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The Birmingham Males

GuateGojira Offline
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#16

Is correct, but you most also take in count that I did not mentioned "experts" in my post, but common people and photographs, especially when they are influenced by the emotion of the moment.

Check that Dr Sunquist and the great Valmik Thapar are the ones that have say that Kaziranga tigers are the largest tigers they had ever saw (and they know many tiger specimens) and they words are my only evidence to support this claim, not the photographs.
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Argentina Tshokwane Away
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#17
( This post was last modified: 08-31-2015, 07:59 PM by Tshokwane )

There was more action this weekend, again from the Birmingham males. They found the Styx pride again, and attacked one of the mature females who later died from her wounds.
Arathusa Safari Lodge:"It was a sad day for all, as we came across the five Burmingham male lions. Next to them was one of the Styx female lions looking ravaged. It was clear that she had been brutally attacked by the males....
The Birmingham males have now really set their sights on the territory of the Matimbas, who were once again nowhere to be seen.

As sad as this is, it is unfortunately the cycle of life. The old genes must be worked out in order for the new stronger genes to make their way in."

*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author

 There was a little confusion yesterday, regarding if this was or wasn't the mother of the remaining cub, but it looks like it is another female, and the cub is doing ok.
Although if I must be honest, his future doesn't semm so good. The Birmingham males are set on conquering this land, and I think for once the Matimba males know they can't really hold them for much longer(which is explained by their refusal to engage them).
Aside from personal likings, it's amazing to be witnessing the development of a takeover, not just from tales and images from the past, but in real time.
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lioncrazy Offline
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#18

Wow could the matimbas lose there land without any fight just run away? This is very interesting such big beautiful males the matimbas are and maybe the ginger matimba injury has the brothers not in the fighting mood I really can't wrap my head around them just walking away I have read that the matimbas are.very aggressive males but we will see
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sanjay Offline
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#19

Really with daring Brahimgham, the equation of Sabi sands Male lion coalitions are becoming very interesting. Sooner or later some male lion will indulge in fight with each other
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Argentina Tshokwane Away
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#20

@lioncrazy They are agressive males. But after encountering the Birmingham boys, I think the Matimbas know the risk the situation presents to them.
Now, to be fair, I would be very, very surprised if they just give up their territory without a serious fight or possibly one of them dying. 
We'll have to wait and see what happens, but I think @sanjay is right. Once the Birminghams work up their confidence and launch the definitive invason, we are going to have a fight. I only hope they can catch it again on video, it would be amazing.
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lioncrazy Offline
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#21

@majingilane your right I hope we are lucky enough to witness a winner in this war!!! I read that the Birmingham boys were actually pushed out of there birth pride by the matimbas is this true? If it is that's interesting that they decided on this land to stay on
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Argentina Tshokwane Away
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#22

The last few weeks have shown us the chaos that comes in a established territory with the arrival of new males. And it is very interesting.
I started reading about lions only since the last year, with the Majingilane males already in their forth year of reign and, while I did read what happened when they took over the territory from the Mlowathi males, Kinky tail and Mr.T, it is a very different things to be able to witness it almost first hand, with daily updates of what is happening, like we can do with the Birmingham males.
For the size of their coalition I suspected they could be a real force when they grew a little bit, but since the new thread of "Lions of Sabi sands" I saw no reason to start yet another thread for these males, it was enough to post about them in that same place.
But Sanjay suggested me that I started a new thread, dedicated solely for these boys, and I agree, I think now things are very different and like Snajay said, these males are the future for the lion population.
In the future, I will try to post some things that clarify a bit all we read about lionesses prides, but to be fair there is usually little info about them. 
Ok, so the Birmingham males come from a very large pride called the Birmingham pride or the Orpen pride, facebook says it was a pride of 22 lions.

*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 I'm aware of, the Birmingham boys are sons of the Birmingham male, a very big and beautiful lion, several times I've read that he was considered one of the biggest males in the area(It's the one on the right and, by the way @tigerluver , thanks for the suggestion on uploading pics from my computer).

*This image is copyright of its original author


The oldest of the Birmingham males, the one who is usually called Blondie, is around 4 or 5 years old, so he was probably born in 2010. The rest of the boys are younger than him, remember that in a pride cubs from different litters play and bond together, strenghtening their relations until the time they have to go out on their won.
In this case, what I read was that the Birmingham males were expelled from their pride by the Matimba males, possibly 1 1/2 or 2 years ago.
How quickly things change.
Right now, after killing yet another lioness(sub-adult) from the Nkuhuma pride, walk over what it is(was?) the territory of two of the Biggest males around, Hairy belly and Ginger Matimba.

*This image is copyright of its original author


I think it is pretty safe to say now that this amazing males are here to stay. Even if the Matimba males manage to make a response, their actions until now have shown that they don't want to take on the new boys.
So, what is going to happen? Are we witnessing finally the takeover we have been expecting in the last few months? What will happen with the Matimba males? And, after the Birminghams settle in their new land and maybe enforce their control over the prides, where will they look next to expand their territory? Will the aging Majingilane, who already chased them off a couple of times, be targeted next?
So many questions, and what is for sure, the promise of exciting lion news and, hopefully, a new war on the way.

Thanks for the suggestion on starting  this thread, @sanjay (I probably would have waited until definitive confirmation of the takeover. I'm so unlike a male lion in my cautious ways Grin ) and to all of you people, if you happen to find info on them, maybe pics when they were young, or a new update, feel free to post it here, I think we are going to spent quite the time talking about these boys in the next months(and, most likely years).
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sanjay Offline
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#23

Wow, what an fantastic start and introduction of Birmingham, As much as I reads about them, I am getting fan of this coalition. Will try to add more information. Thanks @Majingilane
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lioncrazy Offline
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#24

@majingilane thanks for adding this new thread I was wondering when someone would add one about these males especially since the b boys are making life not so easy In Matimba territory it's very interesting to me how the matimbas are choosing to move south into londolzi rather than fight
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tigerluver Offline
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#25

Excellent write up @Majingilane! Regarding the last case of killing of a sub-adult lionness, how common is this behavior. I'd think males would rather wait for sub-adults to grow up rather than kill them off if they're not potential rival males.
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Argentina Tshokwane Away
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#26
( This post was last modified: 09-09-2015, 06:24 AM by Tshokwane )

When it comes to sub-adults it is common, it matters little that they are females, since the males know these are not ready to mate and see them as offspring of the competition that must be eliminated.
What is is a bit unusual, but not unheard of, is the killing of adult females. This of course brings no advantage to them, but it happens with agressive males. Usually the females act this way, not submissive enough or even overtly agressive, and some males will let that go, but others wont, and maybe that's why we are seeing so many killings of females. But it's all part of the takeover.
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sanjay Offline
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#27

One more addition in Majingilane statement -
Sometime new and young male coalition looks for owning a territory from current resident males and their entire focus is on resident males, actually their prime interest is territory takeover not the lioness, during this process they are more aggressive and will kill any lion or lioness regardless of their age.
Birmingham do not want to mate and are not interested in lioness for now, there are videos in which lioness want to mate one of birmingham male but he simply ignore it.
Also sometime lioness are killed due to very unusal reason like, when a new male is trying to takeover the territory and the resident male is no were found to defend sometime the lioness with cubs try to false mate (pretend that they want to mate, but they actual do not) so that the new males attention is on them not at the cubs (they try to outsmart the males with tactics ). But most of the times male lion understand it and kill them in this process.
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Philippines Panthera Leo Offline
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#28


*This image is copyright of its original author
Guess who?
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lioncrazy Offline
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#29

Nice looking male who is it?
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Argentina Tshokwane Away
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#30
( This post was last modified: 09-12-2015, 05:28 PM by Tshokwane )

That is the youngest male, called Scrapper or Tokoloshi(or something like that). That I'm aware of, he's at least 1 1/2 year old younger than the older Birmingham(That is near 5 years old), but a very feisty male that sometimes reminds me of Mr.T of the Mapogo.

*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author
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