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Lions of Timbavati
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Tanda Tula update
I did return from my leave towards the end of the week and went out for a few drives with a friend who had come out from the UK to join the run. We had a good few days on drive, and in a couple of days had seen the Big and wild dogs without much trouble. The lions had not been as active this week as last, but the dynamics remain interesting. A few members of the Birmingham Breakaway coalition paid us a visit for the first time in a couple of months. The Mayambula pride remained more elusive this week, although yesterday we did have tracks for the whole pride coming into Tanda Tula, sadly Steven and Eric tracked them back out to the eastern boundary. Glen had an equally frustrating tracking session trailing tracks for what we thought was the Sark Breakaway Pride; he found where they had killed a buffalo, but all that was left were scraps that the hyenas were finishing off. After that, it appeared as though the lions were hunting again as their tracks were going up and down in all directions, and it was difficult to make heads or tails of them. Returning to the tracks after lunch, Glen and Given managed to get a direction on where the lions moved, but as they tracked, more and more sets of tracks joined their “trail”, and it was soon realised that it was, in fact, the Giraffe Pride that had made their way to the far eastern reaches of their territory (only the second time we have seen signs of them this far east before) and that it was their activity on the kill that had attracted the Vuyela males to the area – the up and down of the tracks after the kill was not their hunting, but rather them running away from the opposing males. The tracks eventually crossed out of the concession some 8km from where we began tracking in the morning; a big frustration, but sometimes that is how the bush works. Two days before the Giraffe Pride had been left resting together in the morning in the west, but when we passed through the area in the afternoon, we only came across a single lioness, and another group of only three individuals, and Steven found the sickly Sumatra male on his own too; exactly what caused that split is a bit of a mystery, but the next day they were all together again before they once again got split up by the Vuyela males. These males could be heard roaring most nights this week around Tanda Tula Safari Camp, but they were quite active to the north of our concession where it appears as though one of the River Pride lionesses has given birth not too far north of our concession. We did see the other two River Pride lionesses a few times during the week. 
Members of the Vuyela pride and the newest additions of the Vuyela pride -
With excitement abounding, the newest members of the Vuyela Pride were sighted on a safari drive in the Klaserie bush this morning. This adorable lion cub is one of four siblings of about six weeks old now. Their gender is yet unknown to us. The Vuyela Pride flourishes, composed of four regal lionesses, five older cubs at around 18 months old, and these four precious newcomers. The little ones were wide-eyed and inquisitive, kept close by their mother who dotes on them and continues to protect them as they grow. Image credits: Richard Krige  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
Who are the current dominant male lions of the Vuyela Pride? Are the Vuyela males of Timbavati their sons?
 (07-14-2023, 02:59 PM)Mabande Wrote: Who are the current dominant male lions of the Vuyela Pride? Are the Vuyela males of Timbavati their sons? I didnt know Vuyela pride existed. As far as i know, Vuyelas are nomadic, unknown males from the north of this area where they settled. When they came ( i think late 2019, early 2020) nobody knew who they are.  (07-14-2023, 04:05 PM)Tr1x24 Wrote:(07-14-2023, 02:59 PM)Mabande Wrote: Who are the current dominant male lions of the Vuyela Pride? Are the Vuyela males of Timbavati their sons? There was a post done by a member that showed a connection between the Vuyela in the company of an old Sark Lioness when they came I to load serie. . It’s suspected maybe this was their mother that led them away. (07-14-2023, 02:59 PM)Mabande Wrote: Who are the current dominant male lions of the Vuyela Pride? Are the Vuyela males of Timbavati their sons? This pride being called Vuyela here is dominated by the Vuyela brothers. But don’t confuse this as being the pride they were born into. If I’m not mistaken this same pride hasta one point been called sark breakaways? (07-14-2023, 04:25 PM)criollo2mil Wrote:(07-14-2023, 02:59 PM)Mabande Wrote: Who are the current dominant male lions of the Vuyela Pride? Are the Vuyela males of Timbavati their sons? As a follow up to my comments here is what I had read: From : Ruiting Sark breakaway pride in May 2017, but they weren't called Sark pride at the time Photo by Kevin MacLaughlin-Africa on Foot Two blog posts are attached http://www.sundestinations.co.za/blog/no...3-females/ https://www.sundestinations.co.za/blog/p...-klaserie/ Furthermore They were first suspected of coming from Balule, because they arrived at the same time that Duma did. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_f...tid=qC1gEa Ruiting: They used to be called mafikizolo pride, but I'm not sure if they were mafikizolo pride in 2013 (because mafikizolo pride in 2013 were Hercules pride), because different camps often give different names to the same pride
White lion cub in the Timbavati early 70's
Image credit: Drew Abrahamson Caption:Thinking of my mom today... My mom (left) with a vet nurse treating a Timbavati pride for mange! This was when the 1st strain of the #whitelion gene camp out in the Timbavati in the early 70's.  *This image is copyright of its original author
The Giraffe pride and the white cubs with the old Birmingham male [Smudge] and Mabande
images by Kevin Donaldson. October 2014  *This image is copyright of its original author
Vuyela male #1 seen at Simbavati waterside, Klaserie Private Nature Reserve
Image credit: Reza Krige  *This image is copyright of its original author
A throwback to September 2018 with the Kudyela pride at Balule Nature Reserve - This young cub of four-five months old at that time, it is one of the two Kudyela young males also named as the Orion males recently. They are sons of the Machaton males -
Image credit: Karl van der Westhuizen  *This image is copyright of its original author
The male described by guides as Birmingham breakaway I think is actually young Avoca male.
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