking and vocalising. It seems they are ready to take over the West from the Selati coalition. Interesting times lay ahead for the Lion dynamics in the Western Sector. Hopefully the prides can manage to keep the cubs safe, and that the Selati males can muster up the courage to take on these four Majingilane males.  *This image is copyright of its original author 21 May 2014 This trio maybe down to two. The remains of dead male lion was seen few day ago and Selati 3 haven't been seen for a while. The Majingelane are out of the western sector for the moment and the remaining two selati have snuck in last night but keeping a low profile to avoid Majingelane. — w miejscu: Inyati Game Lodge, Sabi Sands Game Reserve  *This image is copyright of its original author May and June 2014 The Selati males seem to have been defeated by the Majingilane, as we have not seen them for a long time. We have had reports that two of them have been seen further North East of us. The Majingilane are still busy with their takeover of the Western Sector. With the big territory that they occupy now, we have not seen them too much, as they patrol their whole territory. For the prides this is a good thing, as it gives them time to raise their cubs. There have been reports that some of the cubs have already been killed by the Majingilane. Every time they do however come into the West, they seek out the one Othawa female, without cubs, to mate with her. July 2014 The last few months have dashed by in a flurry of excitement, although, you need to be forewarned this story is not an easy story to read It is however, part of the bush and it adds to the drama of it all as we realize that in the bush the penalty for pure misfortune often is death. So to start off, it appears that the Selati’s are now gone. The four became three and then the Majingilanes arrived. For two weeks this reserve was in an uproar as on separate nights the Majingilanes teamed up against individual Selati’s, the one was really badly wounded and another was killed by the Jingies, these battles happened at night and it happened close to the camp and all night long we heard the giant cats fight it out. The other two left via Londolozi and the last update I had was that they were around the Manyeleti a few weeks back. This new coalition then moved into the area and they were looking for the Prides. Initially the males found the female from the Othawa Pride who doesn’t have any cubs, she mated with these males for almost two weeks, before they realized that they were barking up the wrong tree! This time had given the two prides a head start, the Xhimungwe’s have been hiding from male lions for years when they have cubs, and the Othawa’s had not, and it shows. The Majingilanes then proceeded to hunt the cubs from both prides. This is natural selection at work, it is common practice for new male lions moving into an area to kill off the cubs, it is called infanticide. One fateful afternoon we happened upon a fresh Kudu kill that the one female had killed. She was lying up in the afternoon sunlight in the sand of one of the many drainage lines that run about the lodge. Initially we knew she had a kill because she was full and covered in blood and we could smell it, it is an acrid smell when the lions spill the stomach and its contents, it catches you by surprise and is not at all pleasant, and it wasn’t pleasant. We found the kill and also by surprise four cubs that had been displaced from the Pride and we had feared the worst. They had gorged themselves on a huge male kudu, not much was left apart from a partially chewed ribcage and a clean beautiful set of horns. We had left that evening thinking that this was there bit of luck, but we were wrong… dead wrong. The next morning two cubs were dead in the same spot and the other two were missing. Jury is still out on who killed the cubs but the manner in which they were left suggests like it was lions. This poor Othawa’s Pride has lost in total 6 cubs with only one male and one female sub-adult left. Should these two perish as well this will give the Xhimungwe’s a chance as the Jingies will spend quality time with the Othawa’s. The Xhimungwe’s are down to five sub-adults 4 females and a male. The cubs are almost indiscernible from their mother in the Xhimungwe’s. Their tactic seems to be eat impala’s every day, nothing too big to keep us rooted to one spot for too long, and turn away from the roars at night. March 2015 I have delayed writing this piece. There has been a drama playing out and instead of making it two parts as seems to be the trend these days when someone finds a marketable story like the Lord of the Rings movie series. Like any good drama it has highs and lows and it has so much sadness. I guess it all started about 6 months ago. One quiet evening unbeknownst to the Selati lion coalition, four old campaigners moved into this, a relatively stable part of the reserve. The story ended on the 15th of April with a sad and lonely death from a broken lion that never had a chance. A single Selati male lion was killed on his own in the North of our reserve, his body was found by a guide out on drive. He was the second casualty to the Majingelane lion coalition with one of his brothers having been killed by the coalition a few years before. A third brother was killed in two separate encounters with buffalo. The two surviving brothers were seen walking off the property never to return. The new coalition on the property had actually come up from the north of the Sabi Sand, where they had been established for a few years.  *This image is copyright of its original author The new coalition then went about looking for the females on their new territory. We left them one evening on a kudu kill in a drainage line and when we returned the next morning 4 of the 8 cubs from the Othawa pride were dead. The remaining cubs had scattered about the reserve lost and bewildered by something they had no clue about. It took many weeks of searching to get them all back, one young female even ended up following the Ximungwe pride around for two weeks. This signaled the start of the great race, the females from both prides took it upon themselves to mate with the lions as a distraction tactic and allow another female to lead the cubs to safety. However over time the males got two more cubs from the Othawas leaving a male and female cub left as the survivors from 8. The two cubs became sub-adults together and often found them alone having to fend for themselves. They lasted for many months and it seemed like for the female at least there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Then in February one of the Othawa females gave birth to three beautiful little cubs. The Majingelanes had become proud fathers once again. The Othawa group thought it was time to introduce the males to the two remaining sub-adults. Surely having cubs of their own would appease their vengeance on the Selati’s at last? The interaction did not go well and the female was seen fleeing the area with all the males after her. The young males were also injured in the skirmish. The female was found close to the lodge a few days later as her decomposing body could be smelt from afar. The young male alone and injured returned to the females with cubs who rejected him. I’m trying not to anthropomorphise here but I can only imagine how he must have felt, being hurt and hungry and then cast away from his family. In the meantime the short tailed lioness from the Ximungwes had been isolated from her pride because of a small injury. She was on the mend but needed to join the group again. She must have made the fatal mistake of contact calling close to the Othawas and their new cubs. The short tailed lady must have fought like a demon possessed judging by the signs of the struggle left behind as flattened and bloody grass. Her body had mostly been consumed by one of the male coalition when we found her the next morning. This story ends late one morning drive, after the males and the Othawas had finished off a kill and were relaxing by a watering hole. The lone surviving offspring of the Selati coalition tempted by food and a time gone by came close. He forlornly was calling more from instinct than hope. He lay in the shade of a tree hoping to get in close and join the group. The coalition then came up to him and as he lay there exhausted and broken, they approached with a look of intent. He accepted his fate as only one destined for the gallows can be, resided to his fate he did not run away. With a flurry of activity it was over, the males walked away leaving the broken body and a broken promise from his fathers. Hopefully now the bush has taken its required amount of blood and the strong genes of the Majingelane and by proxy the mighty Mapogos will see this new generation of cubs lasting long. However only time will tell and the bush is certainly not sentimental.
2 GOLF COURSE MALES
 *This image is copyright of its original author This 2 males where born into Souther/Selati pride in late 2002/early 2003, sired by Rollercoaster males. They also had 3 brothers who eventually split from them. With their fathers Rollercoaster males moving further north in 2007, all 5 young males take the chance and mated with their natal Selati pride lionesses. Towards the end of 2007, split happened in the pride, and 3 brothers moved of with some pride members into Kruger, nobody knows what happen to this males. Remaining 2 males become the dominant males of the remaining Selati pride in the south parts of Sabi Sands. They sired cubs with Selati pride, of which where 5 male cubs, later to be known as the Selati males. They where also dominant males of Charleston pride for short period, but abandon them, prob because off pressure from 3 Toulon males. None of their Charleston cubs survived. In the late 2008, 2 Golf Course males where seen eating a buffalo in MalaMala, later to be reported that buffalo was infected with TB. Shortly after 2 males where seen weak and in not good condition, but they recovered towards the early 2009.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author 2 males where very different in their looks, 1 was blonde and more dominant of the 2, 2nd male was dark maned one with a slight limp on his leg. Towards the end of 2009 it was reported that 1 male is missing , it was the blonded male. Nobody knows exactly what happen to him, but there was a report in Dec. 2009 from Londolozi that 2 Mapogo males mr. T & KT killed an adult lion near airstrip. Its not confirmed but its very likely that this was Blonde male. This was the end of the Golf Course males as the kings in the south of Sabi Sands, as remaining dark maned male was heavly outnumbered against 3 Toulon males, who takeover the Southern pride. He become a nomad.  *This image is copyright of its original author In the first half of the 2010, remaining male was first seen roaming around western sector (Mapogo territory) and later on further north in Arathusa and Elephant Plains. At first rangers didnt recognize him due to mane loss and bad condition. In that time he was known as Arathusa male. Reports from these reserves where that his condition was decreasing over time. His old limp was a big problem because he needed to hunt alone. He mostly relied on scavaging kills from leopards, hyenas and some lions. Few times he was chased away from kill by Majingilanes and 2 young Nkuhuma males ( Sizanani and his brother). In Oct. 2010 he joined 2 young Nkuhuma males on a kill, who after few beatings alowed Golf Curse male to feed with them. He was seen hanging with 2 young males for few more days. But he died shortly after on Nov. 9th 2010, his body was found in Londolozi, cause of death TB, which he couldnt fight in this weakened state. More on this brave lion and his story for survival on Londolozi Blog: https://blog.londolozi.com/2010/11/15/li...j_-oaIaUns This is a sad story about 2 beautiful and impressive lions who left us too early, at the age of only 7 and 8. Their legacy lived thru their sons Selati males and Southern Pride, if im not mistaken, their daughter is still alive, older one of the 2 remaining Southern pride lionesses.  *This image is copyright of its original author
https://africageographic.com/blog/lions-and-hyenas-eternal-enemies/
July 2018 Lions and hyenas: Eternal enemies Hyenas are largely underrated and often misunderstood predators that operate in clans of 25 or more. Taking the harsh drought of 2015 and 2016 into consideration, the hyena population became, without doubt, one of the most authoritative species in the Timbavati. Given this, along with their complex social organisations, their dominance is not surprising in the African bush. Lately, there has been a slow, but steady, power shift in the central Timbavati (surrounding Tanda Tula Safari Camp). Recently, the predatory balance has been restored – favouring the lions. With two prides under their control, the two young Mbiri males have started to stand up and defend their pride. Whilst not yet in their prime, the two lions, along with two Ross females, have claimed back their territories on nightly patrols. By fathering the latest offspring in the reserve, they have contributed largely in taking back their domain. Chad Cocking and his team recently had a stunning sighting of these lions restoring order and claiming their rank from the hyena clans, proving just how formidable they can be.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author Before embarking on their morning safari, Chad’s group heard the roaring of the two Mbiri males, out towards our western boundary. Shortly after, they received an update of the lions having caught a hyena. It turned out to be a rather rewarding sight, seeing the hyenas contemplating the risk of becoming another victim to help a clan member. This was not the first time that hyenas had fallen victim to the lions recently. A few minutes later, the group arrived on the scene to find a young lion firmly gripping a hyena in his jaws. At first, they thought the hyena was dead, only to see him still breathing and sitting up after the lion stood up and walked off.  *This image is copyright of its original author They turned to see a bigger male who, until now, had just been laying nearby. The lion slowly got up and inquisitively walked over to the hyena to tend to unfinished business. They were rather surprised that the wounded hyena wasn’t paralysed. The hyena continued whimpering and squealing. The strong, male lion instinctively pulled the hyena towards himself by lashing out with his large paws. He then grabbed hold of the hyena’s already bleeding throat by clamping down with his powerful jaws. Doing so, the squealing suddenly silenced. The lion gripped on for a little while longer, before finally dropping the dead animal.  *This image is copyright of its original author This was one of the more difficult sightings to have witnessed. While it is never easy watching something die, it was certainly one of the rarer moments Chad had been privileged enough to experience in the African bush. As the lion walked off, there was no malice in his demeanour. It was clear that no pleasure had been taken from what has just been done. He did what had been implanted into his DNA. It was truly the physical decree of what has been sculpted into his nature. The fact that lions and hyenas don’t get along will never change.  *This image is copyright of its original author
The Shishangeni male lions - Kings of the South
So this time we want to lay the focus on a coalition that is quite well known among the Kruger wildlife fans, yet they’ve never really get the same attention as certain other coalitions of male lions and thus unfortunately their story is rather filled with lots of guesses, assumptions and question marks than confirmed facts. This may have to do with the part of Kruger they operate as the stories of the south-east of the park partially went unnoticed over the last years on social media. Yet despite of this the four Shishangeni male lions managed to make a name for themselves over the last decade which surely and mainly has to do with their impressive appearances. Big bulky bodies and huge dark manes will always catch a photographers attention and so was it the case with these four big boys. Born around 2011/2012 into the Shishangeni pride and sired by the famous six males strong Gomondwane coalition the Shishangeni males at some point became the pride males of the Vurhami pride, the Hippo Pools pride, whose two former pride males they ousted long ago, as well as the Gomondwane pride they most likely took over from their fathers. They used to be mainly seen on the H4-2 and S28 till down to Shishangeni but towards the end of 2018 and over the last year they’ve moved further west and since then spend a lot of time around the crocodile river close to Marloth Park and the S25. Their departure from the Shishangeni concession could also have been influenced by the seven Gomondwane males that took over that area. This territory shift resulted in an unclear situation for their prides, lacking in the males‘ appearances in the original Vurhami prides‘ territory as well as the Gomondwane prides‘ area where they haven’t been seen in ages. Their many movements went that far that in September 2019 they even chased two of the four S26 males (of which the Styx males are part of) around the Mpondo Dam area. While they have a decent amount of offspring with the Hippo Pools pride and currently six sub adult sons with the Vurhami pride (along with more Vurhami offspring) there seems to be one more unidentified pride on the S25 further west of the Hippo Pools pride territory towards the S108/S26 that raises a couple of young males. Overall a good testament of their success. With many good years that lie behind this impressive coalition it unfortunately seems now that their power has began to crumble a bit. With the fourth coalition member seemingly being missed for many months now (the sightings over the last six months always showed three males at a max) another one of the brothers is suffering from an atrophied hindleg that has clearly gotten worse over the last months, leaving only two males in perfect shape. This doesn’t necessarily have to mean the beginning of the end for this magnificent coalition, that dominated the south for many years, with some luck on their side they could go on for maybe two more years, but it surely has reached a point where every sighting of them should be appreciated before they will leave the Kruger National Park forever. Photo credits (in line of appearance): Diressh Parbhoo (1st picture), Ruan Minaar Photography (2nd - 4th pictures) From " Lions Of The African Wildlife" facebook page.  *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
The old Gomondwane male lions
Whenever there pop up reports about a coalition of six adult male lions they use to cover the famous Mapogo lions most of the time and there’s nothing to blame about it. After all an occurrence of six males at once is beyond rare. So to bring a bit more variety into the discussion we would like to literally dig out the southern Kruger counterpart of the Mapogo coalition that ruled the southern section for many years: The six Gomondwane male lions. Not that much is officially known about this coalition, vast parts are blank papers inside a book. Approximately born around 2005/6 the six males established a territory that at the peak of their power ranged from Crocodile Bridge along the Gomomdwane Loop and the H4-2 to the S130 close to Lower Sabie. Within that area they had control of the Vurhami pride, the Gomondwane pride as well as the Shishangeni pride. This alliance with the aforementioned prides led among others to the birth and rise of the powerful Shishangeni males as well as the current seven Gomondwane males who established a territory inside the Shishangeni concession. The decline of the coalition had its start in 2011 when they lost one member due to a fatal injury inflicted by a buffalo. Unimpressed and without being much influenced by this loss they went on for four more years till the milky eyed male, famous for his aggressive manner, disappeared without a trace. After two losses and after they were ousted by their own sons, the Shishangeni males, the old Gomondwane coalition appeared to scatter more and more with less and less sightings and information became rarer with every day. As a result their last days seem to be more of an unclear puzzle with combining different pieces and hints than clear confirmed facts. While one of them was sighted with a broken leg in 2018, an injury he soon succumbed to, it seems another one of them spent his remaining time in the company of the young Gomondwane males in 2017 and 2018 with sporadic other appearances. In 2020 it’s now quite save to say that all six males have passed away, not before leaving a great and intact legacy behind that continues to dominate almost the entire south-east area of Kruger. KNP Photo credits: Ronesh Parbhoo From "Lions Of The African Wildlife" facebook page.  *This image is copyright of its original author
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