Lions of Timbavati

[Potato]

Tanda Tula update

After a prolonged period of being split up and not behaving like a pride, or indeed barely showing themselves, the River Pride made a return. Following up on some early morning roars, we found all nine members together for the first time in ages – the females and youngsters were looking good, the limping male was still putting pressure on his injured leg, and the cut-nosed boy was in fine shape.  Despite discussions amongst our guides that the third male may possibly have died, he re-joined the pride, but is sadly still looking in a very poor condition and is making me even more certain that it is not a lack of food that is contributing towards his condition, but rather some illness or disease. We are still no closer to knowing where the new cubs are hidden, but the pride’s movements and behaviour continue to follow the same paths, routes and areas that the Mayambula Pride did before they disappeared into to the wilderness of the Kruger Park. With these lions becoming less reliable, it was good to see that the two new prides continued to make themselves at home.

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The Balule females and Dundee male were around for the majority of the time and were found resting in the Nhlaralumi throughout the week. They also got themselves another wildebeest kill not too far from camp and spent a couple of days feeding on that before returning to the cool, shady sands of the Nhlarralumi. It looks to me like one of the lionesses is showing signs of milk production, so I do suspect that she is pregnant – will they settle and give birth in the same area that the River Pride used a year ago?

The Sark Breakaway Pride also returned on our western sections during the course of the week and showed signs that they too had fed recently.  So, while we are missing the River Pride, it is good to not be missing our lions too much.

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