Lions of Sabi Sands

[NLAL11]

(08-04-2024, 08:58 PM)BA0701 Wrote:

(08-04-2024, 08:42 PM)criollo2mil Wrote: I don’t know how to post pictures with a Warning.  


Repost froM Noor Abdu


WARNING⚠⚠⚠
SENSITIVE CONTENT ???

August 4, 2024

Altercation last night/early morning between Mhangeni Pride & Kambula Pride leaves 1 cub dead & 2 older cubs missing ??

I just received some very sad news from a ranger at Londolozi. Seems there was an altercation between Kambulas & Mhangenis. It is believed that the dead cub is a Kambula cub (possibly 1 of K8's 3 cubs who were born July 2023 as the size of the cub looks about a year old) however, we mustn't forget Mhangeni cub #10 who was born August 2023. I have sent pics to someone who will hopefully be able to ID the cub ??

Information I received from the ranger who gave me permission to share.

"I have some sad news. The Kambulas and Mhangenis had a fight last night/this morning and what looks like one of the younger Kambula female cubs was killed. Two older cubs still missing from Kambula and not sure about anything from the Mhangeni Pride.

I know Mhangeni were running east onto Londoz last night trying to get away from Thumbela.
This morning the Kambulas were found split in two groups and tracks show that lionesses had been running in the area. The cub badly injured not unlikely to survive.
The Mhangenis were not found so unsure of whether it was them or the Tumbela Male who killed the cub. But this afternoon I just found the last remains of a wildebeest carcass not too far from where the cub was found. Apparently the Mhangenis were running from him last night. So I presume the sound at the carcass drew the lions in and ended up in an altercation either with the Tumbela male or the Mhangenis.

Definitely not Ntsevu, it’s too far west for Ntsevu. The furthest we have seen the Ntsevu is in line with our camps and this was about 5-6km southwest of our camps.
If it isn’t Kambula then it will be Mhangeni. I am almost 100% sure this is a Kambula cub. It looked to be about a year old, and it’s not mange that is dirt from either feeding or the altercation. I couldn’t see any testes so I assumed female but didn’t look too hard."

He will be asking around for me to try and find the Mhangeni Pride as well as Tumbela. At that time we will have a clearer understanding which cub it is, Kambula or Mhangeni ????

This is so heart breaking. You can tell the cub is not fully dead, in the pics, but, as the post says,  it does not look good at all.

You can see where its (her) back was broken. Really tragic, but as others have said this is part of lion dynamics.

The Mhanghenis losing a cub would make more sense, as they are the smaller pride, without pride males and as such much more vulnerable, and in the other pride's territory. Reply