Lions of Sabi Sands

[Mapokser]

(09-11-2022, 10:03 AM)sik94 Wrote:

(09-11-2022, 05:29 AM)afortich Wrote:

(09-11-2022, 03:45 AM)BA0701 Wrote:

(09-11-2022, 03:21 AM)sik94 Wrote: Update on S8...
I have kept names of guides and the lodge out of the text as requested.
"Just listened to a message from the guide.
And this is what he says...
They found S8 and he had a bad wound to his leg (similar to Blondie) and bleeding at the mouth area which suggested to them a broken jaw, heavily salivating and roaring.
50m away Dark Mane and 2 Talamati subs were found also with some fresh wounds and scarring. They said based on tracks and marks it suggested that they were the ones that faught."
According to guides and rangers as well as the lodge...
Talamatis were on a buffalo kill and Kambulas arrived and also fed on buffalo with Dark Mane.
The Talamatis were found yesterday and 50m off was Kambula Subs.
1/2 Talamati Young Males does have an injury to his leg and the female's tail has started bleeding badly again.
S8 has not been seen since but there is an audio of a male lion and they are going to check again tomorrow."

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

Sounds like it was likely DM and a Talamati male were indeed the ones who chased S8 awhile back. Surprising given DM's poor condition at that time. Not surprising that three beat one, no matter how big that one is. As far as mouth injuries go, Scar Mbiri has done very well with a nasty mouth injury and vids of him when it first happened showed he was salivating as described here, and as you mentioned Blondie's leg injury and he's doing well. Point being, these creatures are as resilient as any on the planet, and until we hear different I believe we can still hope for his recovery. Maybe we will get some pics of him, or perhaps they will find it does not appear as bad as it did initially, given a little time.

So sad for S8 but this was expected because S8 was always chasing them and looking a fight.
I always suspected that the lions chasing S8 were DM and the young boys.

I didn't expect the young boys to backup DM in this way. They still haven't gone nomadic and aren't really in a coalition with DM, they aren't even territorial and neither really is DM anymore. Young males still living with their natal don't do this, even when they have a massive numerical advantage. This is pretty amazing I'm not gonna lie.

Young males still living with their pride do that. I remember reports of young Mapogos backing the West Street Males multiple times, as well as going in patrols with the WSM despite not being territorial yet. In fact, they were the reason the WSM weren't ousted in their last years. Not only that but they would also chase other prides away when their natal pride was getting attacked, even after the death of the WSM. Reply