Lions of Sabi Sands

[Mapokser]

@KM600 They did get proper confrontations with them multiple times.

At the very beginning of the year Mohawk was chasing both of them. Eventually they turned the tables on Mohawk and by February Mohawk was semi-nomadic and after a clash with BDM, Mohawk was seen with a slight limp. First missed opportunity.

Then as fully dominant males they both ran from S8, another opportunity missed. More recently they were able to chase S8 but it happened in BDM territory and they didn't put any pressure ob BDM or his pride.

They caught the bigger Ndhzenga alone and again barely did more damage to him than they did to Mohawk.

Many males would love to get such a good hand, surrounded by solo males and the one big coalition ( Ndhzengas ) lose 2 members very quickly basically making sure BDM don't have anyone outnumbering them. Then there's the NK pride, Tsalala female and Talamati pride that spent months in Londolozi ( and area they spent time in and tried to take over ), still, nothing, they couldn't take over any of the females.

Females under 2 males, under 1, or under no male at all, all available, but they couldn't get them... It's been basically a year since they became dominant and despite being in a very favourable area, they failed to produce results and it doesn't seen things will get better now that they seemingly lost their own fertile female and one of them is injured.

I wouldn't say they are weak, no healthy lion is, but compared to your average lion, they are definitely lacking in strength. Some other duo, even if not particularly strong, would be thriving under the same circumstances. BDM are lucky lions but haven't been able to capitalise on their luck.

@Cath2020 I wouldn't say they are young, they are in their prime, 6+ yo, and have been dominant for almost/around a year. PCM were like 4,5 when they attracted 2 NK females from the 2 Avocas and built a proper pride with them, BDM should have been able to easily oust Mohawk and take over the entire pride, as well as taking the Tsalala female and try to take over the Talamati nomads, or challenged S8 for the Breakaways.

But anyway I don't think the lesser-maned BDM is dead, Ndhzengas wouldn't have been able to kill one and injure the other so fast, what likely happened is that the bigger BDM was either caught alone or they both lost the clash and smaller-mane male abandoned his brother to be mauled which is usually what happens in some of these clashes. Reply