The Tumbela Coalition

[Tonpa]

"I was fortunate to find these 3 young amigos in Sabi Sands Nature Reserve on 30 May 2021, and even more so to have had the opportunity to get a close up portrait photo of all 3 of them as they approached from the front and walked past the vehicle one by one. A coalition of 3 male lions in the wild can be a force to reckon with but from what I observed it looked like these youngsters were struggling a bit. They were more on the skinny side and not in the best condition. The one with one eye was limping and his condition was the worst of the 3. A nice benefit of being a social big cat is that you could still get a meal even if you are not able to hunt, unlike leopards who are solitary and always have to rely on themselves for food.

The one in the middle is definitely my favorite between the 3 lions. He has a bald-with-a-massive-beard look to him and a scar under his right eye which adds to his tough look. I really hope that these 3 youngsters are going to survive and reach their full potential by becoming a force to be reckoned with one day." - Eagle Eye Safaris

*This image is copyright of its original author

Reply