Coalitions of Kruger National Park

[widmerk]

(08-24-2023, 04:31 AM)Tr1x24, Wrote:

(08-24-2023, 03:56 AM)widmerk Wrote: Mapokser; I love thinking about that, but honestly I don't think it's possible to say; so much depends on the exact angle and our (faulty) memories. For example; there are times I'm watching Tank and think he's clearly bigger than Split Nose, but then they move around and suddenly Split Nose looks bigger; so "in the moment" the perspective, who's in front of who etc. can play a big role. Factor in who's recently eaten more, and gets more complicated. Even mane size can change a lot (if a male loses a fight, he loses mane). Height is certainly easier to tell if they are side by side. As for comparing different lions from memory of different days; well that's practically impossible given, again, the perspectives (who was closer, etc.) and our bad memories. Certainly Tank, the Sweni male on the S100, and  Leeubron males come to mind but these are basically wild guesses. 
As an example of how perspective changes things; check out this pic of Lubye Lubye son (front) and Dad (back). Dad looks tiny compared to son; but a big part of that is because son is in front.....Also, in the first pic you'd say Dad's paws bigger, but in the second sons paws look way bigger.

Thats what im always saying, that even a person/guide/ranger who sees lions in person, cant exactly "judge" and compare their size.

Most lions are around the same size, even if they are side by side, its hard to see who is bigger, let alone to compare 2 lions who where never seen together and are close in size..

Ofc there are above average smaller and bigger lions, but those are rare, ok, you can judge size of those lions approx, when you see them with other lions (for example if male is smaller or around the same size as all females he hangs with, or compared to his brothers, he is obiviously smaller lion, and other way around).

I remember when someone from Manyeleti said first that RRM was bigger then both DM Avoca and Junior Matimba, and when they saw Scar Mbiri, they said he is bigger then RRM.

And we saw that DM Avocas dwarfs his brother Mohawk, and Junior Matimba was at 3.5 yrs of age the same size as Ginger Matimba, who was not even noticable smaller then his bro HB, who is regarded as biggest male this area was seen in recent time.

If we go by that, Scar Mbiri should be the size of a Jeep, while Mohawk should be leopard size lol...

While in reality, Scar MbirI, RRM, Junior and DM are prob very close in size, impossible to tell unless you put them side by side and compare.

Those ranger and people rankings are in most cases subjective views, and as you said many factors came to play (mane is very big factor, belly fat, recent meals, view angle etc..)

I bet if we would put all those unrelated males side by side, in most cases outcomes would be different then what we taught before.

Biggest lions in Kruger are prob ones we dont even think they are.

Tr1, Agree completely. Fun to think about but damn near impossible unless we dart them, weigh them, and then correct for last meal, age, etc. Reply