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Lions of Timbavati
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 (04-09-2016, 08:43 PM)Pckts Wrote: You'd think the private reserves would be the ones to be fenced unless they specifically block corridors. And they do have fences on all other sides, and had ones on the Kruger side for decades, but the owners of these reserves understood the need to allow animals to move freely and benefited from the influx of Kruger excess animals into their reserves. 
Johan Adolf Smalman:
The Giraffe male seen this week that was attacked by the two Ross males last year.  *This image is copyright of its original author
From Umlani Bushcamp:
"The Trilogy males are with the giraffe pride on a buffalo kill at the moment and guests have been treated to spectacular lion viewing as a result."  *This image is copyright of its original author
From Umlani Bushcamp:
"A Trilogy male and Giraffe pride lioness share an intimate moment."  *This image is copyright of its original author
From Brett Horley Safaris:
GIRAFFE PRIDE WITH WHITE LIONS & CUBS ON A KILL This was one of those breath-taking experiences on safari at Walker’s River Camp in the Timbavati, Greater Kruger. This is the famous home to wild, white lions, and our Brett Horley Safaris guests got to see the two white lionesses of the Giraffe Pride feasting alongside their tawny pride members and the well-known Trilogy male lions. A total of 14 lions, including 5 cubs, 7 lionesses, and 2 Trilogy males, growled at one another over the buffalo carcass in true lion fashion. This was an untamed spectacle of nature, and being so close to this furiously charged scene was exciting to say the least! Out of the 5 cubs, there are 2 slightly older ones, and one is clearly in sight fighting for its place in the feast. Watch how it growls and snaps at a lioness and stands its ground alongside a huge Trilogy male. This behaviour is typical at a lion feed, but this cub’s determination really blew us away  *This image is copyright of its original author Two Trilogy males joined the Giraffe Pride to feast  *This image is copyright of its original author One young cub showed a lot of courage and bravery as he stood his ground at the kill. Often, cubs are chased off the kill as the adults feed One of the youngest cubs nuzzled up to a white lioness for affection, which was endearing to watch. Interestingly, this lioness is not the mother of the cub, rather she is the ‘aunt’, but it demonstrates that the cubs are looked after and cared for by all members of the pride, and not just the mother. We will not easily forget this superb sighting in the Timbavati!  *This image is copyright of its original author A rare wild white lioness allows her sister’s cub to snuggle up under her chin. A real ‘awwww’ moment for our guests.  *This image is copyright of its original author In total, there were 14 lions at this sighting – a lot of mouths to feed! The video: 
@Majingilane:
This lion cub is a future leader for sure ! Very interesting, kids have to impose... Nothing is free among the lions. I have often read that males are often more tolerant towards cubs when the prey's corpse is big. Perhaps this bold cub "uses" the big male to stand his ground at the kill, trying to take advantage of his presence next to him.
Credits to Greg Mccall-Peat.
The Giraffe pride pulled down a big bulffalo a few weeks ago. This sighting was special for so many reasons, not only were the two Trilogy males present but also the two white lions of the Timbavati, plus the pride’s latest additions: three young cubs. The Giraffe pride is the largest pride we see in our traversing area and the white lions are always an incredible sight to see.  *This image is copyright of its original author A Trilogy male and one of the older cubs from the Giraffe pride feeding on the buffalo kill. The sheer size of the male can clearly bee seen when he is compared to the young cub. One of the most interesting things to see at a kill like this is that the males tolerate their cubs feeding but should one of the lionesses approach, the aggression starts and he does not allow them anywhere near the kill.  *This image is copyright of its original author And one more of the Trilogy male.  *This image is copyright of its original author
From Tinstwalo Safari Lodge:
The Mbiri's prodigal sons return Mbiri pride  *This image is copyright of its original author The biggest news of the week, was the return of the one of the original Mbiri males. The two surviving males from their previous litter. The other big news is that one of the adult females is heavily pregnant, and has started checking some of their favorite den sites, around Catwalk west. The pride has been split for most of the week, but were reunited for a short while, when they killed a Buffalo at New Pump. This is where the Mbiri male, turned up. He wasn’t looking good at all, is very thin and week, and desperately needed the support of his old pride. The three younger males kept him away from the kill, until they were finished. Alistair witnessed, how all three of them gave him a violent welcome, that he didn’t expect. What does this mean for the young males though? Does this mean a coalition of four males for the future? If he survives, this could be interesting!
 *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author The pregnant Mbiri female, has been marking territory and checking old den sites.  *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 The Mbiri male feeding on whats left of the Buffalo carcass. Not the welcome he was expecting!  *This image is copyright of its original author One of the sub adult females, bearing the scars of a fierce fight at the kill.  *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 Keeping the bonds strong!  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
From Sun Destinations:
Klaserie Lion Catch-up: NEW Male Lion in Klaserie As the seasons have shifted, so have our lion pride dynamics. Being based in an area sharing unfenced borders with the Timbavati Game Reserve and the Kruger National Park means plenty of scope for nomadic lions and lion prides to move around. Prides split, new males patrol territories, old males mate with rogue lionesses and cubs grow-up. This is par for the course when it comes to lion prides in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. We observe, we speculate and then we huddle together to confirm what’s happening in the ever-shifting world of lions. With that being said, we have an exciting new development in the lion world. Sightings over the past year have been largely dominated by the Trilogy boys, the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses, the occasional Hercules Pride sighting and of course, the white lioness sightings. But, there’s a new kid on the block. A lone ranger of sorts who has been spotted traversing Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp turf. Meet the Mabande male, a scraggly looking, slightly nervous, nomadic male lion who appears to be staking his claim on Klaserie turf. Or so we think. We could be wrong, or we could be right! Here’s what we do know.  *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 The boys from the Ross Pride of lions chased the Mabande male off his traverse and he fled to our neck of the (Acacia) woods. Previously part of a coalition of 4, the Mabande male ended up in a coalition of two. After being flushed out by the Ross Boys, the two fled. We’ve only seen Mabande male around our camps – sightings of the second male have not been recorded. There seems to be a shift in power and a bit of chaos with our Klaserie lions. Here are our recorded sightings and happenings over the past couple of weeks, courtesy of ranger Michael Beard. Mabande male seen on Klaserie traverse close to camps. Identification confirmed by rangers. He was seen close to the dam where the huge breeding herd of elephants were seen playing – this was the second sighting. Mabande male was then spotted around Africa on Foot camp and tried to take down a zebra. The rather alarmed potential meal escaped, leaving him somewhat hungry. The next day rangers spotted the Mabande male again, just patrolling the region. Albeit nervously. Our new rogue male lion wasn’t seen for a few days – probably lying low! He then re-appeared with a vengeance and successfully took down a buffalo. A couple of days later the Ross Pride Breakaway females caught wind of the new boy and his kill. They approached the area where he was feasting but the Mabande male chased them away! The Ross Pride Breakaway females decided to conduct their own kill and killed a buffalo rather close to nThambo Tree Camp. Cue the following day after the Ross feast. Surprise surprise, the Hercules pride made a comeback and chased the Ross Pride Breakaway girls away from the remnants of their buffalo carcass. That Hercules pride – they’re either stealing kills, killing cubs or protecting their turf. A tough bunch of ominous cats. The Mabande male has since been heard calling back and forth during the dead of night. He was seen again, this time trying to track the whereabouts of the Ross Breakaway girls ! The Mabande male was initially nervous but is becoming more relaxed now. Will he go in hot pursuit of the Ross Pride girls? Is he going to stake his claim on old Trilogy turf? Where is the other male? Will the Mabande male return to his old hunting grounds or have the Ross boys take over for good?
Update: Male Lion Mabande Mates with the Ross Lionesses!
Welcome to part two in the Mabande male lion saga – this time, things have heated up and excitement is mounting. The Mabande male, who we’ve recently introduced to our guests, is certainly settling into the Klaserie way of life. His presence is having a trickle down effect on the resident lions on the Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp territory. This is big news for lion pride dynamics. Just like the changing seasons, the lion activity seems to be coinciding with the shift. New seasons, new lions. Over the past few weeks we’ve been closely monitoring Mabande’s antics. It appears the Trilogy males were also watching Mabande’s every move and, feeling threatened, the old legends returned to their grounds for a fly-by-night visit. We suspect this was just to show all and sundry who dominates the area. However, this didn’t deter the scraggly maned Mabande male, who continued to test the waters of a potentially new turf. If you recall, last week we reported that he killed a buffalo, followed the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses and made his presence known around nThambo Tree Camp and Africa On Foot.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author During the time when the Trilogy returned to their old domicile, Mabande seemed to lie low for a while. When he deemed it safe, he re-appeared with a vengeance! Is this boy actually be here to stay? There was speculation that he might just be passing through, but since Thursday last week, there’s been an interesting twist in the saga. You could say he has upped his game and asserting his dominance. The virile male decided that mating with the two Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses was the next step. Since Thursday last week, Mabande has been spotted with his pants down, taking turns to mate with BOTH lionesses! In conjunction with that, he has been calling during the dead of night. Calling is normally a form of communication to advertise their territory. Contact calling happens at night because the air is still and sound travels further. During this time, not one of the Trilogy have responded to his territorial roars! Greg Moran, a ranger at Africa on Foot, says “Mabande has been calling almost every night since Thursday and the Trilogy boys haven’t responded. If Mabande continues to hang around the Ross girls, then the Hercules Pride will leave them alone. There is a chance that if Mabande comes face to face with the Hercules Pride that he might kill off the youngsters.”  *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 Why would Mabande want to kill the youngsters from another pride? Unfortunately, this can happen when a male is attempting to take over a territory. He would, in theory, want his own bloodline to be continued and will kill off the young within a pride. This also eliminates the possible competition from youngsters who may grow-up wanting to take his spot as leader. Being brave and full of testosterone, Mabande tried to take down another buffalo last night during our virtual LiveBushFeed session. He stalked his target, but it was a useless attempt. He has probably expended plenty of energy during the mating process! The Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses certainly have had their fair share of warfare and drama. The Hercules pride killed their cubs, they’ve mated with the Trilogy and now it’s new beginnings for them with the Mabande male. The Klaserie is alive with lion activity !  *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
Klaserie Lion Fight: Mabande Grapples with the Trilogy Boys
We speculated that things would heat up in the Klaserie with the presence of Mabande, the rather brazen lion who is making his presence known on our turf. We questioned what the Trilogy would make of Mabande and how they’d react to their territory being invaded. Our speculation has now turned into cold, hard fact. Things heated up faster than a bush fire on Sunday night. The Mabande male fought with one of the Trilogy boys, leaving a wake of destruction and whirlwind of dust in his path. This Mabande male will do anything for a kingdom, including taking on of the legends of the Klaserie. I came, I saw, I conquered is the motto in the world of lions. I arrived in the Klaserie and an excited Greg told me about his and Mike’s first hand account of the sighting. Needless to say, I missed the crescendo of the lion saga, but I have feeling this is not the end. In fact, this is just the beginning. The A-team rangers will be watching the dynamics closely in the next few weeks and we’ll all be waiting with baited breath.  *This image is copyright of its original author Here’s the story. Greg says, “So, Mabande male was doing his normal contact calling. Then, the Trilogy obviously heard the calls and, having had enough of Mabande, moved swiftly across to where Mabande was located. We only saw Mabande and hadn’t noticed one of the Trilogy lying low in the thickets. Then the madness started! Mabande hadn’t noticed the Trilogy. One of the Trilogy boys stood up, he glanced over and then Mabande saw him. That’s when the attack happened. Mabande approached with a look of death in his eyes. Dust was flying, there was slamming up of bodies against trees and then they disappeared behind the termite mound. At this stage, both lions were unscathed. The lions were actually parallel to each other, run alongside and creating a storm of dirt and atmosphere of sheer adrenalin. The bushes were thick so we did lose visual” Mike says, “Out out of the blue, the second Trilogy came to defend his brother, just following closely behind. Almost like a back-up crew. Mabande knew his limits and fled the scene!”  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author All three lions came away unharmed from the battle, but one of the (Trilogy's I assume)seemed a bit unsteady on his feet when we saw them last night. After their fight, the Trilogy decided to hang around for a bit and made a buffalo kill. Yesterday afternoon, the boys lay around next to the carcass while the feint call of one of the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses could be heard in the distance. That night we returned to the kill site only to see the Ross girls and the Trilogy hungrily gorging themselves on the meaty morsels surrounding the buffalo’s rib cage.  *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 So, where are we in the tale of the Trilogy? Last night, while we were exchanging pleasantries around the campfire, we heard Mabande calling. The Trilogy were calling, but from a different direction. Let’s see what tonight brings.
Ross young males, credits to Shindzela Safari Camp.
They're the ones who ousted Mabande.  *This image is copyright of its original author
Battle of the Klaserie Continues: Mabande vs Trilogy
Africa on Foot / Blog / Kruger Lion Stories / nThambo Tree Camp / Uncategorized Tags: Africa on Foot, Klaserie, Kruger, Lions, Mabande, nthambo Tree Camp, Trilogy Yesterday we flew in with reports and updates about the Mabande male lion. You remember him? He’s the nomadic male who has spent the past few weeks patrolling and marking new territory. During the course of last week, he had a huge showdown with the Trilogy lions, the dominant males of the area. So, what’s the latest in the Mabande vs Trilogy saga? Well, Mabande was relaxing close to Buffelsdam and managed to give guests a brief sighting. He even engaged in a bit of rolling back and forth to entertain his onlookers. After his fight with the Trilogy, he went scurrying away but now it appears his confidence his back up. Clearly last week didn’t deter this potential king, who wants the Klaserie and the Ross girls for himself. Although Mabande lay low for a while, he certainly didn’t go running for the hills. He spends plenty of time patrolling turf, scent marking and covering huge ground. Guests from nThambo Tree Camp have actually spotted him casually strolling past camp. He was also seen just outside the ranger’s block at Africa on Foot. Is this not a dangerous situation for Mabande? Returning to Trilogy traverse? The absolute brazen attitude of Mabande surely is a sign of a burgeoning and brave leader! So, after being spotted at Buffelsdam, Mabande subsequently left the area because one of the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses was contact calling. He moved off in the general direction of the calls. The next sighting was of one of the Trilogy males mating with Ross girls! The following day, the nThambo team spotted one of the Trilogy males just relaxing by himself. Believe it or not, while nThambo were with the handsome Trilogy male, the Africa on Foot team were observing the Mabande male mating with one of the Ross girls. It’s getting very risky out there in the Klaserie. The competition for females is strong and you can slice the tension in the air with a knife. Thus far, two males, one turf. Things are inching closer to a battle of the Klaserie – Mabande vs Trilogy. http://www.sundestinations.co.za/blog/ba...s-trilogy/
From nThambo Tree Camp, Week in Pics: Where the Wild Things Are, 03 June 2016:
"The biggest drama of all is the presence of a relatively new male lion called Mabande. He has been patrolling and covering huge ground around both camps and is clearly on a quest to take over the Klaserie kingdom. Of course, this is Trilogy turf, so you can only imagine the chaos that has ensued. There was a huge fight between Mabande and two of the Trilogy males – luckily both lions came away unscathed from the event. Mabande disappeared for a couple of days but then reappeared with a vengeance. We’re watching the lion dynamics of the Klaserie closely."  *This image is copyright of its original author
Credits to Christof Schoeman
Follow me and il show you the way of the wild As pride protector, one of the Thanda Impi males(Sisanani) leads one of his cubs from the middle of a massive dry dam back toward the safety of the thickets early this morning. Manyeleti Game Reserve- Greater Kruger  *This image is copyright of its original author
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