Other male lion coalitions from Masai Mara

[Mohawk4]

The Kichwa Males Story


There was some debate over the last years over the question where the Kichwa Males are coming from. There is not much known about their origins, but a few facts are there and tell their story.
Short-Tail and Fang were most likely born into the Moniko Pride (Olare Motorogi Conservancy) in 2010, so they are 9 years old now. Their father is one of the old Moniko Males, Mzee and Lolalai, who were ousted by Lolparpit & Olbarnoti in 2010/2011, or the two legends themselves.
Here is the story:
Beginning of February 2013 a group of 5 young Males invaded Marsh Pride Territory and killed a Buffalo in the middle of the Musiara Marsh. That was not exactly a good idea and the 4 Musketeers responded immediately. They chased the 5 young Males off and caught at least one of them up on Rhino Ridge. The poor boy was badly mauled and never seen again, while the other 4 vanished.
So who were these 5 young Males?
One of them was around 4 years old and we knew this guy. This male was born into the Moniko Pride and has been named Orkiti by the Mara Predator Project.
Two of the other Males were around 3 years old mid of 2013 and these 2 Males were no other than Short-Tail and Fang. Two males being about 6 months younger completed the group of 5.
It is very unlikely that young Males not being born into the same Pride team up to become a large coalition of 5, speak that 4 would accept a 5th, or that 3 would accept a group of 2 unrelated young Males. Hence it is not impossible! But my assumption always was that all 5 young Males were born into the Moniko Pride in the OMC between 2009 and 2010 and had to run after Lolparpit & Olbarnoti took over.
Orkiti was never seen again after the encounter with the Musketeers, but 3 of the 5 popped up in the northern Mara Triangle in the course of 2014 and started courting some of the Oloololo Pride Females - Short-Tail, Fang and one of the 2 younger Males.
Towards the end of 2014 the Marsh Breakaway Pride had crossed the Mara River and settled down in the northern Triangle. The Musketeers followed them and this was a difficult time for the Oloololo Pride and for Short-Tail, Fang and their junior Partner. The latter vanished while Short-Tail and Fang came off this period with several severe battle scars. I am sure they escaped death several times.
But for some reason the Musketeers left the area for good and Short-Tail and Fang finally took over the Oloololo Pride in the course of 2015, the Marsh Breakaway Pride end of 2016 and a new Pride called River Pride (a splinter group of the Paradise Pride) end of 2017. They also tried to take over the Marsh Pride but were not able to chase off the Bila Shaka Males when they were still young and inexperienced.
These 2 Males sired many cubs with some from the Oloololo Pride born beginning of 2017 having started their nomadic life in the meantime. There is a lot of pressure from nomadic Males in the Triangle and esp. Fang has been injured several times, but so far Short-Tail and Fang have defended their territory. While not getting much attention they are Pride Males for around 4 years now and therefore amongst the really successful Male Lions in the Maasai Mara.

https://www.facebook.com/peter.rettig.9/posts/2899835653366457


"Short Tail"

*This image is copyright of its original author

"Fang"

*This image is copyright of its original author

Also a comment from Peter that shows how succesfull is this duo(Three until 2018)

" I also do not think the Bila Shaka Boys will return to the Topi Pride, may be they show up occasionally in the Musiara Area. If they go for the River Pride they have to confront the Kichwa Males...and I would not bet on the Bila Shakas. The Kichwa Males have strangers inside their territory all the time it seems and so far they have smarted them all out. Reply