Lions of Timbavati

[Wyld@Heart]

(01-06-2024, 11:37 AM)Biscuit1998 Wrote: Hi all,

I have recently been in the Timbavati on holiday. 

I was horrified to see that a large group (approx. 7) of sub-adult lions in the Western Pride have not eaten in 3 weeks; their bones are jutting out and they can barely move, yet they remain under near-constant observation by tourists in vehicles. The two adult females and large sub-adult male have left the Western Pride, leaving these younger sub-adults under the control of an elderly, disabled male. Whilst on a game drive, I observed land-owners in the reserve callously saying that the sub-adults "wouldn't last". There is also a severe shortage of blue wildebeest in the reserve and an alarming overpopulation of impala. Further, the presence of a coalition of 4 large males (the "river pride") nearby almost guarantees that these Western Pride sub-adults have no chance of survival. 

In light of the fact that the WP's dominant male was trophy-hunted back in 2018, this looks to me like a serious conservation failure on the part of the reserve. Intervention appears necessary. 

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Hi Biscuit, 

Without knowing the exact location of your holiday, or that pride in all honesty, I'm going to give my thoughts as a generalization of the area, animal density and the conduct of reserves. No response from me in the trophy hunt as I have no knowledge of that in the slightest. Apologies in advance if this may be a little long. 

I take it that you were on guided drives during your stay which is always a treat but in my honest opinion can have a few... areas to improve in some cases shall we say and often that is specific to geology and ecozones. Your average visitor to these areas does not know much about these and the impact it has on animal density and your average guide does very little to explain these. As I said, I don't have any specifics about your trip and it seems you came away disappointed in at least one aspect of it which is a shame. The Timbavati is a mix of ecozones but changes very rapidly north and west into woodland scrub. You mention the dearth of wildebeest and that is probably due to the ecozone; wildebeest being grazers eat only grasses and that area will not see large numbers of grazers such as you would see around southern Timbavati/Orpen, the plains around Satara and the Eastern plains of the Kruger that run from the Olifants River all the way to Crocodile Bridge. Then there is the affect of water availability, density of the bush with the resultant predation effect etc that also affect density of a specific species and in my knowledge of the area as a generalisation, the Timbavati is not prime wildebeest habitat. You will find them but not in great numbers. 

The much overlooked, dismissed and sometimes maligned impala is a simply magnificent animal and inhabits pretty much every corner of the Greater Kruger regardless of ecozone. Simply put, they're both browsers (leaf eaters) and grazers (grass eaters). Where grasses abound they'd prefer that but make no mistake, they'd just as readily browse and this allows them to thrive everywhere. Overpopulation is a misnomer, if that was actually said out loud then I'm afraid your lodge/guide is probably in the 'carrying capacity of the veld' camp which isn't something I agree with. Anyway, a good guide shows you animals, a truly great guide shows you why you're seeing what you're seeing and also why what you might be expecting isn't always there.

With regards to that sub adult group. It's a drama as old as time. Lions live a hard life but some are invariably harder than others. Some cubs grow into matured adults in the same pride in the same area without having to fend for themselves while others, like these, find themselves all but abandoned for various reasons and have to go through a trial by fire just to survive. Some make it, a large number do not. In some instances, an entire group like so sadly fall into the dust. That's the bush, it's harsh and unforgiving and sometimes hard for us to comprehend. All things considered, reserves will not intervene and they should not unless the adversity has been caused by man. The youngsters might yet make it through, lions are remarkable creatures and will come back from the brink of death in a matter of weeks if the bush allows so feel for them indeed, but also hope. I feel your frustration in the callous nature of the comments you heard from the landowners; the reality might be stark but empathy and respect amongst us who love the wild should be a given. 

That's my take on things. It is a bit of a generalisation like I said, but I hope it makes what you experienced a little easier to live with. Reply