Lions of Sabi Sands

[fursan syed]

The Rollercoaster Males

*This image is copyright of its original author

2005

February 2005


Three male lions were seen on one occasion on western Toulon . These lions were not identified, but were perhaps the Rollercoaster Males?

September 2005

The three Rollercoaster Males, having not been seen at all on Mala Mala Game Reserve for a few months, suddenly re-appeared during this game report period, back on Toulon and even Charleston. It had been thought that these males had been ousted by the Eyrefield Males, but this now seems not to have been the case. One of the lions (the one missing an eye) is in poor condition, and has a very severe limp, and one can only wonder how long he will survive.

October 2005

The three Rollercoaster Males seem to be back with a vengeance and even the weakest one looked to be in much-improved condition. Interestingly, they were not seen with any other lions at any stage in October.

November 2005

On the last day of this game report period, all three Rollercoaster Males were seen together, on Toulon , south of the Sand River . The only other sighting was of just one of the Rollercoaster Males, two weeks earlier, on Charleston .

December 2005

6 sightings were recorded of the Rollercoaster Males who showed very little sign of activity on all occasions except one where they were hot on the trail of their younger competitors, the Eyrefield males. The outcome of this pursuit was unknown.

2006

February 2006

The Rollercoaster Males – the male from this coalition with one eye has been confirmed dead. The remaining two males were seen on three occasions, twice escorting two females from the Selati Pride across the Kingston Break. The other sighting involved one of the Rollercoaster males stealing an impala kill from the young male lion with a collar.

March 2006

The two Rollercoaster Males were seen on 10 days, 7 of which they accompanied two of the adult females from the Selati pride as they moved through the areas of the Golf Course and Kingston Break.

April 2006

The two Rollercoaster Males were seen on 8 occasions with members of the Selati pride and 6 occasions on their own. These lions still appear to have a firm control over south-western Toulon , but did venture as far north as Charleston North on one occasion.

May 2006

The two Rollercoaster Males were seen 13 times on Toulon . On seven of these occasions they accompanied members of the Selati pride and had success at least three times at catching prey. The remaining 6 sightings of these males were all at a young elephant carcass near the Cattle Graves. It is not known if the lions made the kill, but they consumed the entire carcass alone over a five day period.

June 2006

The two Rollercoaster Males appear well and still firmly in control of Toulon . They were seen more on their own this month than with the Selati Pride.

July 2006

The Rollercoaster Males provided some good viewing in the south of the reserve, and all indications are that they are still in control of a sizeable chunk of land on Toulon and southern Charleston . The males were seen at times in the presence of the Selati Pride, but spent most of their time together patrolling their territory.

August 2006

The Rollercoaster Males were the busiest of all the male lions on Mala Mala and provided some excellent viewing in the north of the property. Probably the biggest and most significant event during the August report period concerning these two males was their perceived take over of the Eyrefield Pride. The Rollercoaster Males were almost constant companions of members of the Eyrefield Pride.
Rollercoaster Male and Eyerfield Lioness - Photograph by ranger Wesley Neuman
Most sightings were of one or the other males mating with one of the lionesses, although they were seen with the whole pride on a few occasions. This is great news for the Eyrefield Pride which has been without a dominant coalition in their territory following the death of the West Street Males a couple of years back. It could well be that the lionesses’ bodies had responded to the presence of these new males and hence they have all come in to heat. It would seem as if the Rollercoaster Males mated with all four lionesses that constitute the bulk of this pride.
The Rollercoaster Males also continued with their impressive take-over of the southern parts of the Split Rock Males territory, this on north-western Flockfield and the southern parts of western Mala Mala. The lions were very active in this area scent marking frequently and roaring to advertise their presence. They are certainly an intimidating force especially for the lone Split Rock Male who is well aware of their presence. The lions spent a fair amount of August exploring these areas between Rattray’s Camp and the New Airstrip and unashamedly mated with the Eyrefield lionesses throughout the whole month. What effect this is having on the southern parts of their territory is unclear as they certainly spent most of the month in the north of the property. Could they have created a vacuum for other male lions to fill, perhaps even their sons in the Selati pride that are nearing the point where they will no longer be welcome by the Rollercoaster Males? Or have these two large male lions simply extended what must already be a very large territory? More fine viewing of these lions can be expected in the following months ahead.

September 2006

The Rollercoaster Males were seen on a number of occasions throughout the month. They have not been seen mating with any of the Eyrefield Pride lionesses although they are consistently flirting with them. It is very evident that the Rollercoaster Males have now taken over the Eyrefield Pride lionesses and are the self proclaimed “Pride Males!” They are magnificent male lions and have very dark black manes, and this makes them appear even more formidable.
Rollercoaster Male - Photograph by ranger Chris Galliers
The Rollercoaster Males have been roaring with the Eyrefield Lionesses on Charleston, Flockfield and Mala Mala farms. They are quite clearly the dominant lions in the area and have been scent making with regularity throughout the territory. There is still a fair amount of aggression between the males and females as they are both still getting used to each other. At least 2 of the lionesses have been seen mating with the Rollercoaster Males and we can therefore expect cubs within the next 100 days. The future is looking good for the Eyrefield Pride as the Rollercoaster Males are in their prime and will certainly be around for the next couple of years at least. This means that the cubs will be well-protected and as safe as possible from intruding nomadic male lions.

October 2006

Rollercoaster Males had a great month, all facts considered. They have not only asserted their dominance over the Eyrefield Pride, but have also won a territorial battle between themselves and the Split Rock Male!
they have now increased their territory to include most of Flockfield as well as a large proportion of Marthly. Both the males were in excellent condition and looked very impressive on all the occasions they were viewed. They have been mating with the Eyrefield Pride Lionesses and should be fathers within a couple of months. We hope they can hold the Pride long enough for the cubs to get to maturity. We will have to wait and see…

November 2006

The Rollercoaster Males had a very good month and provided some very exciting viewing. The most noticeable event concerning the Rollercoaster Males was of them administering a beating to the Split Rock Male and then chasing him deep within his own territory. For the rest of the month they constantly invaded and put in a strong presence within the Split Rock Male’s territory.
These lions seemed to be actively challenging the Split Rock Male, roaring in areas that would have been considered prime Split Rock Male territory a few months back. November was a month of expansion for these males, who must now have a very large part of Mala Mala under their control.

December 2006

The Rollercoaster Males were seen predominantly in the central parts of the reserve, accompanying the four Eyrefield Females. The lions showed signs of moving further north to confront the Styx Pride when they scent-marked around Campbell Koppies and roared frequently. Later in the report period they were seen in the company of the females from the Eyrefield Pride. It appears that the Rollercoaster Males are now well established with the Eyrefield Females, and hopefully there will be new cubs on the way soon.
The 2 Nomadic Males (younger one missing end of tail and older one missing left eye) were not seen during the report period. Reply