Lions of Sabi Sands

[fursan syed]

The Rollercoaster Males

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2003

January 2003


The Rollercoaster Male lions were seen several times this month, sometimes accompanying lionesses. All sightings were either on NW Toulon or western Charleston, west of the Sand River, the area which these males have controlled for the last six months or so. It is not certain just how many lionesses these males control nor which pride they belong to. It is thought that perhaps at least three different lionesses have been seen with the Rollercoaster Males, but never more than two at a time. One of the lionesses is missing the tip of its tail. The Selati Pride, the family which used to live in this part of the reserve, seems to have disappeared with the Golf Course Males, the male lions run off by the Rollercoaster Males.

February 2003

There were only two sightings of any of the Rollercoaster Males this month; one was seen at the very beginning of February and then all three were encountered at the very end of this game-report-period. But it was this last sighting which was quite interesting. The lions were found just to the south of the Sand River on NE Toulon, eating a baby buffalo. Now this area has for the last two years or so been considered to be territory of the Ridge Rocks Males. When the Rollercoaster Males finished their meal, they did not stay long and headed back west, roaring as they went. Was this incursion of theirs a once-off event, the consequence of falling to temptation, or will there be repeats? Evidence suggests that the Rollercoaster Males are brothers of the three younger Charleston Pride lionesses and previous wanderings of these male lions in territory covered by the Charleston Pride did not excite the females, so perhaps they will not threaten the Charleston Pride. But the Ridge Rocks Males may feel threatened and respond.

March 2003

Most sightings of the Rollercoaster Males were where one would expect them to be, that being the southwestern parts of the reserve and to the south and west of the Sand River.  However, towards the middle of the month, the three Rollercoaster Male lions crossed north through the Sand River below Kirkman's Kamp and then proceeded north for a few kilometres before crossing onto the western bank once more.  Interestingly, the three Golf Course Males, which the Rollercoaster Males took over from, used to behave in a similar fashion once in a while.  This outing by the Rollercoaster Males may simply have been in the interests of maintaining current territories, or it could of course have been an exploratory push, the start of territorial expansion.

April 2003

Only one of the Rollercoaster Males was seen during April, and this right at the end of the game-report period, accompanying a lioness identified as being from the Selati Pride.  The two were hunting but were not seen to catch anything.  It is not known if they had been mating or whether the male was courting the female.

May 2003

There were two sightings of the Rollercoaster Male lions, these on successive days.  The three lions were seen moving northwards from southwestern Toulon, past Kirkman's Kamp and then further north, to the east of the Sand River for some kilometres before once more crossing westwards, midway through Charleston.  Just prior to their arrival, three of the Charleston Pride lionesses and two of the Ridge Rocks Males had been seen in an area perhaps more Rollercoaster Male and Selati Pride territory than territory of the former lions.  A short while after this initial appearance in the area by the Charleston Pride and Ridge Rocks Males, the Charleston Pride lionesses and one of the Ridge Rocks Males killed a giraffe and spent a few days eating it.  When the Rollercoaster Males appeared, the carcass of the giraffe was almost completely finished and the Ridge Rocks Male had gone, perhaps having detected the Rollercoaster Males arrival well in advance and, realising that he was alone and on the fringes of his turf, decided to flee.  Interestingly, the Charleston Pride lionesses seemed in no hurry to leave, but then it has often been thought that they are sisters to the Rollercoaster Males and have little fear of them.

June 2003

There was a single sighting of the three Rollercoaster Males this month and this right at the beginning of the game-report-period when they were on NW Charleston, to the west of the Sand River.  This area, it is believed, represents the northeastern parts of their territory, with the West Street Males staying further north and east of this.  The relative absence of the Rollercoaster Males is perhaps due to the fact that lionesses under their control, and these probably of the Selati Pride, have small cubs further to the west of this area.  Since the small cubs are not particularly mobile and are probably keeping the lionesses very area-bound, this has almost certainly influenced the movements of the Rollercoaster Males.

July 2003

Two of the Rollercoaster Males were seen this month, this on SW Toulon.  It's believed that the small cubs of the Selati Pride are still being kept mostly to the west of southern Mala Mala and that this has caused the Rollercoaster Males to stay in these areas.

August 2003

There were several sightings of the Rollercoaster Males this month, starting off with all three of them together with three of the Selati Pride lionesses and their seven young cubs on SW Toulon at the spot where two of the lionesses had killed an adult male waterbuck the night before.  All lions, except the three lionesses, were well fed. 
A few days later, they and two of the lionesses from the Selati Pride, came face to face with two of the Charleston Pride lionesses and one of the Ridge Rocks Males, this on NW Charleston, east of the Sand River, an area used from time to time by all of these lions.  In the roaring and confusion which followed, it appeared as if the Rollercoaster Males triumphed and chased the others away.  And perhaps they realised just how weak both the Ridge Rocks Males and Charleston Pride members were; a few days later all three of them followed a small herd of buffaloes deep into Ridge Rocks Male turf, in blatant disregard of up until now recognised boundaries.  But they did not stay long and the next day were found moving steadily out of this area and back towards their own land.

September 2003

All sightings of the Rollercoaster Male lions were of them accompanying members of the Selati Pride and these encounters were in the last half of this September report period.  It was probably these three male lions which were instrumental in chasing eight lions off a giraffe kill, this incident having occurred inside the territory claimed by the Rollercoaster Males and the Selati Pride.  The resulting feast was then enjoyed not only by the three males, but also by the Selati Pride and 10 cubs, three of these cubs only three or so months of age.  Now, with the Ridge Rocks Males, the Rollercoaster Males' eastern neighbours, declining in health and with the Selati Pride lionesses with cubs, one wonders whether the Rollercoaster Males will start thinking about some sort of territorial expansion.

October 2003

The Rollercoaster Males were seen several times this month, all within the area of W Toulon or SW Charleston and mostly with the Selati Pride and their cubs.  They spent several days with these lionesses and cubs feeding from a giraffe which they may have been instrumental in killing.

November 2003

There were only two sightings of the Rollercoaster Males this month and both towards the beginning of this game-report-period.  The first sighting was of one of them with two of the Selati Pride lionesses and the second was of all three with two Selati Pride lionesses and ten cubs.  One wonders why they have been so absent from the area - relative to previous months that is.  Perhaps now that the Selati Pride lionesses have cubs and the area appears relatively secure against invasion by other male lions, the Rollercoaster Males are themselves exploring further afield and trying to expand their reach.

December 2003

There were only two sightings of any of the Rollercoaster Males this month, both of these towards the end of the report period and of only two of the three lions.  With the Eyrefield Pride and West Street Males active in the area controlled by the Rollercoaster Males, one wonders what the response from the Rollercoaster Males will ultimately be. Reply