Lions of Timbavati

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Tanda Tula update

Whilst the elephants were the most abundant of the big animals (although the zebras might disagree with this, as they too were very active in the greener sections around Tanda Tula Safari Camp), it was the lions that made sure we had a week to remember.  With some regular return guests of ours visiting the new camp for the first time since their previous visits to Plains Camp, we had some work to do, especially as last year they saw 57 different lions during their week with us.  Well, the lions didn’t disappoint this time, and after only three days of safari, we had ticked off 53 different lions from four different prides, and one coalition of males!  These included an afternoon spent with 21 members of the Giraffe Pride (with Hercules) as they rested off some full bellies at a waterhole in the west.  A brief visit of 12 members of the Sark Breakaway Pride that were found close to our airstrip one evening.  The three lionesses of the River Pride did not have a great week of hunting, and after having left the three cubs on their own for around five days, they were eventually found with the cubs, but all members of the pride looked like they could do with a big meal!  The three Vuyela males that were with them were anything but thin!  I am not sure what is going on with the lionesses; I was convinced that the older female was pregnant, but now she doesn’t look like it at all, and the pale female seems to be producing milk; yet she was drawing the most attention from the males.  The pride was around for a couple of days, but the good news is that despite heading north out of our concession, the word was that the pride had enjoyed some hunting success and were found with a young giraffe kill – better news was that the males were not with them, so they can enjoy the meal in peace!  The last pride to pitch up this week were the Mayambulas.  Ginger found three adult lionesses and a Birmingham Breakaway male in the south-east near the Kruger Boundary one afternoon and had a great sighting as the pride stalked and caught a warthog whilst they were watching them.  The sound of hyenas and lions near Machaton Dam drew the attention of the guides towards the end of the week, and upon following up found another 11 members of the pride finishing off the remains of a wildebeest kill.  Strangely though, despite their numbers, the lions didn’t seem keen to have any attention drawn to themselves and soon relinquished the remains of the kill to the hyenas.  We caught up with them as they headed towards a pan and had a drink before settling for the day.  Despite being less than 2km away, the three Vuyela males did not hear the commotion and the pride managed to move off without incident.  With the Birmingham Breakaway males in control of some of the pride, it does appear as though a couple of lionesses and the young adults and subadults have become a splinter group for now. 

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

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