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02-28-2016, 05:22 AM( This post was last modified: 01-13-2018, 06:42 PM by Ngala )
Gorongosa is a reserve in Mocambique, where a civil war waged for about 30 years. During the war, warriors used Gorongosa to hide and feed themselves. The war has been concluded and Gorongosa again is a protected reserve. Now for the results of three decades of war.
One is many animals perished or left. Those who stayed, learned to distrust humans. Elephants responded in that they decided for small groups trying to stay away from humans. If they couldn't, they acted like small armed groups. More often than not, they ambushed those who hunted them. Researchers found out the hard way it will take time for them to trust humans again. They also found out that adults responded to distress of young animals. Elephants really care about the emotional well-being of young animals. It isn't about safety only.
As many of the animals they hunt were killed (or left), lions all but disappeared. When the documentary was made, there was only one small pride. Nearly all members were young adults. The pride male, a bulky guy with a mane like that of a Sioux warrior, was on his own. As his territory was very large (over 250 square km.), intruders were to be expected. What happened when a lone male suddenly appeared in his territory?
The young pride male, who had been collared, became much more active. He scratched and sprayed important places in his territory, he roared as much as he could and also approached the new guy on the block. But approaching didn't mean facing. Same for his opponent. They stayed out of reach and communicated from about half a mile distance. After a tense 24-hour exchange, the young pride male concluded he wasn't going to be victorious. A sensible decision. The new guy, a bit older and bigger, settled in the core of his territory and the young pride male, none the worse, moved south with most of his young females and picked up family life.
Let's turn to Indian tigers for a comparison. Only male tigers who compare in many respects decide for a fight. Both think they have a chance and both are prepared to accept the consequences. Same for male lions when they are on their own. Also remember that the winner doesn't take all. That happens when prides have fixed territories and coalitions have no option but to run or fight when their home is invaded.
The new male met at least one female when he took over. For unknown reasons, she had been living on her own with her three cubs for quite some time. Females not always need males to protect them. It depends on the situation. When a territory is limited in size and surrounded by impressive prides and coalitions, you need warriors. But warriors don't come cheap and when you have a team of 6 or more well-trained females and male coalitions are smallish, the female coalition could stand a chance. When a territory is large and not really contested, a female could even survive on her own. What we often see in documentairies, is typical for lions living in hotspots. Real estate always draws a crowd. The result is overcrowding and a struggle for ownership. More often than not, overwhelming numbers and brute force replace other means of communication.
Maybe the male went for her cubs when they met and maybe not. We don't know, but it's likely as she was seen with deep bite wounds shortly after they met. She was still on her own when the camera captured her again with her cubs, but a few weeks later the female and the new male were together. The cubs, almost a year old, were never seen again. I don't know if they were killed or driven out. There are reliable records of tiger cubs less than a year old surviving on their own and chances are a coalition of juvenile lions also stands a chance.
At about 4000 square km., Gorongosa isn't large. It has forests, plains and swamps. The many small rivers had more crocs then everywhere else in Africa. As big crocs usually don't tolerate other adults, the question was why they were so close to each other without any sign of animosity. The answer was plenty of fish. They had to resort to fish when many mammals were killed during the civil war and they thrived on it.
There is a series of documentaries on Gorongosa on National Geographic Wild. I would definitely watch them if you have a chance. It is a pristine place of great beauty.
Just to give a 'heads-up' to those who have access; NatGeo Wild is now launching new programs and new episodes of old programs for the new Fall season.
Gorongosa lions at NatGeo Wild
