Lions of Sabi Sands

[Mapokser]

(8 hours ago)sunless Wrote:

(12-10-2024, 10:03 PM)Mapokser Wrote: In fact Mara barely has impressive lions size-wise currently, only Orkirikoi is clearly big and muscular, and even then doesn't seem as big as Half-Tail was ( Rob the Ranger thinks so ). The Sankai have insane manes, but even the most impressive mane-wise, Seenka, was barely bigger in anything than one of his lionesses in a video from a few months ago.

Would disagree with the "barely" (impressive size-wise) term here just look at the Bila Shakas, Inselbergs, Talibans, Kaskaz, Sankais, Orpadan (Oloshipa), Orkirikoi, Mrefu, Kissingers and many more that I cannot remember, almost if not all lions in the Mara including the Conservancies has a good build some into the size wise like the lions that I listed or the taller side but still have the size like Lorkulup, Kijana, etc.

You make me more skeptical when you mention the Sankai as an example of impressive males, size-wise, here the bigger-mane one, Seenka:

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

To reinforce my point, from a ranger with many many years in both Mara and Kruger, who doesn't even saw the largest Sabi Sands lions ( biggest he saw was Majingilane ):

*This image is copyright of its original author

So again, it's not like I'm saying Mara lions are smaller, I'm of the opinion that any big healthy population of african lions will average the same thing, with obvious sometimes having larger or smaller lions. Currently I don't think Mara has many very big males, but this is just by chance, previous generation had larger males, next one may as well, same with Sabi Sands or anywhere else.

There was also a photographer, I forgot his name, Pieter something, he also said there wasn't a difference in size between Mara or Kruger males. Reply