Lions of Timbavati

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Tanda Tula update

The Giraffe Pride were on and off the property for the week, arriving back on the plains again last night before moving back east and settling just inside the Klaserie – an infrequently visited area for them.  During the few days’ absence, we heard lions roaring on the plains and managed to track down the limping Monwana male and the growing Giraffe young male.  Both were looking in good shape, but disappeared from the area when the Hercules male began roaring in the vicinity the next night.  The kings of roaring though remain the Vuyela males, and these males continued to make their presence felt in the central Timbavati.  They were coming together and splitting, but a great deal of attention was given to the now-four River Pride lionesses that they have been courting and mating with.  It also appeared that the Skorro males and at least one lioness was seen in the east not far from the Vuyelas.  It was getting quite confusing with the lion movements in that area, and without being there to correctly identify who was who, some of what was relayed might be incorrect information.  But, on the last drive of the reporting period, there were two Vuyela males with three lionesses on Giraffe Plains (close to Safari Camp), but they apparently got up and moved quickly to the north when two other male lions came roaring in from the south.  The latter two lions appear to have been the Skorro males, and the reaction of the two Vuyela males would back up this hypothesis.  If the two unidentified males were two other Vuyela males, then it would be unlikely that they would have moved off.  The afternoon before there were another two males in the same area that were tentatively identified as the Birmingham Breakaways, but this awaits confirmation.  Regardless, it does appear that things are beginning to heat up in the central Timbavati, and it remains to be seen how much pressure the Vuyela males will place on the Skorro males and the Mayambula Pride.  As always, only time will tell what the outcome will be, but for now, the Vuyela males and the River females seem to be settling more and more into the old River Pride territory.  With this amount of mating, we can expect some more cubs by the middle of the year.

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

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