Lions of Sabi Sands

[BA0701]

(12-29-2021, 03:37 AM)Wyld@Heart Wrote: For what it's worth, from my experiences encountering Kruger lions many times during my visits over the last 15 years I personally have the opinion that those marks were caused by other lions; the cut along the back of one of them looks to be a laceration from a stray claw, the holes from teeth marks and the swollen paw on the young male from a mauling.  I personally think too many of those youngsters had marks on them to have been a scuffle with hyenas and although it's possible that a large clan could have outcompeted them at a carcass I think it unlikely to have caused such distinctive scratches and tooth marks. The Talamatis are in a state, DM looks to have lost condition significantly enough to assume that the prime adult lionessss of the Talamati no longer see him as a viable mate and protector and the scuffle might very well be with them themselves resulting in not so significant wounds but a definite 'go your own way' in lion terms. For anyone thinking a young lioness would not get that treatment one would look at Lagertha, for example, who was kicked out of the Ngati pride which is her natal. It happens, and in my times in the Kruger I have seen splinters occur in a pride after a scuffle. 

Why? Lion behavior is still incredibly unpredictable and as much as we know and follow them they still do things that just don't fit our understanding of them. Imo, the sub adults and the two oldest no longer form part of a pride with the other lions of the Talamati and DM, with his brothers formerly far south of him now pushing north, Imbali to the East and North of him as well (?) and other fitter males such as Red Road just beyond that, he has had little choice but to stay with this group and operate in a relatively small area between the Manyaleti and the Sabi Sands. For the subadult males this is likely to be a permanent schism and so too with DM unless he can make a comeback and improve condition although with the females there is always a possibility of a rejoining.

Again, this is only my opinion and I will be happy to be proven wrong and of course respect any differing opinions. Peace.

Speaking of Lagertha, do we know why she was kicked out, what the story is on that? I have seen a few videos of her recently, but am unaware of what led to that. As you mentioned it's a very odd situation, for sure. Reply