Lions of Timbavati

[tigerluver]

It seems there is no way to avoid the debate on the controversial specimen, so I might as well pitch in after researching the organization some.

Here is maybe why Almaro says the lion was actually weighed and why Christina says otherwise: Timbavati is a private game reserve. As in, this is a hunting resort. Here's one source. Here's Timbavati's reasoning.

Now connect that to what @Apollo has said. If you are a hunting resort, you better have big game. A race of giant lions is music to a hunter's ears and a wonderful source of income for a private (possibly for-profit considering rampant corruption in these areas) organization. Considering the current severity of the situation of the big 5, I've yet to see this hunting benefit anyone but these companies. Poaching is soaring and populations are suffering, thus Timbavati's reasoning falls apart. Hard to trust an organization of such sort.

I'm certain lions over 250 kg are out there. We have the Etosha specimen weighing in at 260 kg, for example. Perhaps Timbavati houses lions reaching 280 kg (a number not even hit by hunting records bar the 313 kg specimen), but under the aforementioned circumstances, this needs to be taken with a grain(s) of salt. Reply