The Mighty Mapogos

[Mapokser]

I think my theory that when Rudolf was uploading the photos in July, he mistook some of the June 19th photos by being from 18th or maybe even a bit earlier earlier ( he was in Cheetah Plains and took photos there from 15 to 19 ), and the photos showing injuries from 18-19 by Rudolf are indeed from the fight with Mapogos.

I'm saying this because Fredymrt shared more Matimba photos from June 18, from a different source than Rudolf here:

*This image is copyright of its original author

And in these photos the Matimbas either don't show all the the injuries shown in the Rudolf photos ( 18-19 ) or straight up show none, here Slitnose:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Another Matimba ( not Ndhuna, not HB, maybe SN again? It doesn't look like him to me ), also no injuries:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Another male ( not HB, not Ndhuna, not Slitnose ), it has some scratches but not really as many wounds as the photos by Rudolf, but rather older scars:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Matimba male, not the best quality in this one but I'd argue also not injured as in the Rudolf photos:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Then suddenly in the Rudolf's photos, posted in July, claimed to be from June 18-19 ( which I believe may all be from 19, after the fight, a day after the photos above ), we suddenly get them with injuries like these:

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

And, consistently, in both Marc & Tara's photos and in Rudolf's photos, HB shows no injuries, which would imply he wasn't one of the 3 involved, Marc & Tara's HB:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Which would make sense with the fact he split from any other Matimba at some point in that day to hang out with a female ( I think they were trying to take over Nkuhuma pride at that time or something ), HB perfectly fine on June 18th by Tara & Mark:

*This image is copyright of its original author

HB by Rudolf, also completely fine:

*This image is copyright of its original author

So if I'm right the chronology goes more or less like this: HB splits from some Matimbas to go after a NK lioness in June 18th ( 5 "unknown males, suspected to be Matimbas" were sighted in North SS on June 18th after all ), then a group of 3 Matimbas decide to move west. At some point in the night of 18 to the morning of 19 these 3 Matimbas fight the Mapogos and not long after that they run back east and rejoin HB in Cheetah Plains, where Rudolf takes pictures of them injured ( minus HB who was fine ). With all the splits, confusion, fast moving lions, with 5 males seen together on 18th, then HB alone, then 3 males fighting Mapogos, WildEarth had a difficult time keeping track of them all and Karen reported 3 were unaccounted. Reply