The Mighty Mapogos

[Mapokser]

(06-20-2022, 10:15 PM)Gabriele Wrote: The two males of May 2003 were probably the Rollercoasters, Makhulu was the young male of four and a half years. For a while they remained in the sparta pride but not as dominant lions, in 2006 they left, probably too pressured by Rollercoaster and Split rock. Only Makhulu was fully adult, a 4-5 year old lion cannot compete with a 7-10 year old one.

A 4yo lion is a fully-grown cat. Lions stop growing when they reach 4 years. They usually avoid challenging dominant males at equal numbers because they lack the confidence, experience and a big mane to look bigger and scarier, but size-wise they will be as big as they can get.

The Mapogos were never pressured by the Rollercoaster and Split Rock Males while in their own territory. The Split Rock had multiple encounters with the two 15yo WSM and ventured into their territory countless times, but were never able to oust them, in fact they were even chased back by the WSM in different occasions.

So if they couldn't oust the ancient WSM, they couldn't oust Makhulu with the back up of the rest, since in fact, they didn't. The last WSM died in mid 2004, Split Rocks had one year and half to oust Makhulu and didn't even tried. Mapogos didn't left because of any pressure, they were by far the strongest coalition in early 2006.

Earlier the younger Mapogos weren't fully territorial and dominant males ( since older twins were 3,5yo and the younger twins only 2 and something ) but as I've showed from the reports, Makhulu was a fully dominant male since 2003, he patrolled, scent-marked, roared against lion intruders, went to conquer new territories and more importantly, mated, he fought for mating rights with the dominant males and won. He was by all means a dominant male since 2003 and only stopped being one when Mr.T died in March 2012. His reign was of 9 years. Reply