Coalitions of Kruger National Park

[Rabubi]

February report by Singita Kruger: https://singita.com/2025/02/singita-krug...uary-2025/

Lions

● On the second of this month, the Shish Pride finally returned after more than six weeks away, teasing us with
only their tracks near the Mozambican border. All 14 were accounted for initially, but now they seem to have
split up. The reasons are only speculative, but there have been tracks and audio for male lions nearby, as well
as the Mananga Pride, and potentially Sonop males, in the area the Shish Pride was last seen. Due to the fact
that a few of the Shish Pride cubs are still under two years old, they are still vulnerable to attack by any
unrelated males, and this is why their movements are erratic, unpredictable and keep us guessing as to where
they might be. One evening we even encountered them on the road just south of our staff village, a twenty-
minute drive from the lodge. A few days later they were back on our concession boundary (S41).

● Three adult Shish females and one sub-adult are spending their time on/near to our concession, whereas the
remaining ten, have moved further west, resting in the early hours on the H6 past the Sonop waterhole.

● The Mananga Pride spent the first week around the central areas near prominent drainage lines before
heading back west out of our concession. With the extraordinary amount of rain received so far this season, all
of the pans, even the slightest depressions made from elephants stepping into soft mud, are holding water.
The grass has grown, trees are fruiting, and this means that most animals have dispersed, making hunting that
much more challenging. Where one might think the lions have an advantage of increased cover, they
themselves cannot even see above the tall grass and their prey cleverly stick to open areas to avoid ambush.

● Towards the end of the month, they returned to their usual hunting grounds around the sticky thorns, and
headed back west, out of our concession. The grass just west of our boundary road is shorter, attracting more
general game. And this is why we believe they, as well as the Shish Pride, are spending more time in those
areas.

● The Chava Pride’s two older cubs, now almost a year old, have been spotted by themselves around the N4. We
have not seen the newest cubs again since last month, but it is not uncommon for mothers to move den sites
to prevent parasite build up.

● The three Sonop males seem to have officially settled in the north-western sections of our concession, taking
advantage of the plethora of game on the short-grassy plains north of the Gudzane Dam. Reply