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(04-07-2025, 08:28 AM)FACR2212 Wrote: Well, I must continue the history, we were talking about the orphan subadults, who managed to survive alone.
They even competed with one Majingilane male, who stole a buffalo kill from them, as you can see in the video.
CHAPTER 4 – STRONGER TOGETHER
A New Beginning
From 2016 onward, sightings of the Ximhungwe Pride became scarce, raising concern about its fate. In early 2017, reports from Manyeleti identified three mature individuals: a limping male and two lionesses. Later that year, the male split from his sisters and likely passed away, leaving the two lionesses to roam in Manyeleti and northern Sabi Sands.
March 2015. The Ximhungwe youngsters: 2 sister and 1 brother alert and chasing hyenas at Savanna. Nowadays only one remains, and that is the female on the right. Lady Ximhungwe. Photo by Patrik Hunter (thanks Ngonya for sharing it).
*This image is copyright of its original author
By November 2018, the pride was recorded as consisting of two adult lionesses—both confirmed as daughters of the Selati males. In 2019, the pride became fully nomadic, moving through the western and northern sectors of Sabi Sands and even venturing outside the reserve, reflecting their continued instability and lack of a secure territory.
Optimism grew as the lionesses began showing signs of reproduction. In January 2020, one lioness gave birth, offering hope for the lineage. However, tragedy struck when her sister, already in declining health, separated and eventually passed away. Consequently, the pride was reduced to a single adult lioness, the sole bearer of the Ximhungwe legacy.
Ximhungwe lioness playing with her young daughter
In mid-2021, the situation around the last Ximhungwe lioness grew increasingly uncertain. Observers noted that she appeared to be back in estrus, despite still caring for a subadult cub around a year and a half old. This unusual behavior was believed to be a strategic attempt to distract a male from the Tumbela coalition, possibly to keep him from harming her offspring. Around the same time, she was seen in the company of the PC males, while her daughter was reportedly struggling, likely due to the dangers of growing up in such unstable conditions.
A dramatic sighting followed when the Ximhungwe female and Limper Tumbela were seen climbing a tree together to steal a kill from a female leopard and her cub—an unusual display of cooperation and opportunism. Not long after, she was spotted again, this time alone, and by then it had become almost certain that her daughter had not survived.
A New Alliance and the Question of Identity (2021–2022)
In early 2021, the lone Ximhungwe female, the last known member of her pride, was seen once again in the western sector, this time accompanied by Gingerella, a lioness formerly associated with the Othawa Pride. Gingerella had returned to her natal area alongside one of the Mini Matimba males after a period in Kruger, but their return was short-lived. The Othawa Pride, now with new cubs, rejected them. The young male soon disappeared, while Gingerella remained alone in the west, eventually beginning to interact regularly with the Ximhungwe lioness.
Gingerella, daughter of Southern Matimbas (presumably Ginger Matimba)
Over time, these interactions sparked debate among observers: was Gingerella joining the Ximhungwe Pride, or were the two lionesses forming a new, independent unit? Some argued that as long as the last Ximhungwe lioness remained alive, the pride’s name and legacy should continue, with Gingerella seen as a guest or addition. Others felt that the merging of two solitary females from different origins warranted a new identity, one reflecting their unique situation.
In 2022, the Ximhungwe female was seen mating with males from different coalitions, including an altercation between the Birmingham male Nhenha and a Nkuhuma male, both competing for her. This behavior hinted at a possible attempt to reproduce again—an opportunity to continue the Ximhungwe bloodline.
Nkuhuma and Ximhungwe female by Dulini Lodge/Neil Jennings
*This image is copyright of its original author
By September 2022, the coalition between the last Ximhungwe lioness and Gingerella had become stable enough that observers, including guides from Savannah, began referring to the pair simply as the Ximhungwe Pride. Despite Gingerella’s origins as the daughter of Sassy from the Othawa Pride, she was no longer considered part of that group. Her continued association with the Ximhungwe lioness was interpreted as a full integration.
Gingerella (left) and Lady Ximhungwe (right) bonding
*This image is copyright of its original author
The Ximhungwe lioness had earned a reputation as a fighter and survivor, defending her territory and legacy after years of isolation, loss, and instability. Her bond with Gingerella marked the first stable pride structure in years, and both lionesses were reportedly aggressive toward intruders, committed to protecting what they had rebuilt.
The dominant male or coalition associated with this new version of the Ximhungwe Pride remained unclear. Throughout 2022, the lionesses were seen in contact with several different males, including Nkuhuma male, Nhenha (Birmingham),Skorro Jr (Tumbela), and Plains Camp males.
The story of the last Ximhungwe lioness and Gingerella took a dramatic turn in late 2022. Long ago, many members of the Ximhungwe female’s family had been killed by Gingerella’s aunts, members of the Othawa Pride. Years later, the tables turned. The last Ximhungwe lioness, through her alliance with Gingerella (an Othawa outcast rejected for being too young to mate with the Tumbela males), managed to outpower the Othawa Pride, including Sassy and some of her surviving sub-adults.
To be continued...
Man, what a story of survival, for the Ximungwe Pride as a whole, and this last lioness! For the longest time, I had thought that the video of the killing of the Long Tail lioness, by the Majins and Othawa Pride, was in fact the current last actual Ximungwe Lioness' sister. Apparently, she simply disappeared, as happens with too many of these cats.
Ximhungwe pride: past and present
