Other male lion coalitions from Masai Mara

[Timbavati]

Kibogoyo and his mysterious neck injury

Looking at the first two pictures, one might think that this male lion has been wearing a collar for quite some time. You can clearly see the lack of mane around his neck. Especially in the upper neck area there is a clear gap. However, a collar is not the cause.

Someone had sent me photos of Kibogoyo with a relatively fresh wound in the upper neck area. This wound looked narrow and deep. Spontaneously I thought of a snare trap and also the optics fit, this is how a lion looks, which could free itself from a snare trap or was freed. But it could also be already healing bite wounds from other lions that were visible in the photos sent to me.

In the third photo, the now healed wound is still clearly visible. 

Anyway, Kibogoyo is lucky to be alive. He either was able to free himself from a snare trap (I talked to a Senior Warden of the Mara Triangle and he was not aware of a report about a snared Lion) or he escaped other Males who had him already by his neck.

Maasai Mara July 2021
Written and photo credits: Peter Rettig

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

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