Login

Potato · 07-10-2020, 04:44 PM

Since old Tintswalo reports are deleted from their webside then as source I leave old wildfact thread link to where those reports were copy pasted.

https://wildfact.com/forum/topic-lions-of-timbavati?page=6
https://wildfact.com/forum/topic-lions-of-timbavati?page=7
https://wildfact.com/forum/topic-lions-of-timbavati?page=8
https://wildfact.com/forum/topic-lions-of-timbavati?page=9

June-July 2016

Avoca/Giraffe vs Thanda Impi competition for Mbiri pride

These(Avoca males) are probably some of the biggest male lions i have seen and they are coming closer and closer towards our dominant males and their pride! Lion dynamics in the Manyeleti is heating up big time

Credits to Christof Schoeman

[img]https://i.imgur.com/LIsfvjk.jpg" class="lozad max-img-size" alt="" title="">

*This image is copyright of its original author

22-29 June:

Mbiri pride

This week was still a very unsettling week for the Mbiri pride! We started their week off with two of the younger Lionesses around Manor house on the 23rd, where they tried to hunt Wildebeest close to Manor house pan. The entire pride was seen again on the 25th, accompanied by one of the Avoca male Lions. He mated with one of the older Lionesses several times, with the younger females in the area. It seems that the younger females are more comfortable with the Avoca males, that the Thanda impi males. The last sighting we had of the Mbiri pride was on the 28th, where they were accompanied by the Thanda impi males on River road, only about 100 meters from our Presidential suite. Again there was mating taking place. This pride seems to be bringing the two coalitions closer to one another, a cause for concern in the future.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Thanda Impi male Lions

We had two sightings of the Thanda Impi’s this week. They were seen early in the week with the Nharhu pride on Ngwenya loop, to the west of Main Dam. It was a wonderful sighting, with interaction between the males, cubs and the females. They then disappeared for a few days, before turning up with the Mbiri pride at our presidential suite. They were mating with both of the older Lionesses, including the Lioness that was mating with the Avoca male a few days earlier. I personally don’t believe that they’re strong enough to look after two prides, and it might be worth their while staying with the Nharhu pride, but thats not how male Lions are wired, and we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in the next few months.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Avoca males

We had at least one of the big males from the north this week. He spent the majority of the week in the north and west of the reserve, and was interacting with two separate prides, the Mbiri’s and the Mohlawareng pride. He was first seen with the Mohlawareng pride around Civet road, and later moved more south to the Mbiri pride on Nyathi drive. We are used to seeing these guys sporadically, but this week they were interacting with prides. We think this might be the start of a new group of males in the north!

*This image is copyright of its original author

July:

Mbiri pride

The Mbiri pride have been at the center of the drama, and the two coalitions seem to be competing for the same pride. The pride has been seen interacting with both coalitions as well, seemingly unable to make their minds up. The Mbiri pride have been staying in the area around Buffalo plains and Lomfane area for the week, and on the 1st of July they attempted to hunt Buffalo on Lomfane, but failed miserably in the attempt. The next day they were found close to that area, at Khoka Moya camp, where they spent the day. We then didn’t see the Mbiri’s for a few days, until they were found flirting with the thanda impi males on Catwalk west. This was after the Thanda Impi males ganged up on one of the Avoca males. The tracks suggest that the Avoca male was with the Mbiri pride at the time of the attack.

Thanda Impi male Lions

The first sighting we had of the Thanda Impi’s was on the 3rd of July. One of the Avoca males was calling, and the Thanda Impi’s were found responding to these roars on Helens road. We followed as they roared and scent marked, moving east and securing the area around the Nharhu pride, with whom they have 10 cubs at the moment. Two days later, they were found with the Nharhu pride on a Buffalo kill, close to Main Dam. It all seemed to have quietened down, until the morning of the 5th of July. The guys found one of the Avoca male Lions, looking quite badly beaten up. The Thanda Impi males, were then found with the Mbiri pride, only a short distance away on Catwalk west. They seem to have timed their move very well, finding the much larger Avoca male without his brother. Relying on team work to secure their territory! The mark of a successful coalition of male Lions.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Avoca male Lions

These two big male Lions came in with a bang this week. They came in roaring, and looking for the Mbiri pride, and to be honest, looking for a fight too. The first sighting was on the 3rd of July, Alistair found one of them on Rians folly, moving north and roaring! A clear statement was being made. That afternoon, we found the other male at leopards drift. About a kilometer from where the Thanda Impi males had responded. He moved even further south, roaring and walking in the direction on the Thanda Impi’s. Once again, a clear message was being sent. It all went quiet, until the morning of the 5th, when the same Avoca male, that went looking for a fight, was found quite badly injured on Windi Windi. The Thanda Impi’s had double teamed him, and he had an injured eye and some serious looking bite marks on his back legs. Round one to the Thanda Impi’s, but this is far from over! (Note: actually it turned out that is over indeed and Thanda Impis with that move secured pride for themselfs.)

*This image is copyright of its original author

Login
Email:
Password: Lost Password?
Remember?