Mangheni Pride

[Mapokser]

One of the cubs has a huuuge bump/lump/growth or whatever it is.

Edit: Ok I did some research, first of I found that the cubs had this thing on their elbows for a long time now, here 2 of the cubs with it in January:

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

Some of them have smaller lumps, other bigger lumps, some don't have it at all.

Researching the causes of it, I found a paper associating TB to elbow hygromas:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Source: https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/ha...sequence=1

But it associates it to various degrees of hindlimb atrophy and lameness ( stuff we see with Lambile, Tumbelas, Nkhulus ), it doesn't match the cubs that have elbow hygromas in their forelimbs and they don't limp at all.

Another one though says that a subadult lion had 3 elbow hygromas believed to be caused by mycobacterium bovis:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Only one among many others that also tested positive.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16553146/

What I found more similar was this, an elbow hygroma in a dog:

*This image is copyright of its original author

The article describes it as:

The usual patient for this condition is a short-haired large breed dog, usually of an adolescent age, brought to the veterinarian for assessment of a fluid-filled swelling at the point of one or both elbows. The swelling is generally non-painful but can be quite bulbous and bizarre-looking.

It says it doesn't affect the animal if it is an uncomplicated hygroma:

*This image is copyright of its original author

It can get infected and become a complicated hygroma where surgical drainage becomes necessary:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Source: https://www.marvistavet.com/elbow-hygroma.pml

However, since these cubs have been living normally with those things for more than half a year while displaying no signs of physical weaknesses I think they have uncomplicated hygromas.

Edit²:

The Makhulu Mapogo, one of the forefathers of the pride, also had a big elbow lump as a subadult:

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

Still he grew up to be one of the healthiest lions out there, and very strong, so possibily these things on the cubs can go away and/or not affect their lives. Reply