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.
When once there were 12 special lions Every now and then there are animals born you immediately connect to. The 12 Mhangeni sub adults were such lions. 12 precious lives that - as short as they may were - left deep paw prints in the hearts of many people. Whoever wants to learn about a lions life, whoever wants to try and grab only a glimpse of their reality, this one shall hear about nine young males and three young females who lived up to the pure meaning of endurance. I remember the early days of 2018 when a young group of lions, most of them not even two years old, was abandoned by their mothers and left to their fate. Without the physical growth, without the necessary experiences to survive. But it wasn’t the end. Life seemed to stick to them like wax. And it was during this time that I found myself taking pleasure in the thought they could indeed make it. And the small flame grew with each sighting. The first time they scavenged from a leopard. The first time they chased the Styx pride from a kill. The first time they successfully hunted for their own. Who doesn’t remember the battle in the night when they faced a whole buffalo herd, the coats black from mud and blood but they held to the buffalo calf they successfully dragged into the muddy river. Who doesn’t remember when they all together brought down a fully grown buffalo cow on their own. I for myself will remember all of this. The day they stood up against a hyena clan till the moment mange sentenced them to death. They were kids, forced to survive in a world of adults. Left with no choice but to become soldiers who defied the rules of nature as long as they could. Big boy was the last of them to resist. A young male lion who built up a legend that even surpasses those of the ones who lived to become old. He was a soldier of the Sands. Honor him.
Four sad stories of young lions
