Lions of Timbavati

[Ziggi]

I have been looking at various posts over the past few years about the Giraffe pride and Avoca pride. I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with these two prides over the last 15 years.
The Giraffe pride used to be a big pride with 3 bigger older males and 2 Sub males. The pride eventually split up with 4 lionesses and 9 cubs that formed the Avoca pride. They mainly moved around 5 properties in the south west of Timbavati. The Wiggil property, Klaserie Reserve and Thorneybush reserve was still fenced out at the time. Around 2006 the older males were not there anymore and 3 new males took over the 2 prides. They were the Original 3 Giraffe pride Males. 
Klaserie Reserve that was fenced had the 2 Ross males with the Ross pride. Hunting took place in both reserves at the time and some point 1 Giraffe male disappeared or moved off from the other two males. The Two Ross Males were hunted and the fence between the reserves were dropped just after that time. The Ross pride were without males. The Giraffe males saw the gap and added the Ross pride to their territory. The commercial lodge in the area started naming them the Ross males and others in the area followed suit. Hence my point that these males were the Giraffe males and not the Ross males. The Giraffe males fathered the current males called the Ross Males that is currently moving around Ngala, Orpen, Northern Maneyleti and south west Timbavati. The same Giraffe Males fathered the Rockfig Male that was around Rockfig Lodge in Timbavati and moved later into Kruger Park and was seen around Bobbejaankrans, Mudzanzeni and Talamati area. They also father some other males with Avoca pride that disappeared around ages 2 and 3. The Giraffe Males also had 7 Sub males with the Giraffe pride. The 2 older males from the seven become the New Avoca Males. 2 Males went north and I did not see them again. The other 3 Males moved south and occasionally with the 2 Avoca males. That is where the people started talking about the Avoca/Giraffe coalition.
The second last offspring of the old Giraffe Male was the Young Giraffe male that moved into Thorneybush through a hole that was made in the fence a few weeks before the fence got removed. He was not brothers of the same age than the others. That is the male that took over the Blackdam pride.
The 2 Avoca Males fathered 5 young Males in the Avoca pride of which 2 disappeared and the other 3 moved into Manyleti and Sabi Sands.
The 2 Ross Males moved south and took over the Avoca pride. They fathered 7 cubs with 2 lionesses and the other 5 lionesses had 7 cubs with the Sumatra Males that moved a bit south. The 1 Sumatra male disappeared and the Ross males killed the 7 cubs. The 2 remaining lionesses with 7 cubs were sick and eventually died with the cubs also not making it. One of the last 3 was killed by a Ross male at a kill with other lionesses from Ngala. The Ross Males moved towards Ngala. The Trilogy Males took over the Giraffe pride from the old Giraffe male and killed all 11 cubs including 4 white cubs. One of the Trilogy males died up north somewhere and the newly arrived Mapoza males took over the Giraffe pride. Not sure what happened to 1 of the Trilogy males but one moved into Thorneybush reserve. 1 Maposa male disappeared and the Blackdam Male took over the Giraffe pride and the remaining Maposa took over the Avoca pride.  There is currently 6 bigger cubs in Giraffe pride and 2 younger cubs. There is new cubs in Avoca pride but were not seen yet. Reply