Lions of Timbavati

[Fredymrt]

From: Tintswalo

The Manyeleti Game Reserve has been cooking during the last week! Literally and figuratively! The temperatures have been soaring comfortably above the 30’s and the sightings were tremendous from north to south!

Unfortunately, there is still no sign of the legendary Selati and Matimba male lions, but at least we can share images of some new and old faces that visited this unspoilt environment throughout the week!

There were a couple of surprises! One of the old Avoca male lions and his Red rd lionesses were found in the northern parts of the central areas on two buffalo kills. Luckily for them the site of the kill was close to Kokomoya dam and they could quench their thirst regularly before they could melt in the excessive heat! The pride consisted of the gigantic Avoca male and four lionesses with their two cubs thats approximately a year old. These Red rd lionesses are some of the biggest girls we’ve ever seen and on one occasion, one of the lionesses demonstrated from top to bottom how important it is for hyenas to sometimes be patient and wait their turn! Because of the pronounced condition these lionesses find themselves in, the lone Avoca male is well fed and in tip top shape himself.

The beloved Mbiri pride of lions has still been enjoying the area around Tintswalo Manor house and the lodge! The pride of five lionesses and their eight cubs are still separated into two groups most of the time and fortunately, no cubs has succumbed to rival males in the surrounding areas. The lone Thanda Impi male lion Scorro hasn’t been seen for quite some time and his current whereabouts is sadly unknown.

A surprise visit by a male known as Nkuhuma ‘junior’ and his partner in the far north close to sky beds dam was refreshing! Apparently these two unrelated males that we haven’t seen for quite some time, were found chasing the three younger Avoca males in the early morning hours of the 16th at Skybeds dam. That same afternoon, we only found two of the younger Avoca males south of the dam in a thicket escaping the heat. There were no sign of ‘junior’ and his coalition member at the time, but close by, three young unknown lionesses enjoyed a drink at the dam!
These ladies never saw the males until the males decided to come out of the thicket. The lionesses didn’t seem to interested but for the young Avocas, it was love at first sight! The males approached with caution, scanning the vicinity for males that could accompany the lionesses and realized there was none whatsoever. They followed the three females, vocalising frequently until we lost visual of them as they aimed north towards Kruger.

The Giraffe male lions were found much further towards the south east of the central Manyeleti towards main camp on a buffalo kill! Not far from where they were, four individuals of the Nharu pride was found. We speculate that these males might have forced the Nharu’s from their much needed kill!

Red rd lionesses

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Old Avoca male

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Patner of nkuhuma male 'junior'

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Young Avoca males

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