Lions of Sabi Sands

[Mapokser]

(09-14-2022, 10:35 AM)sik94 Wrote:

(09-14-2022, 04:52 AM)afortich Wrote: I don't know anything about whether the Talamatis' behavior is common or not.
However, I think I've read or seen in a video that Makhulu mapogo helped West-Street males chasing intruders. Also remember that some of the Mapogos, the older ones, were helping patrolling.
If find the video, I will post it here.

It's definitely a little unusual. 
Makhulu definitely wasn't chasing intruders or patrolling for the aging WST male as a subadult. lol. He did help the pride hunt and stuff but wasn't acting as a dominant male or formed a coalition with the WST male. The most young males still in their natal pride will do is what Jr Matimba did against the Bboys or Nguvu when the Southern Avocas first showed up in the Western block. Maybe some defensive posturing or some growling, definitely no physical contact or chasing intruders cuz that would be crazy.

Not as a subadult, but since he was 4 he was doing all of this, he was patrolling, roaring at rivals, scent-marking, and even winning mating rights from his fathers.

From Mala Mala:


October 2003

One other interesting incident this month, however, was when one of the lionesses of the Eyrefield Pride came into season and, in the absence of the West Street Males (still seeing off the Split Rock Males in follow-up operations), mated with the five-year-old Eyrefield Pride Male.  When the West Street Males rejoined and the pair was still mating, they failed to chase the young male lion away and let them continue.

A mouth later after helping his fathers keeping rivals away, he went to fight for mating rights again, but this time one of the WSM got to mate first:

November 2003

[i]At the very beginning of the report-period, one of the Eyrefield Pride lionesses came into season and was calling for a male lion. Both West Street Males and the young male of the Eyrefield Pride, which at the time had been on their northern border roaring and scent-marking against continued incursions or threats thereof from the Split Rock Males, responded and, led by the young male lion, caught up with the lioness.  Interestingly, rather than the young male lion dominating the lioness as happened last month, it was one of the West Street Males.  The young male lion was lying close to where the courting pair was resting, his frustration plain to see.[/i]

As I showed in the post above, the other younger Eyrefield males also helped keeping the WSM in power and the 3yo twins were seen hanging out with them, even going to other territories and chasing other prides there, they also kept doing this work after the passing of their fathers in 2004 and would keep protecting the pride until early 2006 when they left for good and took the Sand River and Othawa prides in the West.

So it's definitely not a surprise that two 4yo males would back their father against a lone rival, any lion or lioness will help a pride mate in a confrontation if they have a clear upper hand, regardless if they are not in the same coalition or are not territorial. Reply