Lions of Timbavati

[Potato]

Tanda Tula update

The River Pride started the week with their usual wanderings before they were found with a zebra kill not too far from Nkhari Homestead.  The male lions were absent (our trackers located one of them after their activities in camp the night before), but this didn’t stop the lionesses from successfully defending their kill against the two Sark Breakaway lions that arrived on the scene in the morning.  In the afternoon we had a wonderful sighting as the River Pride got chased off the kill by an elephant bull determined to show them just who is boss in these parts of the Greater Kruger!  Once the bull lost interest, the pride returned to feed, only to be met by around fifteen hyenas that wanted their share of the spoils.  Fortunately, the three River lionesses managed to keep them at bay and the hyenas soon settled down not far from the carcass.

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

The next day the two Nharhu males had joined up with the pride and we spent time with them in the evening as they headed to Marco’s Dam for a drink.  That night the pride passed Safari Camp and headed off towards Machaton Dam before once more completing their circuit and heading back south.  They ended the week fat-bellied and drinking at a pan just south of Nkhari.  It is good to see the pride getting some more regular meals as they had been struggling a little of late.

*This image is copyright of its original author

The Sark breakaways were around for a couple of days this week in the central regions, and the young male’s limp is getting much better. The same cannot be said for the limping Nharhu male who is really struggling with his leg since chasing the Sark and Western Pride lions away from a dead giraffe almost three weeks ago.  Despite this handicap, we found tracks for the limping male pursuing the scent trail of the Mayambula Pride off our southern boundary one morning!  It is the third time that the Mayambula’s have popped in to drink before leaving on the exact same route in a little over a week and a half.  Whether the Nharhu male caught up with them and if so, just how far he chased them remains to be seen.  Selfishly, I hope he tired before he found them. An encounter such as that could keep the Mayambula Pride away from us for a long time if they don’t feel safe in their old territory.  There were also sightings of a couple of male lions further to the west, but with good lion sightings close to camp, our guides didn’t venture that far to see them. Reply