Lions of Sabi Sands

[Georgel]

Windmill Pride

Information gathered from Mala Mala, Elephant Plains, Nkorho, Djuma and Africam.

The Windmill Pride is fairly new to the Nkorho/Elephant Plains/Djuma area. They originated from Central Eastern Mala Mala near the Kruger border in an area known as Windmill. Due to their close proximity to Kruger, they have often disappeared into the Kruger National Park for many months at a time.

This pride has been followed by Mala Mala since 2000 when they started keeping the history updates on the lion prides seen on their reserve.

The Windmill pride was a very large pride in early 2000 numbering 17 to 18. The pride consisted of 8 adult lionesses, 3 sub adults, 6 cubs ranging in age of 8 to 13 months in age and accompanying them was a 4-5 yr old male. Exact status and make up of the pride was not possible due to extremely wet conditions and flooding in the area at the time.

Over the years, their numbers varied with births, deaths, and the disappearances of various members both adults and cubs alike. The pride often would split up into separate cores making it even more difficult to keep tabs on the wellbeing of the pride and the number of their members.

The Windmill Pride mainly were under the dominance of the three Ridge Rock Males during 2002/2003. The four Skukuza Males became the dominant males for the pride in 2005 With the death of one male, the other three continued to dominate the Windmills right up until they disappeared once again into Kruger during 2006.

In mid 2006, when the pride again disappeared into Kruger, sightings included only 4 to 6 lionesses though it was thought the pride still consisted of 8. The two youngest listed as an adult approximately 4 years 7 months and a sub adult approximately 3 yrs 8 mos, the other adults ages were unknown. Around this same time frame, two lionesses were thought to have recently given birth and that would have explained their separation from the pride.

Towards the end of February of 2007, the pride reappeared once again in Mala Mala and consisted of 7 lionesses. They again returned to Kruger and were not seen for many months. In December 2007, 3 adult lionesses and 5 cubs made a surprise appearance again in Mala Mala. The approximate age of the cubs were 2 males 1 yr 6 mos, 2 females 1 yr 6 mos and 1 male 1 yr 3 mos.

The most recent reappearance of this pride was in January 2009. Recent sightings consists of 2 to 3 adult lionesses and 5 sub adults. The sub adults would have been born around the time of the mid 2006 disappearance and thus would have been sired by the Skukuza Males whose disappearance from the area seemed to coincide with that of the Windmill Pride.

Known sightings of this pride in the recent months include Mala Mala, Nkorho, Elephant Plains and Djuma.

They were sighted in Djuma on Weaver's Nest Road on April 27th 2009. First they were thought to be the Nkuhuma Pride but it was determined they were indeed the Windmill Pride. A few days after this sighting, they were found on a Buffalo kill in Mala Mala near the Kruger border. They remained on the kill for several days and had an Impala kill also.

Looking forward to seeing and learning more of this awesome pride.

Approximate ages for the Pride for April 2009:

3 Adult Lionesses - Ages Unknown

2 Sub Adult Males 2 years 10 months

2 Sub Adult Females 2 years 10 months

1 Sub Adult Male 2 years 7 months

Due to the infrequency of this pride returning to Mala Mala over the last few years, the age of the sub adults is only an estimate.

May 2009 Reply