Lions of Sabi Sands

[vinodkumarn]

Credits: Savanna Lodge

Written on 14 June 2018.

It seems that the month of May was definitely a ‘baby’ month! Although there were a few cubs seen last month, it has definitely continued and even improved. We knew last month that the one Ottawa female had dropped her cubs, but they were too young to come out of the den. On the 10th May they finally made it out and have been providing fantastic viewing since then. 

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

They are super-relaxed and are already giving the mother a few headaches when she wants to sleep and they need a drink of milk! Their aunt is also not too keen on the new arrivals, and shows them a clean set of teeth if they get too close to her. 

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

There are also many tender moments that melt our hearts, but remind us that we should not mess with the mother at all! For a short video of the cubs, please click here.

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

On the lion side, the Majingilane males have all succumbed or disappeared and, as expected, it didn’t take long for the void to be filled. Without the roaring of dominant males, the Matimba males from the east quickly moved west in search of space and females. Although these two brothers are also getting on in life (they are approximately 13 years old) they have taken over the area with confidence. They are strolling around as if it has been theirs all along, and vocalising regularly, as if announcing their presence to the wild. 

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

They quickly found the Ottawa female with no cubs and wasted no time checking her reproductive status. The Flehmen grimace is used to waft the chemicals found in the urine across the vomaronasal organ, which in turn allows the male to ‘test’ her reproductive readiness. Sadly, as these males are pretty old already, it is very unlikely that they will be able to sire and successfully protect their cubs to independence. 

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

The remaining nine Mhangene sub-adult lions have continued to surprise us and hold on, despite the odds against them. Although a few of them are looking pretty good, the smaller and weaker ones are still in need of a good meal. They are truly nomadic, moving as far south as the Sabi River and back again. But the good news is that if they get through this, they will truly be a serious pride to contend with!

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

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