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.
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.
K2 and K3 ( these are the 2 who formed that breakaway with the 2 Birmingham subadults ), by Jaco Joubert:
*This image is copyright of its original author
One of them has 3 cubs, but the cubs are living with the core pride for a while now, while the mother spends most of her time with this sister and the other infertile one. The fourth old Kambula lives with the core pride.
(10-02-2023, 02:59 AM)Mapokser Wrote: K2 and K3 ( these are the 2 who formed that breakaway with the 2 Birmingham subadults ), by Jaco Joubert:
*This image is copyright of its original author
One of them has 3 cubs, but the cubs are living with the core pride for a while now, while the mother spends most of her time with this sister and the other infertile one. The fourth old Kambula lives with the core pride.
So strange that she'd leave her cubs with the core pride, and then go off with her sisters.
(10-02-2023, 05:10 AM)Mapokser Wrote: I hope she doesn't think the cubs are dead and can eventually ( if not already ) realize they are with the core pride.
Would be interesting to see if she could come into oestrus again if she thought the cubs were dead, rather than them actually being so.
But it would actually be better for the cubs survival if they remain with the core pride. Her two breakaways sisters have both mated with the Black Dam males, so if she stuck with them the cubs would likely end up getting killed by other males.
The following 1 user Likes NLAL11's post:1 user Likes NLAL11's post • BA0701
Once again, the Kambula pride members were seen numerous times this month. Most of the cubs are now old enough to keep up with the females, so they have begun to move further south and east into their territory, away from the denning areas along the Sand River. The lioness, with the four newest members of the pride, spent most of September at West Street Bridge before moving her den site further south to Flockfield Pools on the 25th. We have also removed the young adult male lions and the young female who went with them from the core of this pride. They will feature in the ‘other lion’ section when they are seen.
Noteworthy sightings:
From the 1st to the 2nd, four lionesses and 12 cubs were between Old Wildebeest Crossing and Maurice’s Pan, looking very hungry.
On the 3rd, one of the younger cubs was alone east of the Quarry at the Airstrip, looking weak and was found dead the next day.
On the 5th, one cub was alone near Styx Rocks.
Five lionesses and the cubs were joined by the two Ndhzenga males on the 6th for a much needed feast on a buffalo bull east of the central parts of the Matshapiri River. Unfortunately, this meal came too late for one cub whose carcass was found near where the others fed.
They were all together again the next day at Emsagwen Waterhole.
On the 9th, three of the females, 10 cubs and one Ndhzenga male fed on another buffalo east of West Street Bridge. They were joined by the second Ndhzenga male and another lioness the next day.
They were still at West Street Bridge on the 11th, where the four youngest cubs were present.
The two members of the pride without cubs were moving between Bicycle Crossing and Sandpit Crossing from the 12th to the 15th.
On the 14th, one of the lionesses was with the Black Dam males at Mlowathi Dam.
One Ndhzenga male was with two lionesses at Bicycle Crossing on the 16th.
On the 19th, four females and ten cubs shared a small meal of an impala with the Ndhzenga males south of Rattray’s Camp.
On the 21st, three lionesses stole a nyala kill from the Ottawa pack of Cape hunting dogs at Sand Pit Crossing.
From the 22nd to the 26th, the four females with the ten cubs were in the vicinity of Flockfield Pools and were joined by the fifth lioness and her four young cubs from the 25th .
On the 24th, one of the females was mating with an Ndhzenga male west of Piccadilly Triangle, while two of the other females were further north up the Mlowathi River.
On the 26th, two lionesses were with the two Ndhzenga males at the Boom Hut. The one female mated with both the males on different occasions over the next two days.
On the 27th, the bulk of the pride was far east into their territory near the Borehole.
The mating pair were seen once more on the 28th, on the eastern bank of Kikilezihash Crossing.
On the 30th, a single lioness was mating with an Ndhzenga male north of Mlowathi Pans.
(10-11-2023, 10:00 PM)Mapokser Wrote: Probably 2 cubs from the older lioness were the ones to die, possibly a lack of milk because the mother is not around.
such a strange decision by this Kambula to leave her cubs like that. whenever I think I have lions figured out, they do something that reminds me its never easy to figure them out or expect anything predictable.
If they were the 2 by the older lioness that left them to the pride, then her older grown daughter did not or could not take care of them (like some people had thought she would). Not sure how many cubs her daughter had, but if she had a full litter of 4 (or even 3), and if those cubs were older, then the younger ones would be left without getting enough nourishment.
Wasn't she the one whose 2 daughters were the last legacy of the B'Boys? So, she lost those 2 after a couple of years raising them, and then now she doesn't feel inclined to raise her newest cubs? Maybe she never integrated in the pride well after losing her daughters... The others never fully accepted or treated her well perhaps. Now she's broken off into a small sub-group of the pride.
10-19-2023, 03:47 PM( This post was last modified: 10-22-2023, 11:53 PM by BA0701 )
The Ntsevu cubs are looking a lot bigger and braver than they did in early February - visit our profile to see the video of them as tiny cubs. ?
Use the link in our bio to see what this pride has been up to...
(10-22-2023, 11:45 PM)Tonpa Wrote: Anybody a got a high quality clear photo of the Kambula girl still with her brothers, ideally with whisker spots visible
(10-22-2023, 11:45 PM)Tonpa Wrote: Anybody a got a high quality clear photo of the Kambula girl still with her brothers, ideally with whisker spots visible
