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It feels like ages ago that I sat down to write a Week in Pictures blog, and I guess after over two weeks off drive, it has been a veritable age. As usual, there were some great sightings in my absence; the Giraffe Pride made a surprise and potentially unprecedented visit to Nkhari when they were found there with a zebra kill. That afternoon the guides found them in the area once again, but their presence was eclipsed by sightings of both a pangolin and a black rhino near the lions. Jack told me that they also saw two Vuyela male lions feasting on a young elephant, but no one is sure whether they caught it themselves or found it dead. The Giraffe Pride spent much of the period on the plains and around camp, even popping up to the waterhole for a drink one evening
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I returned to work on Friday, just in time for a few days of guiding over the weekend, and whilst out training for the Timbavati Traverse, listened to the radio with more than a tinge of envy as the guides found the lions that I could hear roaring on Nkhari… and one of the males happened to be a white lion. Some consolation was seeing an ostrich and a secretary bird whilst out on my own; I have seen more white lions in the Timbavati than secretary birds… fortunately, I was heading out in the afternoon with some long-time return guests and we headed straight over to Nkhari hoping to get luck with the white lion ourselves. It was a tough choice, as the Giraffe Pride were resting on the plains near Plains Camp, but I was confident that we would get another chance to see them, so headed to the Birmingham males instead. Luckily for us, their fat bellies meant that they had not been overly active during the day and were found resting not far from where they had settled in the morning. It was a sight to see a growing male white lion in our area. Although the Birmingham males (including the white male) have been seen in the area a few times over the past year, this was the first time they have entered the area and been brave enough to roar. With the territory partially occupied by the Vuyela males, their roars could have led to trouble, but it appears as though the Vuyela males had been out of earshot and did not respond to the intrusion. Whilst it is nice to dream of the white male settling in the central Timbavati, with the other large coalitions also moving around the area, the three Birmingham males are not likely to end up settling down this side. Still, we hope that they continue to visit the area from time to time.
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The Giraffe pride did end up staying around for the weekend, and we got to see twenty of them on the first day, and then a portion of the pride on the plains the day after, after they had woken us up with their roaring in front of camp. The River Pride lionesses remained active close to Safari Camp over the weekend.
Also, i want to talk about Ross males, majority think they become territorial around mid 2018, and before they where just nomads, battling around with other males for Avoca pride.
But, this guys are pretty much full territorial since the beginning of 2017 around Shindzela and Avoca pride, besting Sumatra males.
Ross males are 6 yrs straight territorial males, as a duo, this is incredible feat.
They had cubs with Avoca pride in 2017, neither of those cubs survived? Only Xikukutsus from late 2015 ( which Ross accepted, as they also mated at that time ) ?
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(05-10-2023, 08:20 PM)Tr1x24 Wrote: this guys are pretty much full territorial since the beginning of 2017
Ross males are territorial since january 2016 when they pushed out lone Mabande male.
(05-10-2023, 08:20 PM)Tr1x24 Wrote: around Shindzela and Avoca pride, besting Sumatra males.
It is unknown what caused disappearance of one of the Sumatra males and there are no any evidences of there being any confrontations between Sumatra and Ross males so word "besting" is definitely not on point there.
(05-10-2023, 08:20 PM)Tr1x24 Wrote: neither of those cubs survived?
(05-10-2023, 08:36 PM)Potato Wrote: Ross males are territorial since january 2016 when they pushed out lone Mabande male.
Dont think they where fully territorial yet.
Thru 2016 there is couple of coalitions seen with Avoca pride.
(05-10-2023, 08:36 PM)Potato Wrote: It is unknown what caused disappearance of one of the Sumatra males and there are no any evidences of there being any confrontations between Sumatra and Ross males so word "besting" is definitely not on point there.
There are photos of both Ross males and Sumatra males with Avoca pride around late 2016, so both coalitions where prob competing for them, after that in 2017 only Ross males where seen with them and sired cubs.
The larger Mbirhi male gives a big yawn before getting up and heading back to the eastern parts of Ngala.
These males have not been seen as regularly recently, spending more time in the Kruger National Park, but their adventures into the heart of Ngala have also started to happen…
05-14-2023, 10:06 PM( This post was last modified: 05-14-2023, 10:06 PM by johnny rex )
(08-12-2021, 03:27 AM)Timbavati Wrote: Update: I finally received an confirmation regarding the skull of the Black dam male. Friends that are working in the bushveld (who also always provided incredible sources) they've confirmed that the skull of the BDM was the third largest ever measured in Africa.
What are the exact measurements of this particular lion skull?
