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.
(12-14-2024, 08:59 AM)Robot00 Wrote: With each passing sightings I am getting a stronger conviction that these four nothern kboys will not be able to rule any prides in s.s.
These four nothern kboys are 5.5 - 6yrs already and in their absolute prime but have yet accomplished anything. Maybe s.s. coalitions are too strong for them.
Maybe and hopefully they can achieve their life's goal in the KNP
Males are generally in their prime from 7-10 years of age. Look at all the top duos in Sabi Sands at the moment: PC, Mantimahle, Gijimas, N'Waswitshakas. They all fall into this age bracket.
Eight years. At ten male lions are not like when they are eight. Plain camp still not prime. They can still get stronger and Gijima.
(12-14-2024, 08:33 PM)Mapokser Wrote: As things stands right now, K4 has been caught once and I think all others have been caught at least twice.
They should be able to click and stand their ground as a strong unit, any time now, but they keep getting beaten up and acting semi-nomadic time after time in an eternal cycle that makes one doubt if they'll ever click. I think they must have the potential, like any other normal healthy lion, but I doubt we'll see it happening because chances are they'll lose members before all 4 can decide to stand their ground together.
The fact all 4 are still alive is unbelievable, I can't think of any other coalition caught so many times which didn't lose any members.
K3 has only been caught once, no? By the Gijimas. Or am I forgetting an altercation?
100% agree with everything else. The cycle has repeated itself once again.
(12-14-2024, 11:50 PM)Ngonya Wrote: Around September/October he was clearly bruised and beaten, limping a bit in some of wildearth lives. By who it is unclear.
Yea but that prob didnt come from other territorial males, yet prob a fight with brothers/NKs.
Kambula males moved sabi sabi , I think they moved because of food , big buffalo herd travel from north to south and Kambula with them. Not because of pressure from other males ,what we seen 90% of their meal are buffalos. K6 stays north because he was mating.
(12-15-2024, 12:55 AM)Dreadlocks Wrote: Kambula males moved sabi sabi , I think they moved because of food , big buffalo herd travel from north to south and Kambula with them. Not because of pressure from other males ,what we seen 90% of their meal are buffalos. K6 stays north because he was mating.
(If it is problem picture fix it)
*This image is copyright of its original author
Looks like they most likely got themselves a TB source, considering the collar. hopefully nothing comes from that.
(12-15-2024, 12:55 AM)Dreadlocks Wrote: Kambula males moved sabi sabi , I think they moved because of food , big buffalo herd travel from north to south and Kambula with them. Not because of pressure from other males ,what we seen 90% of their meal are buffalos. K6 stays north because he was mating.
(If it is problem picture fix it)
*This image is copyright of its original author
Looks like they most likely got themselves a TB source, considering the collar. hopefully nothing comes from that.
12-15-2024, 01:45 AM( This post was last modified: 12-15-2024, 01:49 AM by Tr1x24 )
(12-15-2024, 12:55 AM)Dreadlocks Wrote: Kambula males moved sabi sabi , I think they moved because of food , big buffalo herd travel from north to south and Kambula with them. Not because of pressure from other males ,what we seen 90% of their meal are buffalos. K6 stays north because he was mating.
This is another thing we didnt take in consideration, food source.
Kambulas and NKs are actually on very limited area in the north, without bumping into neighbouring coalitions and prides. And north is not exactly that rich with food sources in first place, as Sand River doesnt go thru.
Theres prob not enough food there regulary for 4 adult males and 6 NKs. NKs are expanding their hunting grounds towards Mantimahles territory, in the past weeks, they lost 2 kills to them. They can do it as they can compensate with mating, if someone gets caught
We also saw 3 Kambulas look quite thin recently in Singita and later Sabi Sabi, they where definetly searching for food.
So another thing what might drive them to move, might
be food aswell.
(12-15-2024, 12:55 AM)Dreadlocks Wrote: Kambula males moved sabi sabi , I think they moved because of food , big buffalo herd travel from north to south and Kambula with them. Not because of pressure from other males ,what we seen 90% of their meal are buffalos. K6 stays north because he was mating.
(If it is problem picture fix it)
*This image is copyright of its original author
Looks like they most likely got themselves a TB source, considering the collar. hopefully nothing comes from that.
Couldn´t it just be a herd tracker?
Not sure I have ever seen a buffalo with a collar like that, certainly not one that was being killed by a lion.
(12-15-2024, 12:55 AM)Dreadlocks Wrote: Kambula males moved sabi sabi , I think they moved because of food , big buffalo herd travel from north to south and Kambula with them. Not because of pressure from other males ,what we seen 90% of their meal are buffalos. K6 stays north because he was mating.
(If it is problem picture fix it)
*This image is copyright of its original author
Looks like they most likely got themselves a TB source, considering the collar. hopefully nothing comes from that.
Couldn´t it just be a herd tracker?
Not sure I have ever seen a buffalo with a collar like that, certainly not one that was being killed by a lion.
Me neither, I just doubt the buffalo has a collar due to TB , Im sure if it was due to that we would´ve already seen many more with it
(12-15-2024, 12:47 AM)Tr1x24 Wrote: Yea but that prob didnt come from other territorial males, yet prob a fight with brothers/NKs.
yeah true, it doesnt look like anything serious and i've seen even worse brotherly / female fights. Just the bite in the spine that looked odd.
But still see a bit of a bite on his back recently after Ndzhenga chased them thought
(12-15-2024, 12:55 AM)Dreadlocks Wrote: Kambula males moved sabi sabi , I think they moved because of food , big buffalo herd travel from north to south and Kambula with them. Not because of pressure from other males ,what we seen 90% of their meal are buffalos. K6 stays north because he was mating.
one thing definitely does not change the other.
They were pressured by Mantimahle and then chased by Ndzhenga in a somewhat short amount of time. The fact they are going after the herds of buffalo is nothing new, the 4 are great hunters and thats their main prey for sure, but it also doesn't change the fact they were pressured.
I honestly risk saying its almost 90% sure they will go back north and perhaps the cycle will repeat itself or they could break it and actually stand their ground for once or twice.
(12-15-2024, 12:55 AM)Dreadlocks Wrote:
*This image is copyright of its original author
Also who is the male in the picture?
Im thinking K3 but that mane looks very mohawk, like a young lion
(12-15-2024, 12:55 AM)Dreadlocks Wrote: Kambula males moved sabi sabi , I think they moved because of food , big buffalo herd travel from north to south and Kambula with them. Not because of pressure from other males ,what we seen 90% of their meal are buffalos. K6 stays north because he was mating.
(If it is problem picture fix it)
*This image is copyright of its original author
This photo seems like it is a past photo as Kambulas this days have more fuller mane compare to the picture above and it seems like K6 to me. K3 has a light mane, K4 has scaring near his left eye and K5 is missing a teeth on his left upper side or maybe I am wrong.
(12-15-2024, 12:55 AM)Dreadlocks Wrote: Kambula males moved sabi sabi , I think they moved because of food , big buffalo herd travel from north to south and Kambula with them. Not because of pressure from other males ,what we seen 90% of their meal are buffalos. K6 stays north because he was mating.
(If it is problem picture fix it)
*This image is copyright of its original author
Looks like they most likely got themselves a TB source, considering the collar. hopefully nothing comes from that.
Couldn´t it just be a herd tracker?
Not sure I have ever seen a buffalo with a collar like that, certainly not one that was being killed by a lion.
Me neither, I just doubt the buffalo has a collar due to TB , Im sure if it was due to that we would´ve already seen many more with it
But for other reason would they track them? It suggest research bweing done. They are not a painted wold pack which they track each with collars because there is so few of them. It is likely a herd tracker in the sense they are not following (or were following) just this particular individual, the question is the reason. TB or health monitoring in general would one, I guess they could be just studying grazing a movement patterns, but I am not sure if they would need to go through tranquilizing an animal for that, seem more like they for some reason wanted to dart particularly this individual/group. Maybe the cow (seems like a cow to me, but I'm bad at this) is not from around there and could be darted far away from there (the ecosystem spans across the borders after all) where there might different practice or obvious reason which is not obvious to us observing mostly Sabi Sands and nearby areas. Not sure how buffalo herds merge and split and how much they travel but I guess unlikely and far fetched. Perhaps there could be HWC issue, animals escape through broken fence quite often, perhaps they could monitor a group that has a history of being troublemakers in that regard, but I doubt it. I still think some sort of health monitoring is the most likely cause.
