There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
Since those two males now firmly are establishing themselfs as one of the dominant male lion coalitions of Sabi Sands it is time they have thread of their own.
Unpredictable and dramatic at the best of times, the lion dynamics of Lion Sands were turned on their head by the unexpected arrival of three young males quietly crossing the Sabie River from the Kruger National Park and sneaking into the western reaches of our property.
At this point, the territory within Lion Sands belonged to the Ndhzenga males, an older and more experienced coalition, which thus far had fiercely defended the land and the prides within it from competing lions. Because of this, no one expected the newcomers to stay long, and when the Ndhzenga eventually killed one of the young brothers, it was assumed the remaining two would leave the area completely.
Remarkably, the two brothers chose to remain on Lion Sands, strategically avoiding any further altercations with the Ndhzenga. Being unsure of their surroundings and unaccustomed to vehicles, the young nomads would run every time we attempted to approach, making sightings challenging and giving rise to their eventual name, ‘The Gijimas’, which means ‘to run’ in the local language of Shangaan.
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
Under the protection of the Ndhzenga males, the Styx and Southern prides where flourishing, and any threat that the Gijimas posed to their young seemed minimal. That is, until the Ndhzenga unexpectedly abandoned their Lion Sands territory in pursuit of new land and females to the north, leaving the Styx Pride and the Southern Pride defenceless against the Gijimas.
The Styx Pride was particularly vulnerable to an assault by the Gijimas, with 11 young cubs that would be killed by the males if caught in order to mate with the females and eliminate another male’s offspring. To prevent this, the three experienced Styx lionesses moved with stealth and caution around the property until eventually, they pushed north into unfamiliar territories to protect their cubs from the Gijimas.
The situation of the lionesses of the Southern Pride was slightly different; with two female sub-adults of about two years old, the likelihood of the Gijimas males trying to kill them was minimal. This is because they would be considered part of the pride rather than the cubs of another male. Since the arrival of the Gijimas, the adult lioness has been seen mating with the brothers on several occasions. More recently, there have been sightings of the lioness and her daughters together with the males, which presents the exciting prospect of a growing pride.
Over the last few months, the Gijimas have become a near constant presence on Lion Sands, making them far more relaxed around our vehicles and treating us to exciting sightings. Since their entrance to the property, they have had few encounters with other males, so predicting their future here is near impossible. Who knows if the Ndhzenga will one day return to defend their territory? But with the Gijimas growing in confidence and strength, it seems unlikely that they will be easily overthrown.
(09-05-2022, 11:19 PM)Mabingilane Wrote: Seeing as though we know not much of their origins, what would a good estimate for their birth year be?
Late 2017? Or maybe Early to Mid 2018?
I think that younger is definitely born somewhere in 2018, older might be later stages of 2017, but its really hard to tell exactly, as some males are soon developed then others, but yea, late 2017 to mid 2018 should be correct.
The Southern Pride, accompanied by the two Gijima males, were found soaking up the late afternoon sun after two days of rain. They have been spending a lot of time together, after the oldest female had been seen mating with both Gijima males a while back. Is the famous Southern Pride female pregnant? Only time will tell, we are holding thumbs.
09-23-2022, 07:06 PM( This post was last modified: 09-23-2022, 07:06 PM by Mdz123 )
(09-23-2022, 05:30 PM)Potato Wrote: The Southern Pride, accompanied by the two Gijima males, were found soaking up the late afternoon sun after two days of rain. They have been spending a lot of time together, after the oldest female had been seen mating with both Gijima males a while back. Is the famous Southern Pride female pregnant? Only time will tell, we are holding thumbs.
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
Quite stranger behavior form Gijimas, not chasing out the 2 subs. Maybe they are patient enough to wait 1 year so they can have 2 free females to mate with
(09-23-2022, 05:30 PM)Potato Wrote: The Southern Pride, accompanied by the two Gijima males, were found soaking up the late afternoon sun after two days of rain. They have been spending a lot of time together, after the oldest female had been seen mating with both Gijima males a while back. Is the famous Southern Pride female pregnant? Only time will tell, we are holding thumbs.
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
Quite stranger behavior form Gijimas, not chasing out the 2 subs. Maybe they are patient enough to wait 1 year so they can have 2 free females to mate with
1. They are females (if they would be male subs then that would be whole different story) so they are potential mates in not distant future.
2. Older female is already ready to mate again so killing/chassing off youngsters to bring other female into heat wouldn't be the case here.
(09-23-2022, 08:30 PM)Potato Wrote: 1. They are females (if they would be male subs then that would be whole different story) so they are potential mates in not distant future.
2. Older female is already ready to mate again so killing/chassing off youngsters to bring other female into heat wouldn't be the case here.
Yea,
3. Young males, with first pride they aquired (especially if they dont need to fight for it) in some cases can accept other subs/cubs, as they are still inexperienced and still dont have that lvl of "dominance" as prime males, prime and more experience males would prob not accept these subs. (OM, N. Avocas, Ross males are just some examples where they accept previous offspring in their first acquired pride).
"As we set out on our morning safari, we found tracks of two male lions. We started following these, having been made aware of a herd of buffalo close to where we saw the lion spoor. We were hoping to find them on a kill…. and then received the message!! The two Gijima males were spotted on a small buffalo kill. This must have happened in the early morning hours, as there was not much left of the carcass when we found them. We watched as they made turns feeding on what was left of their kill and resting with their bellies uncomfortably full. A cat’s tongue is extremely rough, covered with small, sharp, rear-facing papillae. This helps them to rid any fur on the carcass and to scrape every morsel of meat off the bones. They also use their tongues to clean themselves after eating, ensuring they clean their paws and other areas meticulously."
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
"We followed up on the Gijima lions today, after we had found them on a small buffalo kill yesterday. Much to our surprise they were once again trailing the large buffalo herd from a distance, making chase every now and then. Normally lions would not hunt so soon after a kill, however, these two males seemed intent on taking another opportunity."
10-09-2022, 03:20 PM( This post was last modified: 10-09-2022, 03:21 PM by Tonpa )
"These boys mean business. Seems the Southern Pride female is pregnant and these cubs will be the first fathered by the Gijima boys. I have a feeling they will be the first of many."
