Lions of Sabi Sands

[fursan syed]

West Street Males

2002

January 2002

Three adult males - West Street Males: Towards the beginning of January, the three West Street Males made a brief foray back onto the eastern bank of the Sand River and then northwards up the Mlowathi River. Two of them were probably tempted across by the large herd of buffalo and then a couple of days later all three were seen close to the north-western border of Mala Mala. But this seems to be as far as it went. Other sightings of them were closer to home and often together with the lionesses of the Eyrefield.

February 2002


The West Street Males spent much of the time with the Eyrefield Pride - of what was seen of them. All of these lions basically spent the month on the western bank of the Sand River, this probably to the relief of the Styx Pride. On one occasion, all three West Street Males started to cross the Sand River at the causeway close to the Mala Mala Main Camp, but then stopped, turned around and retreated. Goodness knows why. They appear more and more tattered by the day and are probably now really realising how time has caught up with them and are almost certainly not nearly as confidant as they once were. This can been seen in other aspects of their behaviour too.
Towards the end of the game report period when one of the West Street Males was encountered on the eastern bank of the Sand River by himself, he acted with great apprehension when approached by a vehicle and showed little of the self-assurance so much the hallmark of the adult male lion. This trip to the eastern bank did not last long and the lone lion was soon on the other bank of the river and heading west, looking for his companions. Also, the roaring so often heard from these males hardly happens any more. Again, a strong sign that they decidedly uncertain of their future.

March 2002

The West Street Males soldier on, patrolling their seemingly ever-diminishing domain or staying with members of the Eyrefield Pride. None of the West Street Males were seen on the eastern bank of the Sand River this month.

April 2002

The West Street Males had an up and down sort of month, chasing off one of the Split Rock Males and then having the same lion return and chase them away. But otherwise they were seen quite frequently and at the end of the month killed an adult female buffalo which they shared with members of the Eyrefield Pride, including five small cubs which they may or may not have fathered. Differing markedly from previous months, most sightings of the West Street Males were of them by themselves and not with the Eyrefield Pride. Sightings of this trio ranged from western Marthly (where two of them were seen chasing after 200 or so buffalo without success) to central-western Flockfield where they approached an area where four male lions from the south were mating with their daughter, the youngest lioness of the Eyrefield Pride.

May 2002


The month belonged to the three old West Street Male lions. If lions could ever come back from the brink and triumph, then the West Street Males demonstrated this. They started things off in a modest fashion, trailing the large herd of buffalo and finally catching and killing an old cow. The following day the West Street Males were not the only ones feeding on the carcass. They had been joined by five lionesses and 10 cubs of the Eyrefield Pride. Five of the cubs were young, perhaps only five months of age. The other five cubs were those born sometime around January last year. Of the lionesses, four were the mothers of the various cubs and the fifth was the youngest lioness of the pride, the three-and-a-half-year-old fathered by the West Street Males. This young lioness had just been mating with four adult male lions further to the south, the same four male lions which are suspected of coercing some of the lionesses of the Eyrefield Pride away from the West Street Males, mating with them and perhaps fathering the five young cubs now with the others at the buffalo kill. But because the West Street Males were familiar with the lionesses from past liaisons, they would not seek to kill the cubs, thinking perhaps that they were theirs since the lionesses were 'theirs'. But this was just the start of things.

The following day, the same four upstart male lions mentioned previously, pushed north and were trailing the large herd of buffalo, finally killing a young bull. This happened not far from where the West Street Males, lionesses and cubs would have been lying up, no doubt replete. But the noise would have been enough and the West Street Males came running in and, perhaps even surprising themselves, routed the four younger males and claimed the carcass for themselves. The next day the spoils were being shared by the West Street Males, four of the Eyrefield Pride lionesses and the five larger cubs. By this stage the lionesses would surely have been thinking what powerful lions the West Street Males still were. But it was not over yet.

The next day the four other male lions regrouped and followed the large herd of buffalo again, this taking them once more within range of the three West Street Males. No buffalo was caught, but the general pandemonium, which goes with buffalo trying to repulse a lion attack, again attracted the West Street Males and this probably saved the buffalo. The focus of the 4 lions then turned to defence against the three West Street Males, but from their previous and most recent experiences, their hearts were not in it and perhaps the best view that the West Street Males had of them was their heels as they fled.
And for the rest of the month the West Street Males were seen to live in peace, with all 10 cubs and most of the lionesses of the Eyrefield Pride co-existing with them. Is this another lease on life for these old survivors and if so, will this be enough to get at least half of the cubs of the Eyrefield Pride beyond the stage of vulnerability?

June 2002


There were several sightings of the West Street Males this month, particularly towards the beginning of the game-report-period. They were seen alone patrolling territory and together with the Eyrefield Pride and they generally seemed to have a good month. The one incident, which occurred halfway through June, and which may have caused something of a disruption in their reign, was a potential clash with the Golf Course Males. This occurred when a buffalo was killed in thick reeds in the Sand River. The lions that killed the buffalo were not seen, but it was probably members of the Eyrefield Pride and maybe one of the West Street Males. The distress calls of the buffalo were heard by the three Golf Course Male lions and the lionesses of the Selati Pride, which happened to be way north of their usual haunts and ( in a natural response to a potentially easy meal) the lions headed that way. Just what happened at the scene of the buffalo kill is not known, but the Selati Pride did not stay - they went south, probably leaving the three Golf Course Males at the scene. Two of the West Street Males were seen entering the area that night, but maybe a bit too late to undo any damage which might have been done. The following day, the two Eyrefield Pride lionesses with the five approximately 7-month-old cubs were seen moving steadily away from the area and two days later the Golf Course Males were back in the south of the reserve, territory more familiar to them.

After this incident, little was seen of the West Street Males and Eyrefield Pride, so it is not known just what happened. Did the Golf Course Males end up inflicting harm on any of the cubs of the Eyrefield Pride or was the interaction more noise than anything else? And were the West Street Males which entered the area later able to chase off the Golf Course Males and restake their claim in the area and over the lionesses of the Eyrefield Pride? Just what the Golf Course Males and Selati Pride were doing so far north when the kill took place is not known, but the coinciding of events could well have proved tragic for the Eyrefield Pride and as an extension for the West Street Males.
Earlier in the month, however, the West Street Males put on yet another display of their forever-young image when they wrestled a buffalo bull to the ground after following the large herd of buffaloes for a day. This carcass was later enjoyed not only by these three, but also by members of the Eyrefield Pride and their cubs - another case of the male lions providing food for cubs (and in the case of the 7-month-old cubs of the Eyrefield Pride, which were the main beneficiaries, the West Street Males may not even be their fathers!) Other than the above, what was seen of the West Street Males suggested that they continued with life as before. There was no hint of trouble from the four younger male lions which they interacted with last month and chased south.

July 2002


Three adult males - West Street Males:

The three West Street Males survived another month and seemed to stay strong. They ended July on a fine note when two of them were seen killing a buffalo after charging into a herd which had come down to the river to drink. Although the West Street Males did spend time with the lionesses of the Eyrefield Pride, there were several sightings of the lions of this pride unaccompanied by their old mates. Towards the middle of July the three West Street Males made contact with the Styx Pride, the lionesses which they have never managed to dominate. This happened when the large herd of buffalo moved north through Styx Pride territory and the West Street Males followed. Whatever interaction happened must have been brief and the Styx Pride fled north whilst the West Street Males failed to pursue.
Perhaps the biggest blow to the West Street Males actually took place last month, but the results were only known in July when it became evident that three of the nearly one-and-a-half year old cubs of the Eyrefield Pride had indeed been killed in June. This was thought to have taken place in mid-June when the Eyrefield Pride caught a buffalo and the Golf Course Males came storming in to steal the kill. The West Street Males were not at the scene and the Golf Course Males probably had quite an easy time of it. None of this action was actually witnessed since the buffalo had been killed in an inaccessible area, but all evidence suggested that this is what took place. It was only this month that the Eyrefield Pride was seen with the survivors. These older cubs present the best chance for the West Street Males to leave their genes in the area and now that only two are still alive, things look even bleaker.

August 2002


Three adult males - West Street Males
The West Street Males seemed to enjoy a resurgence in their hold on their territory during August, patrolling areas when not with the Eyrefield Pride and roaring perhaps more frequently and with greater vigour relative to other recent performances. This behaviour may well have been the cause of the Styx Prides movement further north and east to try to stay away from their clutches. Many of the sightings of the West Street Males were of them together with various groupings of the Eyrefield Pride and their cubs. But apart from this regular territory maintenance there were no unusual dramas in the lives of the West Street Males and of course their hope will be for this to carry on for as long as possible.

September 2002

Three adult males - West Street Males: This aging trio continued to prosper and were seen in areas perhaps beyond their usual range, once to steal a kill which may in fact have been made by the Eyrefield Pride, the lions mostly under their control. Their 'outward' movement may also be the reason why the Styx Pride has stayed away from the SW parts of areas which they have in the past used regularly. There were several sightings of the West Street Males together with various gatherings of members of the Eyrefield Pride.

October 2002



Three adult males - West Street Males: The old West Street Males seem to have had a good October. Although they certainly spent time with various members of the Eyrefield Pride, they were also frequently seen by themselves patrolling territory. Two young male lions made an appearance in the heart of their territory and spent over a week in the area before the West Street Males appeared on the scene. It is doubtful that any physical interaction occurred between these two coalitions, but the West Street Males no doubt still carry enough 'presence' to encourage youngsters such as these to go and look for easier pickings.

Soon after the West Street Males were seen heading north to deal with the threat of the younger lions, they were found on the eastern parts of the Mala Mala/ Flockfield boundary eating an adult male buffalo which they must have killed. This they fed upon for some days before leaving it to one of the Eyrefield Pride lionesses and her two cubs. This particular area of the reserve has always been considered marginal in terms of the West Street Males' territory.
But this was not the only 'marginal' area explored by the West Street Males in October. They were seen in other such spots, patrolling as if they had all the power in the world. This exploration of peripheral areas does not bode well for the Styx Pride, the lions which typically occupy the northern parts of Mala Mala and which have had nothing but hostilities from the West Street Males as they have avoided their domination. Last time the West Street Males tried to expand territory, the Split Rock Males chased them off. This was a year ago. Will this happen again or will this aging trio continue to hold their own and more?

November 2002


Three adult males - West Street Males:
The three old West Street Males continued to defy their age and roamed all over their established territory and beyond, chasing buffaloes and keeping young intruders at bay. Although all three males of the coalition were certainly seen together on some occasions, they were most often seen either alone or two of them together. There were sightings of the West Street Males towards the upper reaches of the Mlowathi and Matshapiri Rivers this month, these areas considered quite far beyond the limits of their usual territory. It was this time last year that the Split Rock Males humiliated the West Street Males, chasing them from the general area of the upper-Matshapiri. But now things seem to have turned around again and although it is thought that the Split Rock Males still patrol these areas, the West Street Males are obviously not that impressed.
Towards the beginning of November, two of the West Street Males spent several days following the large herd of buffaloes, moving many kilometres in an effort to catch one. The West Street Males seemed to spend quite a bit of their time during November following buffaloes, but the only one which they were seen killing was a youngster, this when the lions happened to be at the river when the buffaloes came down to drink.
Although the lions failed to catch a buffalo when they ran in on them the first time, they followed the herd as it left the water, and then caught the youngster soon after dark and in quite thick bush. On this particular occasion the one male lion showed remarkable courage in hanging onto the dying buffalo when many other buffaloes came back to try and rescue their stricken companion. But in spite of some of the buffaloes actually making contact with the male lion, it hung on and the herd were forced to retreat, leaving the young buffalo to its fate with the lions. Whilst this was happening, the third member of the coalition was busy finishing off another buffalo, but this one killed by the young male of the Eyrefield Pride. And, at the same time as the aforementioned was on the go, two other young male lions were not far away, also eating a buffalo. The West Street Males were obviously unaware of these foreign male lions and it was not until a couple of days later that the single West Street Male came across them. All indications were that the two young lions simply fled, abandoning the rotting remains of their buffalo kill to this older male.
So the old West Street Males do definitely continue to rule and command respect; who would have thought so a year ago when their attempts to expand territory and dominate were so abruptly put to an end. Aside from their solo behaviour seen this month, the West Street Males were also seen frequently with members of the Eyrefield Pride.

December 2002

Three adult males - West Street Males: Although definitely on the lean side now, the three West Street Males survived another month. No major adventures beyond the boundaries of their territory were recorded, except one effort to follow the large herd of buffaloes into the Kruger National Park close to Mala Mala's eastern boundary with this conservation area and one when a single West Street Male was found on NE Charleston.

Although the West Street Males continued to be seen with various groupings of the Eyrefield Pride, they also spent much time away from this family, which has been under their control for nearly five years now.

Perhaps one of the more spectacular sightings involving the West Street Males occurred near mid-December when all three lions, although within a few kilometres of one another, were separated and each was doing its own thing. One of them was with members of the Eyrefield Prde, one was following the large herd of buffaloes and the other seemed to be waiting in the rear of the other two, vacillating. All lions were lean, particularly the one following the large herd of buffaloes. If the buffaloes were aware of the lion, they gave no sign and for most of the day they were shadowed by the hungry lion. When the buffaloes reached the Matshapiri River and started moving downstream, the lion saw his chance in the broken terrain and soft sand and started moving closer to his intended prey. But, when he was perhaps less than fifty metres from them, another small group of buffaloes, which had been lagging behind the main body of the herd, arrived on the scene and suddenly the lion found himself between two groups. The smaller party of less than a dozen buffaloes nearly trampled on the lion before they noticed him and of course retreated with some haste before gathering themselves and staring at the lion. Showing typical courage of a lion in the face of retreating foes, the male lion simply glared at the buffaloes of this smaller group and then turned his attentions again towards the main herd. But now most of the buffaloes were more or less aware that at least one lion was behind them and they started moving away from him. The smaller group of buffaloes was still intent on catching up with the bigger part of the herd and again approached behind the lion.

When the main herd started to leave the river-bed, towards a large open area where they would have a better chance of defending themselves against whatever lions were trailing them, the half-dozen buffaloes behind them tried to catch up, bypassing the lion in the process. But to do this they had to scramble up a steep-sided section of the river bank and it was here that the lion saw an opportunity and went sprinting in, catching a young female buffalo which was bringing up the rear as she desperately tried to climb the bank. With the lions jaw firmly around the buffaloes' throat, there was almost no distress call and being at the base of the steep-sided and wooded river bank, the buffaloes which had reached the top never saw a thing. So, suspecting that the lion had simply failed to follow them, the rest of the herd did not return to attempt to rescue the buffalo which had been caught.

The single West Street Male was soon tucking into his hard-earned meal and for at least two-hours had everything to himself. But already the lion 'telegraph system' seemed to be at work. Goodness knows how the various groups of lions seem to communicate so successfully with one another, but, by the following morning, both other West Street Males that had been seen that day, as well as the members of the Eyrefield Pride, had arrived at the buffalo carcass and nothing was left. All lions were fat and content, at least for a short time.

Later on in the month the West Street Males tried to follow the large herd of buffaloes again, but seemed to expend a huge amount of energy walking after them and getting precious little reward. One of the male lions found an abandoned baby buffalo and ate this, but the others appeared to go hungry.

There were one or two sightings this month of all three of the West Street Males together, but these were the exception and they appeared to spend the month away from one another or perhaps with only one other member of the coalition. Looking thin and with teeth now wearing out, one wonders when these old lions will finally be forced to give in.

All Credits goes to MALA MALA Reply