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(07-28-2021, 08:43 PM)titose Wrote: A lioness from the Kambula pride shows submission towards a Northern Avoca male.
An interesting sighting in which she attempted to entice copulation. She flirted with him, potentially in a state of false-oestrus in order to draw him away from the area of the rest of the pride and the recent litters of cubs.
This male is believed to have already been responsible for the infanticide of two cubs. The Northern Avoca coalition are pushing for dominance over the Kambula Pride and thus will kill the cubs of the resident Gowrie males in order to increase their own chances of siring offspring.
In this instance, the Northern Avoca male rejected her amorous advances with an aggressive physical attack. The surreal visual was accompanied by symphony of deep, guttural growls, which escalated into a thunderous roar with saliva and the condensation of his breath in the brisk winter darkness encapsulated in a backlit dust-cloud kicked up under tooth, claw.
#MalaMala #SabiSands #AvocaMales
By DANIEL BAILEY
*This image is copyright of its original author
This is Mohawk. As far I know, wasn't Blondie who killed the cubs?
(07-28-2021, 08:43 PM)titose Wrote: A lioness from the Kambula pride shows submission towards a Northern Avoca male.
An interesting sighting in which she attempted to entice copulation. She flirted with him, potentially in a state of false-oestrus in order to draw him away from the area of the rest of the pride and the recent litters of cubs.
This male is believed to have already been responsible for the infanticide of two cubs. The Northern Avoca coalition are pushing for dominance over the Kambula Pride and thus will kill the cubs of the resident Gowrie males in order to increase their own chances of siring offspring.
In this instance, the Northern Avoca male rejected her amorous advances with an aggressive physical attack. The surreal visual was accompanied by symphony of deep, guttural growls, which escalated into a thunderous roar with saliva and the condensation of his breath in the brisk winter darkness encapsulated in a backlit dust-cloud kicked up under tooth, claw.
#MalaMala #SabiSands #AvocaMales
By DANIEL BAILEY
*This image is copyright of its original author
This is Mohawk. As far I know, wasn't Blondie who killed the cubs?
Yes, you are correct, Blondie is who killed the cubs.
(07-28-2021, 08:43 PM)titose Wrote: A lioness from the Kambula pride shows submission towards a Northern Avoca male.
An interesting sighting in which she attempted to entice copulation. She flirted with him, potentially in a state of false-oestrus in order to draw him away from the area of the rest of the pride and the recent litters of cubs.
This male is believed to have already been responsible for the infanticide of two cubs. The Northern Avoca coalition are pushing for dominance over the Kambula Pride and thus will kill the cubs of the resident Gowrie males in order to increase their own chances of siring offspring.
In this instance, the Northern Avoca male rejected her amorous advances with an aggressive physical attack. The surreal visual was accompanied by symphony of deep, guttural growls, which escalated into a thunderous roar with saliva and the condensation of his breath in the brisk winter darkness encapsulated in a backlit dust-cloud kicked up under tooth, claw.
#MalaMala #SabiSands #AvocaMales
By DANIEL BAILEY
*This image is copyright of its original author
This is Mohawk. As far I know, wasn't Blondie who killed the cubs?
Yes, you are correct, Blondie is who killed the cubs.
(07-28-2021, 08:59 PM)BA0701 Wrote: Yes, you are correct, Blondie is who killed the cubs.
Which is quite surprising, to be honest. Because Mohawk is known to be the most aggressive of the 3 N. Avoca males and that he is the only who kept on pushing for Bboys's territory at the beginning (if my memory serves me correct).
The following 1 user Likes lionuk's post:1 user Likes lionuk's post • BA0701
January:
Uncharacteristically, there were no sightings of these lions this month.
We will now start referring in these reports to this coalition as the ‘southern’ Avoca males. Here is some background as to why: The Avoca males come from the Avoca pride that holds territory in the Timbavati Game Reserve, some 50kms from MalaMala. Currently there are two coalitions of males that have come from this pride. In 2015, the older two males, referred to here, left the pride six months before the three younger males. Today the two older brothers can be found in the southern parts of our reserve. They ventured south through MalaMala during their nomadic days and left a trail of devastation along the way. They killed two much-admired, dominant leopards. They were briefly (and prematurely) dominant over the Kambula pride and even sired cubs with the lionesses but the none of the litters survived. It wasn’t long before they were outcompeted by other coalitions and driven off. Young and fuelled by desire for a land of their own then moved south as the Gowrie males took control of the Kambula pride. They spent the following months in the south and slowly secured territory across much of the southern parts of MalaMala, with little in the way of competition. They are currently dominant of the Eyrefield pride with whom they have one surviving cub. The three younger males, referred to as the ‘northern’ Avoca males, have only ventured south over our northern boundary a few times. With the Gowrie males aging, and if history repeats itself, the younger Avoca males are expected to move south. The question then will be whether or not the two sets of Avoca males will cross paths and potentially reunite.
September:
These two male lions were seen for the first time in months and they are looking fantastic. In the months we have not seen these males they’ve picked up size and are taking on the appearance of two dominant male lions now. The sighting of these males was at the confluence of Ingwe donga and the Sand River where they had a kudu kill with members of the Sand River pride on the 26th.
Sand River Pride - 2 adult females, 1 sub adult female, 1 cub (6 months), 5 cubs (1 month). One lioness was seen with the two Southern Avoca males at the confluence of Ingwe donga and the Sand River on the 26th with a kudu kill. On the 29th two lionesses and the 6-monthold cub were seen hunting impala at the confluence of the Tjellehanga and the Sand Rivers.
October:
The two southern Avoca males were seen four times this month; three sightings took place on Charleston and one on Toulon. The three sightings on Charleston were on the 15 -17th when the two males and the Eyrefield pride were on a Cape buffalo bull kill south of Charleston River rocks. Both males were next seen on the 26th at Boomer’s crossing with the Sand River pride.
The Sand River Pride (Three adult females, one 8-month-old cub and five 4-monthold cubs) where seen at Boomers crossing on Toulon on the 26th and again on the 31st at Sands End crossing on the 31st.
November:
These two males were seen on Toulon twice this month. The first sighting was of the both of them on the 14th when they were at the Sycamore fig and the second sighting was at Boomers crossing on the 18th when they were with the full complement of the Sand River pride with an impala kill.
Sand River Pride (3 adult females, 4 cubs) – boomers crossing 10th, three females and the 8-month-old cub were at Rocky crossing on the 14th boomers crossing with the southern Avoca males, and an impala kill on the 18th.
December:
Like last month we only saw these two males twice. The first sighting was on Toulon at Sandy Crossing where both males were together on the 2nd. The other sighting of the two males was on the 9th when they were near Charleston Koppies. Judging from tracks in the area it appears they'd been seeking out and had possibly chased the four young Ndhzenga males. We suspect this was the case as we found tracks of four Ndhzenga males going west, west of the two Southern Avoca males.
Sand River Pride (3 adult females, 4 cubs) – were seen twice; Rocky Crossing (2nd) and at Lower Tjellahanga Crossing on the 21st.
2021:
January:
These two males were seen on the 17th in F-Bend open area with the Sand River Pride.
Sand River Pride (3 adult females, 4 cubs) – were in F-Bend open area with the two Southern Avoca males on the 17th
April:
The two Southern Avoca males were seen once this month when they were south of F-Bend Open Area with the Sand River pride on the 30th.
SAND RIVER PRIDE (4 adult lionesses, 5 cubs) – on the 4th, the pride was in the Sand River south of Charleston Rock, and on the 30th, they were south of F-Bend Open Area with the two Southern Avoca males.
May:
The two Southern Avoca males had a buffalo kill in the Tjellehanga River west of Tjellehanga pans on the 15th.
SAND RIVER PRIDE (4 adult lionesses, 5 cubs) – the first sighting of this pride was at Flat Rocks on the 7th, and the second was on the 14th when they had a young impala kill in the Sand River at Island crossing.
June:
The two Southern Avoca males were not seen this month. They appear to be spending more time to the east of Charleston in the Kruger National Park these days.
SAND RIVER PRIDE (3 adult lionesses, 5 cubs) – Calabash crossing (12th), Tjellahanga River south of Pumphouse crossing (17th).
January:
The ‘northern’ Avoca males viewed on seven days in January.
February:
The ‘northern’ Avoca males viewed on five days.
March:
The ‘Northern’ Avoca males were viewed on three days: 18th, 22nd and the 25th, accompanying the Nkuhuma Pride.
April:
With these two males spending more and more time in the northern parts of Eyrefield mainly along the Mlowathi River we’ve decided to add them to the list of regularly seen lions. Although these males do have a third brother, we are yet to see him and to our understanding he spends all his time some ways north of your boundary. Therefore, we have not added him to this coalition. Should he come south and join his two brothers we’ll add him. On the 2nd one of the males was seen south of the Gowrie Boundary some ways east of Mlowathi Dam. As was the case with the Nkuhuma pride, it was only at the end of the month we saw them again. On the 30th both males were at Mlowathi Dam with the Nkuhuma pride.
May:
Of the five sightings of these males they were seen together in three sightings, with the Nkuhuma pride in all but one sighting. Only once did we see one of the males alone and this was on the 21st north of Mlowathi dam. For details on the other sightings of these two males please refer to the section on the Nkuhuma pride:
Although this pride was only seen on four occasions this month, tracks indicate they’re still spending a good portion of their time in the north western corner of MalaMala. The full complement of the pride and both Northern Avoca males were found with a buffalo bull kill near Senegal Bush on the 2nd. The following day we found all 19 lions along the Mlowathi River just north of Senegal Bush where they spent the day near some pans. On the 4th all 19 lions were at Mlowathi Dam crossing having not moved that far north. The last sighting of this pride on a misty morning (6th) where three of the females, all nine cubs and a northern Avoca male were seen near Mlowathi Dam. The likelihood is the rest of the pride were further west in a very dense block of land.
June:
We only saw these two males once this month and not with he Nkuhuma pride for a change. They were both together on the 14th at Mlowathi dam.
July:
Uncharacteristically we did not see the two Northern Avoca males in the northern parts of Eyrefield this month.
August:
The two Northern Avoca males were seen five days in a row between the 11th and the 15th with the Nkuhuma pride west of Mlowathi Dam where they’d killed two buffalo bulls on separate occasions. The last sighting of the two males was on the 17th when they were seen with the Nkuhuma pride moving west and roaring near Gowrie Circle
September:
The two Northern Avoca males were seen on four occasions together this month and once there was only one male viewed alone. On the 4th one male was seen south of the Nwana Nonantshemeni donga. On the 6th and 7th both males were seen near Mlowathi Dam. On the 20th both males were seen together again at Paraffin drift. The last sighting of these two males was on the 29th at Mlowathi springs. Being the most settled coalition in the area could it be these two males that pose the largest threat to the Gowrie males? They are starting to move further south and west than usual and this may be an indication of them looking to expand their territory in months to come.
October:
A plot twist among the lions…? On the 28th one of the Northern Avoca males was mating with a lioness from the Kambula pride at Mlowathi Dam while his brother was further north along the Mlowathi River. The following day the same male and lioness from the Kambula pride were mating west of Mlowathi pans.
November:
As was the case last month these two males were seen mating with a lioness from the Kambula pride on the 5th at Mlowathi dam. On the 6th a male was seen south of Mlowathi dam. On the 17th, 18th and 19th the two males were seen with the Nkuhuma pride near Mlowathi Dam. On the 17th and 18th, they were on a Cape buffalo kill east of the Mlowathi River south of the Nwana Nonantshemeni donga, and on the 19th they were at Mlowathi dam. The last sighting of these two males was on the 22nd when they were again seen with the Nkuhuma pride east of Gowrie circle.
December:
The two Northern Avoca males were seen together or close to one another in all the sightings during December. On the 8th both males were seen with the Nkuhuma pride east of the Mlowathi River south of Mlowathi Dam where they had two wildebeest kills. The following day, having finished off the two kills they spent the day at Mlowathi Dam. Both males were vying for mating rights with a young lioness from the Nkuhuma pride on the 28th and 29th. On the 28th both males were with the lioness east of Mlowathi Dam. Whereas on the 29th one male was at the dam while the other was mating with the lioness east thereof.
2021:
[b]January:
[/b]
On the 3rd one of the males was mating with a young lioness from the Nkuhuma Pride north of Mlowathi Dam. Both males were seen together on the Gowrie Boundary west of the Mlowathi River on the 17th.
February:
These males were together in five of the six sightings and in the presence of lionesses in all sightings. On the 2nd, both males were around Mlowathi Dam with a young lioness from the Nkuhuma pride with whom they were mating. The following day the two males were east of the Mlowathi Dam crossing, where they spent the day before linking up with the full complement of the Nkuhuma pride that evening. A few days later, on the 7th, both males were seen mating with a lioness from the Nkuhuma pride north of the Old Borehole in Eyrefield. Two weeks passed before they were seen again, with three lionesses from the Nkuhuma pride at Mlowathi Dam. The final two sightings of these males left us a little confused about the ID of the lioness they were mating with, but after looking at photographs carefully, we can confirm it was the Marthly lioness. On the 26th, one of the males was mating with the Marthly lioness at Mlowathi Dam, and the following day the second male had joined the mating pair, with the cub of the Marthly lioness watching from a safe distance.
March:
A whopping 16 sightings for March and the most sightings of this coalition on MalaMala since their movement south more than a year ago. Undoubtedly, this marks the start of their challenge to the Gowrie males. The fast-approaching dry season will be an interesting one as we watch the dynamics of the lions of MalaMala shift. Early in the month the Northern Avoca males moved south along the Mlowathi River and almost overnight decided the entire Mlowathi River is theirs. The month started at a normal pace with one sighting of the two males on the 1st at Mlowathi pans. Ten days later, we next saw one male at the sausage spot, and from then on, these two males were seen almost daily along the Mlowathi river and as far south as Piccadilly Pans and Campbell Koppies. On the 14th, both males were with three lionesses from the Nkuhuma pride north of Senegal Bush. The males had a zebra foal kill at Gowrie circle on the 16th. One male was with members of the Nkuhuma pride at Mlowathi Dam on the 18th. On the 22nd, a male was at Lower Mlowathi crossing, where there were three lionesses from the Torchwood Pride. The four lions were not seen together, but the male was approaching the unknown lionesses with caution. The following day he was mating with one of the lionesses at Campbell Koppies. The final sighting for the month was on the 29th when one male was with three lionesses of the Nkuhuma pride at Mlowathi Dam
April:
The two Northern Avoca males have been heard roaring a lot along the Mlowathi River in recent times, which adds to their claim to the river and the area west of it. The two males were only seen together in four sightings, and they were with members of the Nkuhuma pride in four of the sightings, two of which both males were present. It was only a matter of time before the coalition had an interaction with the Gowrie males. On the 2nd, a Gowrie male was mating with a lioness from the Kambula pride at Piccadilly Pans. Something was off about their behaviour. It soon became apparent why, there was a second male lion was in the area, a Northern Avoca male male. The Northern Avoca male chased the Gowrie male south before heading back north to Mlowathi Koppies. From here, he roared, and scent marked. The lioness from the Kambula pride sought him out, and they had an exciting interaction as she 'flirted' with him while he led her deeper into his territory, further north along the Mlowathi River past Senegal Bush. The males were mostly seen along the Mlowathi River north of the Tlebe Rocks Donga for the remainder of the month until the 28th, when both males were with two lionesses from the Kambula pride at Mlowathi Koppies.
May:
The two Northern Avoca males continue to spend the majority of their time along the Mlowathi River. After last month’s interaction between the one male and the younger Gowrie male, we have not seen an interaction between the two coalitions again. Both males were only seen together in three of the sightings and were in the presence of members of the Nkuhuma pride in five of the nine sightings. The first sighting was on the 1st when both males were with three lionesses from the Nkuhuma pride at Mlowathi Dam. The following day they were on a buffalo kill with the bulk of the Nkuhuma pride west of Mlowathi dam. The lions finished off the kill during the day, and both males were with three lionesses (Nkuhuma) west of Mlowathi Dam on the 3rd. A few days later, one male was at Mlowathi Dam (6th). On the 9th, a male was at Mlowathi Pans. The same male was with two lionesses from the Nkuhuma pride in Mlowathi open area on the 12th. On the 14th, one male was mating with a lioness from the Nkuhuma pride southeast of Mlowathi dam while his brother was west of them. The last sighting of the month was on the 22nd when a male was in the Mlowathi River south of Mlowathi Pans
[b]June:[/b]
The two Northern Avoca males continue to make their intentions clear along the Mlowathi River south to Campbell Koppies. When they are in the southern parts of their range, they roar and scent mark continuously. With very little response from the two Gowrie males, the two Northern Avoca males are getting more comfortable in these southern reaches of their territory. The first sighting of one of these males was on the 2nd at Mlowathi Dam. Overnight the brothers linked up and made their way south. The following day, both males were at Princess Alice Pans. This is the furthest south we have ever recorded this coalition. On the 4th, both males were with a lioness from the Kambula pride north of the Airstrip, and a couple of days later, the two males were with the same lioness at Senegal Bush. On the 8th, a male was at Mlowathi Dam. Two weeks passed without sightings of this coalition before both males were at Campbell Koppies on the 22nd.
It's becoming more and more evident, the Northern Avocas are pushing further into the Gowrie/Birmingham males territory. In my opinion, it's just a matter of time until they displace them and take over the Kambula/Ntsevu Pride.
(07-31-2021, 01:29 AM)Potato Wrote: If they would intend to defend their territory they would have already confronted Avocas. It seems they are giving up on their territory.
Agree, especially now with Tinyo's condition they don't have power to confront them.
I dont expect any confrontation at this point, Avocas will prob slowly take control over Kambula females over time, Bboys will prob move further south with Kambula breakeaway's.
But situation might become more interesting with 2 PC boys in the mix.
07-31-2021, 02:15 AM( This post was last modified: 07-31-2021, 02:16 AM by Duco Ndona )
Its going to depend on the circumstance.
If one of the lions runs in the pair of the others. He is going to get mauled and the other will be run off.
If they stay together and avoid the above scenario. The Birmingham's will win for the time being.
Its clear that the groups are not interested in a 2vs2 fight. So the status quo will be maintained. The Avoca will likely continue to pick off cubs and steal land and the occasional lioness. But the pride will remain in Birmingham paws which have no reason to flee yet. Afteral, they don't cares about hectares, just about having a pride.
However. In the long term. They will be slowly abandoned like Hairy Belly Matimba was.. The pride will start noticing the Birmingham boys are no longer suitable males and will begin seeking more suitable mates elsewhere. They will begin to meet up with the Avoca's more and more and hang out with them for far longer periods of time like a normal pride would. New cubs included.
Eventually the amount of lionesses sticking with the Birmingham's will dwindle to nothing. Likely just the few ones who's cubs haven't been killed yet. The Matimbas would no longer reliably get kills to feed on or get to mate. So they will be forced to either take over their own pride again or wander of hoping for better opportunities.
(07-31-2021, 02:15 AM)Duco Ndona Wrote: But the pride will remain in Birmingham paws which have no reason to flee yet
The Avocas are on the way to take control over full territory on which Kambula pride is operating and the pride will accept them as the new dominant males.
(07-31-2021, 02:15 AM)Duco Ndona Wrote: The pride will start noticing the Birmingham boys are no longer suitable males and will begin seeking more suitable mates elsewhere. They will begin to meet up with the Avoca's more and more and hang out with them for far longer periods of time like a normal pride would.
If you check Mala Mala blogs this is what was what was happening over the past months already. Kambulas were all over the place mating with different males as Birminghams were lossing ground to Avocas and OM.
