Lions of Sabi Sands

[Matias]

(03-09-2023, 10:59 AM)Ttimemarti Wrote: I’d say 50% of the time they’ll have to have beaten the dominant males to get anywhere near the cubs. If invaders kill cubs the mother will try her best to fight the male/males off and the sound will likely attract the dominant male/males but it’s difficult nkhulu males killed a Styx subadult and then left blondie killed kambula cubs while trying to take over the kambula pride I don’t believe nhenha and tinyo did much after that. But all in all yes killing cubs means you’re challenging usually but sometimes different situations occur.Please correct me if I’m wrong

Nomadic males, when they invest in a group of females with young (despite the momentary absence of males from the group) is a direct aggression and is part of a strategy to weaken. It demonstrates attitude, courage and opportunity to reduce the “group spirit”. While not driving away the resident males, killing some young/puppies is a representation of a force that aims to take over the group. “Yes, among lions that are threatened and have a strong and resilient spirit, it should trigger a frantic search for revenge and discourage new attacks”. It is a direct act of war, and an attempt, little by little, and in a surprisingly rational way, of dominance to replace the resident males.

Lions seem to know when females are alone, so this attack aimed at killing cubs is well orchestrated and could also serve to have direct contact with these females. I have my thoughts that lions inhabiting Greater Kruger (notably the private reserves) have developed greater coalition needs due to the high density and large numbers of lions. All this is interesting when all these characteristics are developed in a few years, and it remains to be seen what is innate and what is learned. This “militarization” is making these lions (recalling that it was the Great Act of 1991 that opened the fences of the private reserves to the Kruger) more conditioned to develop, out of necessity, strategies and behaviors that are typical of a war situation, where survival it is fully associated with maintaining dominance over good habitats in private reserves; where all of this is being fought over by the approximately 1,800 lions that inhabit the entirety of Greater Kruger.

Lion experts agree that it's unpredictable trying to tell what a lion or pride will do under similar circumstances. The details of the circumstances develop different personalities characteristics and very distinct in each group - if Mr. T was human, he would certainly be framed as a psychopathic sadist. The pressure on males certainly favors high levels of stress and what is normal for lions in other large reserves such as Serengeti, Ruaha, Selous or Niassa, here competition makes behaviors even more difficult to try to predict. It is almost always a guesswork to announce what they will or intend to do when it comes to dominance and usurpation strategy. The fact is that dominating a pride is the social nature that moves all these movements, and it will remain so as long as the ecosystem allows the existential presence of this huge number of lions (grand coalitions).

So, I just add. There is nothing to correct. Reply