Other male lion coalitions from Masai Mara

[Tshokwane]

Credits to Peter Rettig.

"There was a Male Lion in Africa ..." - Tribute to Lipstick


In the early hours of the 19th of May guides found the lifeless body of a legendary Male Lion in the Maasai Mara National Reserve – Lipstick has passed away.

No wounds, no fights, no conflicts with the local herders. Lipstick died peacefully at the age of 13-14 years, after a long and successful life as a Pride Male of 5 different Lion Prides over the years, as a member of the once four strong 4 KM Coalition and as the partner of Blackie, the 2nd surviving Male of this coalition by late 2013.

Lipstick lived the life of a true free and wild Male Lion. The Maasai Mara has lost another Legend. He will be missed and never forgotten!

Many feared for this message to emerge for several weeks already. Lipstick had lost condition over the last months following an injury he sustained beginning of February on his right front leg, probably sustained during a fight with other Male Lions or during a hunt of large prey. While there was no visible wound he limped around badly … and never recovered.

The vets looked after him and concluded on a muscle fracture or a sprain/fracture of his right shoulder being the reason for his limp, there was little they could do for him. Lipstick struggled to keep up with the Pride and only reached the kill sites when most of the meat was already consumed by the 15 members strong Topi Plains Pride and his partner Blackie. During the rainy season the Pride has to move a lot in search of prey and Lipstick lost weight and power by the day. At the end he did not show up on the kills of the Pride anymore. He had gotten too weak and obviously at some point he just lay down to take the last breath while overlooking his territory where he was happy for the last almost 3 years.

Lipstick was a role model of a Male Lion, proud, confident, determined, big and strong, with a huge dark mane. He has had countless confrontations and fights with other Males. He lost 4 Lions Prides to other Coalitions while being outnumbered only to move on taking over a different Pride. He sired countless cubs with many of them still being alive and several of them being breeding females and ruling males today. He was an amazing Male and his legacy will live on!

The first reports emerged in the year 2009 about a new coalition of 4 males sneaking around in the Mara Triangle. Sarah & Andy Skinner, both first class photographers spending a lot of time in the Triangle following the dynamics of the resident Lions Prides, were the ones who took record of the early days of this coalition. They named them the “4 KM” Coalition because the first times they saw them was around the 4 KM Sign towards Mara Serena Lodge and one of the 4 Males they named Lipstick because of his distinctive black marking just down his lower lip. The Skinners estimated the 4 KM Males being 5-6 years old when they tried to take over their first Pride of Lions in 2010.

When the 4 KM Males arrived there was another legendary Coalition ruling over the northern parts of the Mara Triangle, no other than the 6 Notches. They had taken over the Mugoro Pride and the Serena Pride. Nobody witnessed what happened, but these 2 Coalitions had several confrontations for sure. When the dust settled down both Coalitions had lost one member. The 4 KM Males were down to 3 and the Notches had lost their brother named “Long”. The Notches had left the Triangle following the Serena Pride Lionesses who had settled down on the other side of the Mara River in an area called Maternity and who became the Rekero Pride and the Rekero Breakaway Pride in the years to come.

The 4 KM Males stayed in the Mara Triangle and by beginning of 2011 they had killed the 9 Mugoro Pride cubs sired by the Notches. They started breeding with the 4 Mugoro Girls and several cubs were born.

A year later two things changed the dynamics in the northern Triangle. The 4 KM Males got wind that the Paradise Pride was left without Males and Lipstick & Blackie followed them on the other side of the Mara River. The 3rd Male stayed with the Mugoro Pride most of his time and in the course of 2013 he vanished, most likely killed by the 4 Oloololo Males who had started be expand their territory further south. Lipstick & Blackie never returned into the Triangle.

Lipstick & Blackie sired several cubs with the Paradise Pride and the 4 Females who were known as the Paradise Breakaway Pride back in 2013. They also had taken over the Rekero Breakaway Pride roaming the Pump House and the Chinese Hill areas after the Notches had left them for good.

But in the back half of 2013 the dynamics changed again. The 4 Musketeers, Pride Males of the Marsh Pride, had started their excursions onto the Paradise Plains. Lipstick & Blackie fought teeth & claws, lost both of their Prides to the Musketeers beginning of 2014, but were able to claim the Rekero Breakaway Pride back and to take over the Rekero Pride.

Another year later, beginning of 2015, they were the proud fathers of 13 youngsters of the Rekero Pride, when the 4 Musketeers challenged them again. There were several confrontations and in November 2015 three of the Musketeers cornered Blackie and injured him badly. At some point Lipstick & Blackie left the Rekero Pride and the Rekero Breakaway Pride for good, while they had started bonding with the Topi Plains Females and took over this Pride.

Lipstick and his coalition partners have successfully defended their territories and Prides long enough so their offspring made it to adulthood. At least 2 daughters are breeding females of the Mugoro Pride today and 2 of their sons might well be Karibu & Rafiki, the Pride Males of the Cheli Pride in the Mara North Conservancy. At least 2 daughters are integral part of the Paradise Pride today and 2 of their sons, Maridadi & Kaka, are the proud Pride Males of the Fig Tree Pride and the Porini Pride. At least 2 Young Females and 1 Young Male of the Rekero Pride are still alive and 1 Female and 3 Males of the Rekero Breakaway Pride made it to adulthood.

Over the last almost 3 years Lipstick & Blackie were the successful Pride Males of the Topi Plains Pride. They sired many cubs and 14 youngsters are still alive and well, with 4 of them already being independent (Mandevu, Ashalina and the 2 Mdomo Boys).

Lipstick’s legacy will live on. Rest in peace Big Boy, you did very well!

*This image is copyright of its original author

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