The Birmingham Males

[DARK MANE]

When he first entered the Sabi Sands, he was nothing but a young male lion. Now he left as a legend of the Sands - Farewell Nhenha

It’s been two months now without any sighting of the last of the old Birmingham male lions and with it the realization is sinking in that his long and successful journey has come to an end. At the beginning of January he had sustained severe injuries resulting from a heavy fight with the two Plains Camp male lions. Three weeks later when he was seen for the last time his condition hadn’t improved much, only kept on his paws by what seems sheer willpower. So with two whole months having passed by without any sign of life it now feels the right time to say goodbye. 

The Birmingham male lions have shaped an era in the Sabi Sands which they’ve called their home for the last seven years. And so we pay tribute to one of the greatest male lion coalitions that has earned it’s rightful place in the rich history of the Sabi Sands Game Reserve alongside it’s famous predecessors, the Mapogos, the Majingilane and the Matimbas.

As the sole survivor of the coalition Nhenha took a special place among the five males. Considered to be the biggest one, equipped with an aura of unbroken authority and sovereignty, it wasn’t that much of a surprise that he would end up surviving the longest. After the death of Tinyo somewhere between November and December 2021 Nhenha proved his survival skills by joining forces with one of his sons, the Nkuhuma male, to beat the odds for another whole year. 

Unfortunately that very same Nkuhuma male didn’t stand by his side when the fight with the Plains Camp males erupted and so the old veteran had to stood up one last time to hold his ground, to fight with all and everything that was left in him. An honorable end that fits the life of a lion. With the sword in your hand and courage in your heart. A lion heart. 

RIP Great king.
Keep blessings your Torchwood male, Nkuhuma male and kambula males.

You will never be forgotten. Reply