Lions of Timbavati

[Potato]

Tanda Tula update

Again, it was a week of lions, and the Sark Breakaway Pride took centre stage once again as they continued to occupy the eastern sections of the territory around Nkhari.  The pride was found with the cubs on most days this week, and it is wonderful watching them grow as a pride.  Towards the end of the week, they were joined by one Vuyela male but remained within the Timbavati.  The Vuyela males themselves provided daily sightings, and for a welcome change, all five males were seen together!  Two of the River Pride females came into oestrus at the same time, and this drew a lot of attention from the dominant males that spent four days in the same area hoping for a chance to mate; interestingly, it was the smallest male that spent the entire honeymoon with the one lioness.  This meant that we could hear their roars most nights, and even after the honeymooners left, the males remained in the general area.  Their lack of territorial patrols possibly accounted for the two-day return of the Mayambula Pride towards the end of the week.  The pride’s tracks suggested they had been in the area over night, but we only caught up with them the next day when one of the older lionesses was walking around desperately searching for the pride.  That afternoon, the remaining members were found in the same spot she had been in the morning; unfortunately for her, Scotch found her along the Machaton Riverbed a couple of miles to the north-east, but the pride marched straight there, and we found them reunited in what was once the heart of their territory the next morning.  The Giraffe Pride were only around at the beginning of the week after they rested off their fat bellies following a hippo kill that they made in the far western sections.  It was a great week of lion viewing! 

*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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