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The Mighty Mapogos
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Season Changing but grass still green for Lion Prides
April 21, 2010 Autumn has arrived and one can see the seasons slowly changing. This has been offset by some very warm weather and some late rains which have kept the bush lush and green. Whilst the growth of the grass has diminished because of the reduction in daylight hours, the whole area is still remarkably green, compared to other years where we would have seen the grasses starting to go brown by this time. Even though the bush is thick it has not affected the good game viewing. The four male lions, the Mapogo, have been on the property virtually for the whole month, so there has been no shortage of male lion viewing. Having said in the previous newsletter how well the Ottowa pride was doing, they moved off the property to the east for a couple of days and unfortunately a hyena came in and killed one of the four cubs. What was interesting was the fact that, when the mother returned soon after the cub was killed and chased the hyena off, she picked up the dead cub, took it to the other cubs and they all ate the dead cub. Whilst there have been records of lion eating lion, this is not the norm. Since then, the other three cubs have been doing well and are growing vigorously, even though they have joined the rest of the pride and there is a lot of competition at the kills. One of the females from the Ximungwe pride has brought out another litter of cubs. She has two tiny cubs that have already become so used to the vehicles that they ignore them whenever they are being viewed. The concern at present is that these cubs don’t seem to be as developed as they should be at eight weeks, which is an estimate of their age. Time will tell whether these two will survive. The one five-month old cub is still doing exceptionally well and is enjoying the fact that he now has two mates to play with and bully. These Sightings have been Viewed at: Savanna Lodge  *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 https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/season-changing-but-grass-still-green-for-lion-prides/
Lion News from Savanna Lodge
February 17, 2010 It is always good news when the lion population starts to increase, even though the Ximungwe female only has one cub. The guides don’t know for sure how many she had initially, however only one has survived. This cub is moving with the pride at a very young age and it is believed that there is very little chance of it surviving, as the mother will probably not invest three years of her life for one cub. There is still uncertainty whether the other Ximungwe females are pregnant, even though four of the Mapogo have been in close attendance with this pride the entire month. There has been almost no mating, so one can only hope that the females are now pregnant. The lion cub viewing has been missing for a while; however, one of the Ottowa females has had four cubs which are being viewed on a fairly regular basis. She does keep them out of sight and well hidden in the Sand River, however she has brought them out a few times. These cubs are completely relaxed with the vehicles and offers superb lion cub viewing. These Sightings have been viewed at: Savanna Lodge  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/lion-news-from-savanna-lodge/
Savanna Lion News………
January 4, 2010 The lion sightings at Savanna have been incredible again this month. Four of the Mapogo (big males) and four of the Ximungwe females have been together often, and mating with the Ximungwe pride continues. The guides are unsure how many of the females are expecting, however they are going to stop guessing, as every month they seem to be wrong! Future newsletters will however announce once the cubs have been born! Having said this, it is believed that one female – the one with the short tail – has already had her cubs just north of the camps’ boundary, but still on the concession. A big surprise was that one of the Ottawa females has produced cubs near the river, and most guides didn’t even know she was expecting! This is unusual, as the older cubs that they still have, are about two and a half years old and still with the pride. Usually, when the young males are chased out by the adult males, the young females either form their own pride or stay with the mother to form a bigger pride, before the mothers produce cubs again. Two of the Mapogo disagreed over the Ximungwe females, however unfortunately, the actual incident was not seen by any of the guides, but as the photograph shows, they definitely made contact, and this particular male seems to have been the loser. Over the past several months there have been plenty of short, sharp altercations, but with nothing more than egos dented or a blood nose or lip. One would have thought that a hierarchy structure would have developed by now. The Ximungwe pride and the four Mapogo have had a glorious time this month as the buffalo herds have been in the camps’ area. At the beginning of the month they killed five buffalo of varying ages in three days! The Sparta pride consisting of 12 lions was seen for a short while in the camps’ traversing area this month; however they only stayed for a day, before returning east to the core of their territory. These Sighting have been Viewed at: Savanna Lodge  *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 https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/savanna-lion-news/
Savanna Lodge doing well with Lion Sightings………
November 13, 2009 The past couple of days at Savanna have been full of action. The Ximungwe pride has killed six wildebeest and one reedbuck in a matter of nine days. Individual Mapogos have ridden on the back of these kills and have come in once the Ximungwe pride have made the kill and dominated. The Ximungwe pride is doing well and mating continues to happen, hence at this stage the guides are uncertain whether any of if any females are pregnant yet. It is an exciting time and everybody is waiting in anticipation to see small cubs in the area again. During the last few days, the Ximungwe pride, with the help of three Mapogo, killed a big male buffalo very close to cheetah flats. This in return offers exceptional viewing for two days while these lions gorged themselves on this massive beast. The Ottowa pride that was seen frequently during the last two months at Savanna has now moved east and it will be exciting to see if they will continue to use the area within their territorial plays. The large herd of buffalo has been making frequent sorties into the camps’ area and water points still have plenty of water due to last year’s rains and this is obviously the draw-card. Certain cows within the herd give them direction and take them from one water point to another. This has on occasion created conflict between the hippo and the buffalo, as the hippo are trying to protect their area and the buffalo are just trying to get a drink and a wallow. Fortunately, no actual physical contact has taken place and it is wonderful to see this interaction. These Sightings have been viewed at Savanna Lodge https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/savanna-lodge-doing-well-with-lion-sightings/
Elephant Plains Lion on the Rise
October 19, 2009 The lion sightings at Elephant Plains have been phenomenal this month. The Tsalala’s and the Stix pride were seen nearly every day and guests were privileged to witness a few spectacular kills. Sadly one of the Stix females got killed by the Mapogo’s in a feeding frenzy. They are very aggressive lions when feeding and she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. She apparently had the back part of her spine snapped. But as for all the other lions it is going well. The Tsalala pride still has all eight of their cubs and one specific day they had two of the Mapogo’s resting with them. The cubs are very playful and the males seem to tolerate them rather well. It was an exceptional sighting to witness. The Stix pride lost one of their cubs for about a week, but luckily, they found each other again. So they still have five cubs. The Sandypatch female still comes in and out of the east and still has her one cub. The Windmill pride appeared for a few days and they have three males of about three years old and they are in good health. This new pride is welcomed with open arms as more lions mean better sightings! These Sighting have been viewed at Elephant Plains https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/elephant-plains-lion-on-the-rise/
The Up’s & Down’s @ Elephant Plains
August 4, 2009 Elephant Plains Game Lodge has had fantastic month as far as lions are concerned and the lion activity was phenomenal with lions on the move; fighting, protecting and killing. It offered incredible sights. The Stix pride moved the furthest west they have ever been and ended up on the lodge airstrip. The guides couldn’t believe their luck when they left the lodge in the morning and found them chasing a clan of hyenas. Just as they thought things could not get any more interesting, the Tsalala pride showed up and let out an incredible roar that sent the Stix pride running in a northerly direction! A few days later the two Mapogo males arrived at the Serengeti Pan and remained for a couple of days. They would call out for the other males, but with no reply. The last few months the Mapogo’s have not been seen together. The two of them are seen regularly and the big male stays in the west. The other three are believed to be more south. The Tsalala’s still have all six of their cubs and they are all looking great. Unfortunately, the Stix pride lost four of their cubs. The cause of death is uncertain. These Sightings Have been viewed at Elephants Plains Lodge https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2009/08/04/415/
Lions Sightings on Camp at Savanna
July 21, 2009 The lion kills that occurred this month were extraordinary. All the prides have been on a variety of large kills. The Ottawa pride, which seems to have made the northern part of the camps’ traversing area their new territory, killed a giraffe about seven days ago and is still feeding on it as this newsletter is being written.  *This image is copyright of its original author The Shimungwe pride have been indulging on a number of wildebeest throughout the month and moved straight from one wildebeest kill to a zebra kill almost overnight. It is also interesting to have the lions drinking from a nearby pond during the middle of the day. The Mapogo (the six dominant males) have been continuously in the camps’ traversing area this month. This is partly due to them still mating with some of the Shimungwe pride. The guides and guests have had incredible sightings of four of these males on the Savanna property. As mentioned, the mating with some of the Shimungwe pride continues, including the mother who had the cubs, and it is believed that she has deserted her last cub as predicted and will now produce her new litter round about the same time as the other four Shimungwe lionesses produce. If one takes an average of three cubs per lioness, in a few months’ time there should be approximately fifteen cubs with five lionesses, which make a very impressive pride. There has been a very exciting invasion of another pride of lions that came in from the east. It is believed that this pride is known as the Sparta pride and they moved onto Savanna’s property for just 24 hours before moving east. This is the second time that they have been on the property and it will be interesting to see if they make these visits on a regular basis. This pride is made up of two adult females, one sub-adult male, one large old male and five two-year old cubs. It is a very impressive pride; however they will have to be careful that they do not cross paths with the Mapogo, as the guides believe that they are probably not the father of these cubs.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/lions-sightings-on-camp-at-savanna/
Djuma Bush News
June 30, 2009 Bush Lodge Lion highlights at Bush Lodge have mainly included the Styx pride of lions, which are still seen in and around the lodge. The complete pride and nine cubs were seen almost every week; however the Nkahuma lion pride has not been seen for almost a month. Hopefully they will be back soon. Vuyatela General game viewing has been great this month at Vuyatela; especially with the presence of different pride of lions. The other factor attracting these prides of lions is the presence of breeding herds of buffaloes. Two male lions, new to Djuma property were seen feeding on a buffalo kill. The Mapogo pride of lions is back as well; however this time it was only two of them, their faces covered in blood. By the looks of it, they had been in a fight. The Styx pride is trying to settle on the Djuma property even though the competition is strong from the Kuhuma pride that always come and go. The lone Manyeleti boy, male lion, has been seen along the Northern boundary, after a long absence, perhaps he is looking for some company as he has been on his own for some time. Sandy Patch, lone lioness, is still hanging in there with her three cubs that are growing each and every day. She has been successful in killing. The Windmill pride of lions is also pushing deeper to our reserve from Mala Mala. These Sightings have been Viewed at Djuma Bush & Vuyatela https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/djuma-bush-news/
Lion Cub Surviving……
June 30, 2009 The young lion cub from the Ximungwe pride is still surviving, however what has been out of the ordinary is that the cub’s mother seems to have stopped lactating and this is way too early for this young cub, as it still requires a good amount of milk in its diet. Cubs are usually weaned from 6 – 7 months. They start eating meat at 6 – 8 weeks; however they require milk supplement until this age. The other uncommon event that is occurring is that this female is now mating again with the Mapogo. This is probably an indication that she may desert this cub, as committing herself for three years to raise one cub may not be an option for her. These Sightings have been viewed at: Savanna Lodge https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/lion-cub-surviving/
News at Elephant Plains
June 30, 2009 Here is to a very exciting report from the guides at Elephant Plains Game Lodge, what a month they have had! They finally got to see their favourite lions, the Tsalala’s and their six cubs. The cubs are approximately seven weeks old and simply adorable. They are extremely active and playful. It has taken the Tsalala’s three years to produce cubs again and this time all is going well for them as they have the six Mapogo males to look after them. The guides and guests have seen a lot of the Stix pride and the Kuhma’s as well. Apparently two males have moved into part of the Kuhuma’s territory in the east, which might be why they haven’t left again, knowing that they are safe here where the Mapogo’s can protect them.  *This image is copyright of its original author Sightings have been viewed Elephant Plains https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/news-at-elephant-plains/
Savanna Lion Population Update
May 29, 2009 There is good news and bad news with regards to the lion populations at Savanna. One of the Ximungwe females produced her cubs for in early April and once she started moving them, it wasn’t long for one to disappear. It is believed that this cub was taken by a hyena. Two and a half weeks later, the guides noticed that one of the other two remaining cubs had also been bitten quite badly and this one too disappeared after a couple of days, leaving one remaining cub, which seems to be doing very well. There are doubts as to whether the mother will invest three, to three and a half years in one cub only. She may abandon this cub and start afresh with a new litter. In the meantime, this little cub is being treated like an adult; she is walking huge distances and is probably the fittest little cub around. Normally the mother would leave her cubs hidden, go out and hunt and then take the cubs to the kill. Not with this cub: she is involved in all excursions that the mother goes on. She has also been introduced to the other Ximungwe females and has been accepted without any problem. The remaining Ximungwe females have all been mating vigorously with the Mapogo and they seem to be making the Savanna property their core area, which will be very exciting if they decide to have their cubs on Savanna’s property. There has been a very exciting incident whilst following a male lion on Savanna property (one of the Mapogo), when he suddenly sprinted off into the bush. The guides then heard the squealing of a warthog that had obviously been caught. The warthog had been caught on the other side of a drainage line and it took the guides approximately eight minutes to get around to the position where the lions were still busy trying to kill this warthog. The guides arrived to find one of the Ximungwe females, believed to have caught the warthog, and the male lion in a standoff situation. This huge pig was keeping both these lions at bay with his large tusks. However, in the initial fight, the warthog had been badly injured on both back legs. Soon after the guides arrived, the male lion rushed in, flipped the warthog on his back and administered the coup de grâce. Whilst all this was happening Metsi, the young female leopard, was standing on a vantage point and watching the whole scene. The Ottowa pride has moved deeper and deeper into the camp’s driving area territory and it seems as if they are changing their core area in and around the Sand River which will be fantastic for future viewing. These Sighting have been viewed at Savanna Lodge  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2009/05/29/savanna-lion-population-update/
Playing the Waiting Game while just lion around
March 26, 2009 For the past month, three of the Mapogo have been resident in the game driving area, the reason is probably due to the fact that the four young females of the Ximungwe pride is starting to come into season. No real mating has taken place as yet, however judging by their flirtatious behaviour it is sure to happen soon. The older female of the Ximungwe pride has had cubs, however she has chosen an inaccessible place to have them, hence they have not been seen and the guides do not know how many there are. The guides believe she had them approximately a month ago and it will be another month before she brings them out. The Ottawa pride has been absent for most of the month. These Lions Prides can be Viewed at: Savanna Lodge https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/waiting-for-mating/
Elephant Plains Brimming with Lion Prides
March 12, 2009 The guides happily reported that at the moment there are almost forty lions moving around the Sabi Sand Wildtuin. The camp has had some great sightings of the Mapogo’s and the Robson’s pride this month. The guides were relieved to find that the entire Robson’s pride was not totally wiped out by the Mapogo’s as initially thought. The Robson’s pride cubs are approximately ten months old and all seem to be in very good condition. Mapogo male number six is living with the Robson’s pride at present and it appears as if he wanted to mate with one of the females. The Stix have not been seen but the guides are certain that they still have all their cubs and two females are pregnant. The Tsalala’s numbers have not increased but hopefully in time they will. The Sandy patch female still has her cubs, but the guides are uncertain of the number. She was spotted feeding on a wildebeest and she showed fresh suckle marks. There appear to be new residents in the area as well. Two adult females and six cubs moved from the west and it is great to see a few cubs again.  *This image is copyright of its original author These huge number of Lion prides can be viewed at & around Elephant Plains area https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2009/03/12/elephant-plains-brimming-with-lion-prides/
Mating on it’s Way at Savanna
March 11, 2009 Remarkable developments within the Ximungwe pride are happening. Mentioned in a previous newsletter it was believed that the young females of the pride were coming of age and it would not be long before they and the Mapogo would meet up and start mating. The meeting up has started and just a few days ago 4 of the Mapogo were seen lying with the 5 females of the Ximungwe pride. This is very good news, as in a short space of time now mating will start and 3½ months after that the camp should have a few tiny cubs in the area again. The young male of the Ximungwe pride has been chased off and while he will remain in the area for a short while, his days of relying on his aunt and sisters are over. He will be chased further afield and become nomadic for the next 2½ to 3 years until he is confident and strong enough to be able to compete for his own territory. This seems a little harsh, but it ensures that this male is chased right out of the area so he will not mate with his siblings or other relatives, ensuring that the gene pool is kept honest. The Ottawa pride has also been seen a few times in the area this month and it is wonderful to see how these cubs are growing up so quickly. These Sightings & more have been viewed at Savanna Lodge https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2009/03/11/mating-on-its-way-at-savanna/
Djuma News from the Bush
October 6, 2008 Bush Lodge The warm days are continuing, however, there has been just enough rain to ‘green up’ the bush. The game viewing has been consistent and game is still visiting the lodges’ waterholes as the dry season intensifies. The Nkuma pride of lions sadly killed a giraffe mother at the neighbouring Nkorho lodge. To make matters worse, it was later discovered that the giraffe had just given birth as a dead matured calf was found next to the mother. The Manyeleti pride has been seen on numerous occasions at Green Pan, mating with the female from the Sandy Patch pride. The months to follow will be exciting as there will be a lot of cubs from the Mapogo and Styx, Manyeleti and Sandy Patch prides. The two Manyeleti pride males were seen on separate occasions on the property coming in from the Kruger and Manyeleti areas. Mafufunyane, a huge male leopard, was seen on different sighting on the Djuma property. On another game drive, the two Manyeleti males were seen at ‘double M” lying underneath a tree with an unknown leopard stranded above the same tree, looking terrified. Vuyatela The month of September was windy and dry except for a few light showers for a couple of days; however some of the trees are starting to bloom. The two Manyeleti lions have been spotted and it seems they are still dominating the eastern side of the reserve and using the opportunity to mate with the Sandy Patch female at Nyala dam, as well as at Bushbuck dam. With all this action, the male lions have certainly not been starving and were found feeding on a buffalo at Kayamanzi dam. The Mapogo male lions have been spotted once on Leadwood road feeding on a buffalo. The Kuhuma pride of nine lions is dominating the southern side of the reserve however always alongside the Kruger boundary. They were seen recently on Hornbill Nest road waiting patiently underneath a tree where Ripapi (female leopard) was feeding on a duiker kill. These sightings have been viwed at: Djuma Bush Lodge & Djuma Vuyatela https://lionprides.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/djuma-news-from-the-bush/ |
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