Lions of Sabi Sands

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From Sabi Sand WildTuin Facebook 

Sabi Sand Notice: Mhangeni Male (Big Boy) Mortality – Northern Lion

It has come to the attention of the Sabi Sand Wildtuin (SSW) that there have been some concerns regarding one of the Mhangeni male lions, Big Boy; that was sadly found deceased on the 29th November 2019, in the northern section of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve.
The SSW responded immediately once alerted about the incident and conducted a full field inspection. Furthermore, in conjunction with the Mpumalanga State Veterinary Department, a comprehensive post-mortem was conducted at SSW Head Quarters. The overall feedback from the State Veterinary Department is that the male lion died of natural causes, with evidence of an internal infection which may have been caused by the external fighting wounds present on the male. There was no evidence of any human-related link to the loss of the lion.

It is always very sad and traumatic to see a wild animal suffer as a result of sickness/disease, territorial fighting, and other natural causes. According to research, only one in eight male lions are estimated to survive to adulthood, and thereafter still face many survival challenges. (Main, Douglas, 2013)

Let us take this time to commemorate Big Boy and honour the beauty and reminders of life that Nature displays to us daily. Kindly share this message with the following hashtag as a way of celebrating Big Boy and his long-lasting legacy - #BigBoyMhangeniLion
SSW Management, in conjunction with the commercial lodges will continue to monitor the situation and any other lion mortalities – and keep our members and interested parties well informed. Should you require any further information, please direct your question to Iain Olivier via email at [email protected]

Kind regards,

SSW Management
Works Cited
Main, Douglas, 2013. Becoming King: Why So Few Male Lions Survive to Adulthood. [Online]
Available at: https://www.livescience.com/41572-male-lion-survival.html
[Accessed 17 December 2019].
Images soucre: safariLIVE Reply