Lions of Timbavati

[Potato]

Tanda Tula update

In true form, the Giraffe Pride made a hasty retreat south as soon as I returned to game drive, but based on the tracks, they were visiting our concession regularly and Ginger and Given did well to track down three of the members one morning before they headed out of the area. Even truer to form, I finished off on my last drive for the cycle and who was found not too far from Tanda Tula Plains Camp? Eighteen members of the Giraffe Pride resting close to our bush breakfast spot, and for a change, they spent the entire day in the area – this clearly wouldn’t have happened if I was on a drive! The trackers did find evidence that the smallest cubs have also been moving with pride and crossing into our concession, so they will show themselves next week when I am on leave.

The Mayambula Pride were also out in almost-full force in the east and were located with 24 members present one morning; the only members missing on that occasion were the two Skorro males who were seen almost 14km to the north of the pride in an area they haven’t visited since they arrived in the area over a year ago. An apparent altercation with the River Pride just north of our concession may have led these males to pursue the pride north, which is not a good sign. Not only is this bad news for the River Pride’s younger members who wouldn’t be tolerated by the Skorro males should they want to take control of the pride (I can’t call it a pride takes over as the last remaining Nharu male doesn’t spend any time with them these days), but it is also not good news for the Mayambula Pride as if their dominant males get distracted so far to the north, they will leave a gaping hole for one of the younger coalitions to start moving in. So, let us just hope that this was a once-off journey north from our boys – who we did manage to see once this week when they were resting off fat bellies just east of Tanda Tula Safari Camp. There were no further signs of the white Birmingham male lion this week, but there was a brief visit from the limping Monwana male close to the Klaserie River, and reports were that he and the young Giraffe male made a buffalo kill just off our concession.

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