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Lions of Sabi Sands
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And Loki killed the older brother and worst of all refused to be sad about it.
  
https://www.sabisabi.com/blog/29663/enter-mhangeni-pride/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=fb-03-Mar-2022&utm_campaign=enter-mhangeni-pride&fbclid=IwAR3YEfG3Wccp7OgbYm7Oqt_jaxKdlE_xtx014fPsZsJzresTZKo4G9jzkao
ENTER MHANGENI PRIDE In December 2021 we were blessed with a surprise – a pride of lions lying under a Lowveld Milkberry tree not far from Little Bush Camp – but who they were, was a mystery to all of us. As soon as we were back from the morning game drive, the team went to work. We poured through sources and debated possibilities and we finally came to the conclusion that it was without a doubt, the Mhangeni Pride. The last time the Mhangeni Pride was on the reserve was the beginning of 2021 and before that, in 2020. The latter visit ended up with an altercation and ultimately, the elder Southern Pride female drew her last breath. The inevitable clash.
During the year, they have been absent from Sabi Sabi as the pride has been through a cycle of some big ups and painful downs. Their pride was once dominated by the Othawa male lion, a magnificent specimen.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author The pride has unfortunately been unsuccessful with raising any cubs to adulthood since the Othawa male became dominant over them in 2018. But last year, there was hope. Two litters of cubs were found in May 2021, a total of seven little cubs! The future looked bright, until a fateful night not too long after. The Othawa male ventured far East out of his territory and his ambition led to his death, leaving the Mhangeni Pride with no male to protect them or their cubs. The evidence of this was shown a few months later when all, but one cub was killed by the N’waswishaka male lions, who had for some reason explored slightly further out of their territory.
Now the chances for this single cub looked grim. So, over the last few months, the pride has been somewhat under the radar. The six females have been exploring deep into the far corners and beyond their territory, presumably to evade any of the coalitions in the area.
The pride arrived in Sabi Sabi, full-bellied and dozing comfortably. These lazy lions spent the next 48 hours under the same tree, the only movement being to merely move a couple of meters to the next patch of shade. Then finally one night, we got some action!  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author My guests and I planned it perfectly, arriving just before sunset, to find the pride standing on the road. All six lionesses were staring in the same direction and while the cub was silently trying to pounce on mom’s tail. The only words that popped into my brain were “Alright girls, it’s game time.” They started moving. The females walked so close to Little Bush Camp that I almost radioed in to get their welcome drinks ready. We followed them right past the camp and through a riverbed. All the while, the cub decided that now, was playtime. She pounced on what we guessed was her mother over and over, sometimes even getting mom to pounce back. Then she settled her with a rather rough bit of play that my guest, Jake, luckily caught on his phone camera. We followed them up from the river and through a dense area all the way into the clearing further North. Here, we waited in the dark, hoping for them to hunt the large herd of buffalo that were drinking, unaware of the danger, at a pan nearby. At one point, all six lionesses and the cub were laying on either side of my vehicle. It felt like we were part of the hunt, part of the pride! I won’t lie to you; I tucked my head in a little, imagining I was hiding in between the tall grass with them. Unfortunately, the snort of a wildebeest gave them away. The herd of buffalo and other grazers in the area took off but, my guests and I left with smiles painted on our faces and hearts beating well above the normal range.
A day later, the Mhangeni Pride were found again, still in the Northwestern corner of Sabi Sabi. My brain was punching the sides of my head with the idea of another pride settling in the area. The excitement was almost overwhelming!
But when I arrived, something was off. The air of the females was… wrong. It baffled me for the morning and soon I found out that right after I’d left them, one of the N’waswishaka male lions had emerged from the brush. He’d been around them the entire morning and their response to his presence was aggressive. Evidence of this was the scratches and blood on both the male and the lionesses. Then it dawned on me… where was the cub?  *This image is copyright of its original author These males had already killed the other six siblings. Did they finally finish the other one-off? Were my guests, my tracker and I the last people to see this cub alive? But maybe the cub escaped, maybe it was hiding in the Msuthlu riverbed not too far from where we’d found the pride. I hoped so, but no word arrived. But it did, the cub had been seen! The pride had fled North and the cub had been seen running along with all six of the lionesses.
The ebb and flow of life and death in the bush is harsh and unforgiving. But that is how it is, although I still couldn’t help myself grin like a schoolboy getting ice cream when I heard the news. Then to make things even better, the Mhangeni Pride returned to Sabi Sabi a few days later.
These events were a rollercoaster for me, the safari team and my guests, but it did leave me with the thought of possible changes in the lion dynamics in the future. The question remains, will this cub survive with no dominant male to protect him, or will the pride be taken over by the N’waswishaka males? Or some new males that may be lurking in the shadows?
I think most of the cubs were already killed when OM was still alive though? I think the timeline around his death is a bit off as he died very early in may.
Not that it mattered much as he could do little more than run for his life if a coalition like the Nwas attacked. The pride has developed methods that are obviously working for them. So the cub may survive into adulthood. I think the Mhangeni is going to accept Nym eventually and mostly stick to southern Singita like they have always done.
Two cubs died while OM was alive when the Ndzhenga males came to Singita in February 2021, Two more died in the month of his death, three in June and then one more in July
(03-04-2022, 02:57 AM)Duco Ndona Wrote: I think most of the cubs were already killed when OM was still alive thoughAAmmmmm.... As far as I remember, othawa king died on 5/6 may last year. All thr llions fans on FB pages were writing about the 8 cubs. (03-04-2022, 02:57 AM)Duco Ndona Wrote: I think the Mhangeni is going to accept Nym eventually and mostly stick to southern Singita like they have always done.May be but now it seems to very difficult. First of all, he is alone and cannot guarantee a lonlong reign. Moreover it's been almost 6 months, since YNM and late YSM tried to woowoo mangheni girls but all goes in vain. None but only one lionesses mate with him and that too rararely. Few days back, even the GORE nwaswitshakas, the belly injury one, was also seen mating with mangheni girls. Nwaswitshakas are on blitzkrieg nowadays. They have more chances. (03-04-2022, 04:34 AM)Tonpa Wrote: PC Male by Klaus EngelIts blonde, so might be THOR.  (03-04-2022, 06:20 AM)DARK MANE Wrote:(03-04-2022, 02:57 AM)Duco Ndona Wrote: I think most of the cubs were already killed when OM was still alive thoughAAmmmmm.... As far as I remember, othawa king died on 5/6 may last year. All thr llions fans on FB pages were writing about the 8 cubs. I agree, N’was males have much better chances at raising the Mangheni generation to adulthood then Nym.
I disagree. They already have two prides and show little intrest in them outside the few moments the pride was in Sabi Sabi.
There is a good chance they would just abandon the pride. Or be around too little to offer proper protection.  (03-04-2022, 11:19 AM)Duco Ndona Wrote: I disagree. They already have two prides and show little intrest in them outside the few moments the pride was in Sabi Sabi. With NYM the same story of Nguvu will repeat. It'll take years for him to be fully accepted only for him to be squeezed into a smaller and smaller territory since he's by himself and surrounded by bigger coalitions. Eventually he'll get killed or run, Mangenis practically wasted 3 years with Nguvu and they'll be risking the longevity of the pride itself at this point if they accept NYM. Atleast with the Nw's other coalitions will think twice before trying any shenanigans, and they'll be moving toward central ss in a year or so anyway so they might as well take a 3rd pride and start that project early, considering there is no one else in a position to challenge them anyway. Three prides can definitely coexist within their territory, the southern lioness is a lone lioness pride anyway so technically they really would have two real prides to manage which is definitely doable. 
Idk why people think that NK male is still prime candidate for Mhangeni pride male, especially alone (with Nhenha maybe), he is in Singita/Mhangeni pride area for over a year now, first with Styx male and now alone, and except few sighting of him with 1 Mhangeni female, rest of the pride is not welcoming him for over a year..
For reffrence, OM become their pride male after only few months in the area. And that already low chance is even lower with 2 PC males becoming force in the area.. If Mhangenis will accept/choose pride males, it will be between strongest coalitions around, which are PC boys and N'ws, Nkuhuma male has little to no chance to be that, if he didn't before when 2 PC boys where still too young and N'ws didn't expand north. (03-04-2022, 12:04 PM)sik94 Wrote: Atleast with the Nw's other coalitions will think twice before trying any shenanigans, and they'll be moving toward central ss in a year or so anyway so they might as well take a 3rd pride and start that project early, considering there is no one else in a position to challenge them anyway. Three prides can definitely coexist within their territory, the southern lioness is a lone lioness pride anyway so technically they really would have two real prides to manage which is definitely doable. They already have 3rd pride, Kambulas. |
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