Lions of Timbavati

[Potato]

Tanda Tula update

The lions had a busy week, but it seems as though they reserved their efforts for when I wasn’t around. The biggest event of the week was waking up to hear the limping Nharhu male roaring very close to camp as we were about to head out for morning drive, but it took us over hour to eventually catch up with him – not bad for a lion that hobbles around on three legs!  However, that morning was down to the fact that he had somehow picked up on the presence of the Balule females and Dundee male and prompt set out in search of them and from the tracks of both parties, he must have caught up with them because they were all going all over the show!  It was really the last thing we wanted to happen just as the small pride were starting to get settled, and with one female showing signs of being pregnant, they will be less likely to have cubs in the area if the threat of Nharhu males persists.  It doesn’t appear as though they had physical contact, and in the days that followed it was actually very positive to see that the Balule lionesses stayed within the area for most of the week.  They hadn’t reunited with the Dundee male, but his tracks and occasional roar could be heard in the west.  The Nharhu males moved around in the eastern sections, and they were seen together with the whole River Pride on our southern boundary one morning, but naturally they disappeared for a few days when I went out in search of them.  As the week drew to a close, Glen and I headed into the area to see what we could find and after some searching found tracks for a lone lioness going up and down the road. Then we noticed the tracks of the cubs, and counted three sets of tracks going back where she came from. We had seen hyenas milling around in the area, and when the lion tracks headed straight into that area, we knew we were onto something, and sure enough found the River Pride lionesses, the two older cubs, as well as our first view of the three new little ones!  It was a brief view, as we were the first vehicle they had seen, but mom soon coaxed them back to the area of the wildebeest kill. Sadly it was already getting warm in the late morning and another lioness dragged the kill into the thickets on the banks of the Machaton, and whilst we could hear the cubs, the grass was so long and thick that there was practically no view of them.  Fortunately though, we know where they are, so hopefully this time next week you will be seeing some new photos of them! In other lion news, the Sark-breakaways were seen on a couple of occasions in the west, but with so few game drive vehicles operating in the area, it was tough to keep track of them.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Reply