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(04-07-2020, 10:46 AM)Pantherinae Wrote: Personal opinion, but based on people that have had conutless trips/works in both Kgalagadi and Kruger. Chobe lions often are lions who has entered from Kalahari so I would assume they are about the same size. Also some individuals from East are huge.
In South Africa Timbawati and Madikwe is said to have very big lions. Madikwe as mentioned has gotten lions from Etosha and Kgalagadi.
Problem with Kruger lions are that they are so lean that with 90% of the males you can see their spine.
It would be interesting to see figures from Kgalagadi and Chobe. We have info from Etosha, and although they seems to be heavier, they figures include stomach content, while those used for South Africa did not in the mayority of the specimens.
We most be carefull with personal estimations based in sightings and pictures, as you know, sometimes the emotion and the personal feelings may affect the perception. Check the case of the Indian lions, for example.
However, again, it will be interesting to have more date of these lion populations at the south of Africa, definitelly they are the largest of the lion populations in modern days and a male of 190 kg is normal for these latitudes.
I agree that we must be careful to say which is bigger, but it’s just as I said my opinion with the Chobe and Kgalagadi lions.
Would like as you say to see actual weights from those places. Until then I agree that on average Kruger lions are the biggest. And East Africa has the heaviest, as I personally accept the 272 kg lion from Kenya.