The Mighty Mapogos

[Mapokser]

We say that the Mapogo's reign lasted 6 years, but shouldn't it be 9 years?

I was looking at the Mala Mala reports on the WSM and Makhulu was a dominant male since 2003.

He was roaring his dominance to make invaders back off:

May 2003

And young male lions are at the door.  This month there were several sightings of two approximately five-year-old male lions hanging around the northern parts controlled by the West Street Males and also north of this, onto northern Mala Mala and Eyrefield.  Probably in response to this intrusion, we heard plenty of lion roaring in this area, a very obvious way to demonstrate that they, the West Street Males, are not yet ready to hand over power.  One wonders just how much of this roaring was done by the four-and-a-half-year-old male lion of the Eyrefield Pride. 

Went in patrolls with the 2 dominant males:

September 2003

Compared with previous months, the two West Street Male lions probably spent more time away from the lionesses of the Eyrefield Pride than usual.  Often they were accompanied by the now impressively large young male lion from the Eyrefield Pride.  Although some of these excursions appeared to be dedicated to territorial patrols, many involved finding food, either fortuitous scavenging or following after buffaloes.

Won mating rights and mated with the lioness:

October 2003

One other interesting incident this month, however, was when one of the lionesses of the Eyrefield Pride came into season and, in the absence of the West Street Males (still seeing off the Split Rock Males in follow-up operations), mated with the five-year-old Eyrefield Pride Male.  When the West Street Males rejoined and the pair was still mating, they failed to chase the young male lion away and let them continue. 

Again as a dominant male he was patrolling, roaring, and scent-marking the territory with the 2 WSM. Again he participated in the mating rights dispute with the other two, but this time he lost:

November 2003



The two West Street Males survived another month and again emerged looking pretty good.  They and the five-year-old male lion of the Eyrefield Pride roamed around, proclaiming their territory and hunting with the lionesses of the Eyrefield Pride.  At the very beginning of the report-period, one of the Eyrefield Pride lionesses came into season and was calling for a male lion.  Both West Street Males and the young male of the Eyrefield Pride, which at the time had been on their northern border roaring and scent-marking against continued incursions or threats thereof from the Split Rock Males, responded and, led by the young male lion, caught up with the lioness.  Interestingly, rather than the young male lion dominating the lioness as happened last month, it was one of the West Street Males.  The young male lion was lying close to where the courting pair was resting, his frustration plain to see.

Conquering new territories with one of the WSM:

May 2004


The two old West Street Males were seen together at the beginning of the May-report-period, then separated and reunited a month later.  The West Street Male with the torn nose spent a fair amount of time with the young adult male of the Eyrefield Pride near the southern parts of the reserve, an area in which the Windmill Pride was operating and which has yet to be fully claimed by other male lions following the demise of the Ridge Rocks Males half-a-year-or-so ago.  Here the two males, one in the beginning of his prime, the other clearly beyond it, ruled supreme.

And of course, Makhulu hold control over the Eyrefield Pride until at least January 2006 when they decided to leave and conquer the Othawa Pride in Febraury 2006:


January 2006


EYREFIELD MALES (6)

Location: MALA MALA, FLOCKFIELD, CHARLESTON

The six Eyrefield Males spent most of the month of January with the Eyrefild pride and were seen regularly throughout January comprising 28 sightings in total. These members spent a fair amount of time in the area of the Mala Mala airstrip, where they were successful in catching a wildebeest on one occasion. Perhaps the sighting of the month included the six males and one of the females involved in an epic 45 minute battle with a buffalo bull in the middle of an open area in broad day light. With the strength of the young males the lions were finally victorious and enjoyed their prize over a two day period.

So in truth, Makhulu's reign began in 2003 and ended in 2012. For 9 years he was King, not 6. Reply