Lions of Timbavati

[Potato]

Tanda Tula update

It wasn’t only leopards that we were finding, but we also had a fantastic week of finding lions on an almost daily basis too!  The big news of the week was that a couple of days after Jack tracked down the returning River Pride lionesses in the east (where Jack even commented on how pregnant the one lioness was looking), we both had a feeling that their return to the Zebenine Riverbed was for one reason and one reason only.  Jack did not want to track them on foot for fear that they may have given birth to the cubs the day before, so we did some leap-frogging searches along the banks of the Zebenine. When on our third “look in” we spotted the lionesses in the riverbed.  We parked on the opposite bank and almost immediately Jack picked out the unmistakable cries of new-born lion cubs – he had found the new den site for us!  Due to the sensitive nature of the den, we have temporarily closed the area down, but will have our chance to see the cubs when they get to around 6 weeks old.

Another find was the relocation of the Nharhu males that appear to have found a second pride to take care of. It’s a small pride of two lionesses that first showed up when the male lions set off from Machaton Dam and came across them only to chase them off our northern boundary.  The next afternoon, responding to their roaring in the area, we located two males, one of whom was mating with a lioness from the long lost Timbavati Pride (the same pride that had white lion cubs in 2009).  These lionesses have returned to the Timbavatifrom the wilderness areas of the Krugerto the east, and it remains to be seen how long they will hang around. It would be wonderful if they could set up a safe territory under the protection of the Nharhu males to the north-east of Tanda Tula Safari Camp.

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

It wasn’t only in the east that we were striking gold, but a rare sojourn west saw us finding the Vuyela Pride venturing into unchartered lands.  This pride of six – five young males and a lioness – have been spending most their time in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserveand the western Timbavati, but this week saw them utilising the more central regions on a couple of occasions.  They are in top shape and it was a treat to see them for the first time.

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

The lion week was almost perfect for us, a case of close but no cigar.  The reason?  There were tracks for the whole Mayambula Pride at Marco’s Dam in the central region, and I rushed over to help look for them, but it soon became apparent that their tracks had already crossed out of our concession to the south, and as it turns out, they had ventured so far that they ended up on the Krugerborder that afternoon. I guess we missed our one monthly chance, but will keep crossing fingers that if they can move that far in one night (over 10km), there always remains a chance that they can show face at any time. Reply