Kambula/Ntsevu Pride

[Tonpa]

Kambula Pride

June 2023

With their cubs developing well, we are basking in great lion viewing across their territory.

Noteworthy sightings:
• Five lionesses and seven cubs were east of Donald’s Crossing on the 1st.
• Two lionesses were with a Ndhzenga male south of Styx Crossing on the 2nd.
• The lionesses moved seven cubs west, and the group was at Confluence Crossing on the 3rd and 4th.
• The lioness with the three youngest cubs were at Flockfield Pools on the 7th. They moved north and were at Confluence Crossing on the 8th.
• On the 9th, three lionesses reunited around Piccadilly Triangle.
• A lioness stole an impala ram from the Xinkhova female south of the Airstrip on the 10th.
• On the 16th, four lionesses and 10 cubs played in the Sand River, north of Kikilezihash Crossingon the 16th.
• Six cubs were around Pete’s Bridge, while three lionesses were at Lower Mlowathi Crossingon the 17th.
• On the 18th, five lionesses and nine cubs had a wildebeest kill south of the Airstrip. A fight broke out between the adult lions when the Ndhzenga males arrived and stole the kill.
• On the 21st, five lionesses, nine cubs and the Ndhzenga males were at Hyena Waterhole.
• Nine cubs played in the sand at Flockfield Camp on the 22nd while a young male leopard observed them from a distance.
• Kambula Group B made a grand reappearance this month, killing a young hyena cub at its denin the Maponyoleni Donga on the 23rd.
• Three lionesses and three cubs had two waterbuck kills at the Settling Dam on the 24th and 25th.
• One lioness stole the Nkoveni female’s impala ram kill on the 28th, south of the Causeway.
• On the last day of the month, four lionesses and nine cubs killed a warthog south of Styx Rocks. 

July 2023

July was no different to previous months, with many sightings of this pride recorded throughout the month. The lioness with the three youngest cubs has been spending a lot of time east of the Sand River, around the Ngoboswan Donga. She moved further north later in the month to spend time on the rocky sections around the lower reaches of the Mlowathi River. Most of the pride spent much of their time in the Sand River, mostly around West Street Bridge and Maxim’s Lookout. We enjoyed a few sightings of this pride feeding on kills, most notably when the two Ndhzenga males joined seven lionesses and 12 cubs to feast on a buffalo bull on the eastern bank of the Sand River, north of the Ngoboswan Donga (detailed below). The mother of the last cubs from the Gowrie coalition, now deceased, has spent time mating with the Black Dam males in the more northern parts of the property.

Noteworthy sightings:
• Five females and nine cubs had an impala ewe carcass south of West Street Bridge on the 4th .
• On the 5th and 6th, seven lionesses with 12 cubs and the two Ndhzenga males fed on a buffalo bull kill just north of Sandpit Crossing.
• The mother of the last cubs of the Gowrie coalition (deceased) was seen with the Black Dam males on the 13th, 18th and 24th. They spent most of their time along the Mlowathi River and at Mlowathi Dam. She was seen mating with them on several occasions.
• On the 13th, a lioness stole a kill from the Tlebe Rocks female at Fred’s Tree.
• On the 20th and 21st, three lionesses and three cubs were feeding on a zebra kill west of Fred’s Tree. The other five lionesses and nine cubs were found feeding on a sub-adult giraffe carcass at Confluence Crossing on the 21st .
• One of the lionesses was seen mating with a Ndhzenga male on the 22nd and the 27th at the Causeway and Manyelethi Crossing, respectively.
• Two females and three cubs were feeding on an impala ram kill south of the Airstrip on the 24th.
• A lioness chased the Stone Drift female up a tree at Lower Mlowathi Crossing on the 24th .
• On the 31st, the five lionesses chased the Split Rock male up a gardenia tree in the area of Buffalo Pans. They surrounded him briefly before being distracted by a herd of zebra in the Matshapiri Rive

August 2023

Many sightings were recorded of the Kambula pride in August, and they are thriving and growing innumbers monthly. The lioness with the three youngest cubs spent most of her time between the lower reaches of the Mlowathi River and the Causeway and was seen on numerous occasions with the other two members of the pride who do not have cubs currently. The other five lionesses and nine cubs were seen at Confluence Crossing on several occasions, and one of the lionesses was denning in that area with the newest members of the pride (detailed below). The three younger cubs were officially introduced to the rest of the pride on the 16th, where four females and 12 cubs were all together on the Airstrip.

Noteworthy sightings:
• On the 1st, three females killed a klipspringer in the southern parts of the Mlowathi River and were joined shortly afterwards by the three youngest cubs of the pride.
• The next day, the mother of these three young cubs shared an impala kill with them further north of their position the day before.
• On the 3rd, the three lionesses were seen chasing and killing a kudu in the Sand River in front of MalaMala Camp. The three cubs joined them for this meal, which they fed on until the 5th, when the Ndhzenga males joined them until the 6th.
• Five lionesses and nine cubs were at Confluence Crossing on the 4th and the 5th. One of the lionesses gave birth in that area and moved her new cubs into the thickets.
• On the 12th, four lionesses and nine cubs were at Confluence Crossing when the new mother was spotted further south of their position carrying a week-old cub in her mouth across the Sand River. She carried another two cubs west over the river, presumably to find a more suitable den site. That evening, she brought one of the new cubs to the pride and dropped it amongst the eight-month-old cubs, who treated it roughly. It is unclear what happened next as it was dark by then, and they were not in that area the following day.
• On the 14th, four females were found feeding on a nyala kill at Sandpit Crossing while the nine cubs waited for them downstream at Kikilezihash Crossing. Later that evening, the females killed an impala at the Airstrip.
• On the 15th, three females and the three youngest cubs were at Lower Mlowathi Crossing, moving south after feeding on a zebra carcass. Several spotted hyenas finished off the carcass but were chased away by three different pride members.
• From the 17th to the 20th, the mother of the newest cubs was found on the western bank of the Sand River south of West Street Bridge, which we assume she is using as a new den site.
• On the 20th and 21st, four females and ten cubs fed on a buffalo kill south of Styx Rocks while two younger cubs remained alone at Princess Alice Pans. The kill was stolen on the 21st by one of the Southern Avoca males.
• On the 23rd, five of the lionesses trailed a herd of buffalo to the Sand River in front of MalaMala Camp, where they attempted to hunt but were unsuccessful. However, they successfully chased the unsuspecting Flat Rock male up a tree in the same area.
• Two of the youngest cubs remained alone around the airstrip for five days, until the 24th, when they finally met up with the pride.
• On the 26th, the two Ndhzenga males joined three females at the mahogany trees at Matumi Rocks, where they fed on a hippopotamus carcass.
• On the 27th, the new mother attempted to hunt buffalo at Confluence Crossing but was unsuccessful.
• From the 27th to the 29th, most of the pride was in the Sand River south of Kikilezihash Crossing. The lioness with the newest cubs also seems to have moved her den site to this area. Reply