There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
The first morning I didn’t do a game drive last week was one of those ones that rubbed salt in the wound – after a week of checking the den site of the Mayambula Pride and seeing nothing, Ginger took his guests there and they got to see five cubs out and about!
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It started with us finding fat-bellied Mayambula lionesses heading back to the den site with the two Skorro males in tow, but they didn’t bring the cubs out. The next morning though, with bellies still full, all three mothers were there, with not five cubs, but eight! What a sight to see after all the time spent checking and waiting at the den. The cubs were too cute for words and sat around for a short while before the mothers led them back to the thickets.
As the week pressed on, the remaining members of the pride spent time in the vicinity of the den and we got to see the cubs a few times, but on almost all occasions they were playing in inaccessible areas on the sensitive sodic sites, so we just couldn’t get closer to get a better view. We will however have many opportunities in the coming months to enjoy them, I am sure. The River Pride only stayed around for a couple of days during which time they were found finishing a wildebeest kill near Machaton Dam, but they headed back north of our concession where it sounds like they continued to feed well.