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Lion tales
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 (02-03-2021, 12:03 AM)kobe8jf1234 Wrote: so i guess we dont know the fathers these 3 different groups of males that formed this strong mpondo coalition ? 2 males from the Jock pride are sired by 4 Mlambane males (this guys ousted old Jock and his 5 sons, Jock males). 5th/Vurhami Mpondo might be sired by Old Gomondwanes. Its unknown who sired 2 Lukimbi brothers, i dont think its known who controled Lukimbi pride then, prob some unknown males.  (02-03-2021, 12:48 AM)Tr1x24 Wrote:how many sons does mpondo male sired i know they have 4 is that all they have ?(02-03-2021, 12:03 AM)kobe8jf1234 Wrote: so i guess we dont know the fathers these 3 different groups of males that formed this strong mpondo coalition ? (02-03-2021, 01:26 AM)kobe8jf1234 Wrote: how many sons does mpondo male sired i know they have 4 is that all they have ? For most coalitions in Kruger we actually dont know exactly how many offspring they have.. Mpondo's being such a big and succesfull coalition over the years, its very likely that they have offspring in multiple prides. 
https://www.sunsafaris.com/blog/2012/09/white-lion-war-at-the-kruger-park/
September 3, 2012 White Lion War at the Kruger – by Brett Thomson Guests of Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp were treated to a very rare and special sighting the other day. Both camps are located in the Klaserie area of the Kruger Park and are home to the Big Five, as well as the special wild white lions! The resident pride for both camps is the Ross Pride. This is a very special pride of lions as over the past two years they have battled against the loss of their original pride males, which created a very disjointed pride for a year. However over the past few months, the new resident dominant males have slowly brought back the protection and stability they need to thrive. In the past year the pride has given birth to two wild white lion cubs, both of which unfortunately died. However the pride now has another three young cubs as well two older male cubs. Occasionally guests visiting these two affordable Kruger Camps also get to see the Giraffe Pride of lions. This pride also carries the white lion gene, and they currently have two white lionesses. It was one of these white lionesses that got herself into a little bit of trouble with the Ross Pride. Rein Kock, Senior Ranger at Africa on Foot, was on game drive with some guests. They were trailing a herd of buffalo when the call came in that the Ross Pride was following the buffalo. Rein responded and got his guests into position to witness a truly magnificent sighting! As the Ross Pride was following the buffalo, they started roaring and broke out into a run. Something was definitely brewing and soon enough they noticed the Giraffe Pride of lions on the other side of the buffalo herd in Ross Pride territory! With the Ross Pride males fully ready to defend their pride and territory, the Giraffe Pride tucked their tails between their legs and beat a hasty retreat back towards their territory in the Timbavati area of the Kruger. It was then however that the white lioness made a decision that nearly cost her her life. She started chasing one of the smaller Ross females, and soon got into trouble when three Ross females came to her defence. She immediately adopted a submissive pose in a bid to save her life. The Ross females quickly asserted their dominance and started attacking her. Luckily for the white lioness, she backed into an electric fence (that is the boundary of the Klaserie and some neighbouring private land), and when the lead lioness from the Ross Pride made contact with the fence, she got a shock and a fright and ran away. The white lioness grabbed her chance and took the break in the attack to make a quick getaway! During all of this excitement, Rein was still able to get some amazing images and together with some other safari agents on an educational at the camps, got some great footage of this incredible sighting! The Ross Pride male and one of the females break out into a jog as they approach the Giraffe Pride  *This image is copyright of its original author The white lioness from the Giraffe Pride makes an error in pursuing the smallest Ross female  *This image is copyright of its original author She quickly realises that she is outnumbered and adopts a submissive pose  *This image is copyright of its original author She backs towards the electric fence in a bid to defend herself  *This image is copyright of its original author The fear and desperation is evident in her eyes  *This image is copyright of its original author Four Ross Pride females vs One Giraffe Pride female. No contest  *This image is copyright of its original author The Ross females begin the brutal attack  *This image is copyright of its original author Lion fights are the ultimate in aggression, power and speed with dominance quickly asserted  *This image is copyright of its original author The lead lioness gets a shock from the electric fence, gets a fright and retreats. Evident in the video clip further below  *This image is copyright of its original author Images courtesy of Rein Kock and video clips from Rein Kock and Jacqui Sive
http://rtrwildlifevideos.blogspot.com/2012/05/ximhungwe-pride-of-lions.html
The Ximhungwe Pride Of Lions One of our resident pride of lions is known as the Ximhungwe pride, here is a condensed history of the pride together with some videos from le last couple of years: Ximhungwe pride feeding on a wildebeest after the mapogos had been kicked out. In 2004 the 6 females of the Castleton pride were taken over by the Sand River Male aka Dzunani and soon were producing cubs all over the place. Due to the fact that the pride seldom crossed onto Castleton property anymore it was decided to rename them after the large open area that they were now spending most of their time - Ximhungwe clearings. 18 cubs were born between 2004/2005 but the numbers dropped to 16 then 12. Such a large pride struggled to feed all their members and were often seen in bad condition. The times when they did get good food their condition improved overnight. The pride in more stable times, together with the Mapogo males Sadly a combination of Bovine TB and the arrival of the Mapogo males meant that the pride went into freefall in 2006, 5 of the six lionesses and Dzunani were all gone by the end of the year. The cubs were also reduced to a group of 3 young lionesses and a young male. The Ravenscourt pride (once originally part of the Castleton pride) was also in decline for similar reasons and the pride male (the brother of the remaining lioness) came across to spend more time with the Ximhungwes, when one of the youngsters was killed by a hyena we were all surprised to see the pride numbers were unchanged a few days later. The last remaining member of the Ravenscourt pride - a young lioness, had also been integrated into the group. The pride now spent most of their time trying to avoid the Mapogo and the Castleton male was trying hard to forge a bond with the young male, a bond that we hoped would last. In 2008 the Tsalala pride (2 adult females 1 sub female and 1 sub male) started to be seen in our traversing area, another breakaway from the Castleton pride, they had moved in under pressure from the Mapogo. The young male soon moved off to become known as Solo and the 2 lionesses started to be seen mating with the Mapogo males, the sub-adult female was seen alone a couple of times. When the cubs were a bit younger, together with the Mapogo males on a kill One morning we came across the Ximhungwe pride on a zebra kill and noticed that there were now 5 instead of 4 lionesses in the group, the Tsalala youngster had joined with her distant relatives! It was not long after this that the 2 males were put down after being found eating a dog which tested positive for Rabies, a week or two later and they would have been inoculated against the disease as the authorities were busy with all the large predators at the time  .The pride members in this video are no longer with us This then opened up the pride to a takeover by the Mapogo, all the lionesses were almost of breeding age so there was no threat to the group. Cubs were born in 2009 and early 2010 that did not survive, the current crop of cubs from late 2010 and 2011 stands at 4 (3 males and a female). the pride is now down to 4 lionesses after the death of the last of the Castleton females, they are now truly the Ximhungwe pride! With the vanquishing of the Mapogo males by the Selati coalition in March 2012 the pride is once again under threat from a takeover and it will be interesting to see if these four lionesses will be able to raise the cubs despite the new males being around, the same way that they themselves were raised… The following videos are all from when the various cubs were small, some didn’t make it but the four youngsters remaining are in the clips too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWq9jlz76sQ&ab_channel=SavannaPrivateGameReserve
March 2020 Terrytorial encounter between Mhangeni and Othawa prides The Mhangene pride were on their way towards a large herd of buffalo that were sleeping outside Savanna. The Ottawa Male bumped into the Ottawa pride and chased the one female and cubs south of our lodge. Luckily for the Ottawa Pride the cubs got away and none were killed. After roaring and displaying his dominance he went to get the rest of the Mhangene pride and they came to fight for the territory. The Ottawa pride were without their dominant Matimba Male. He was about about 5km north of them. The two larger and older lioness from the Ottawa pride stood up to the 5 large females for the Mhangene pride and Ottawa male. The next morning the Matimba male was back in the south chasing the Ottawa male away and back to his his pride further east of the lodge. The Matimba male roared all morning claiming back his territory. (07-25-2020, 06:12 PM)Potato Wrote: http://www.homeinspirations.co.za/index.php/282-gods-creation-in-the-wild/40775-a-day-in-the-life-of-a-game-ranger-by-luke-street-11 Another shot of Shaka I have not seen before:  *This image is copyright of its original author
https://www.deviantart.com/elishapira/gallery/50866789/the-fight
Rasta vs Pretty Boy Mapogos The photos were taken in 2006 during a safari in South Africa, We stayed at Leopard Hills and a large group of lions settled right outside our camp. Six Males, many females and cubs and it was mating season. The guides from our camp believe that all 6 males were brothers. The photo shoot started with me photographing one of the males mating with a female and all of a sudden something bothered the mating male and he just lunged at his brother. The fight took only a couple of minutes, and although it was very violent it seems that both males walked away from each other with only a few scratches.  *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  *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  *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  *This image is copyright of its original author
History of Ximhungwe pride, by " Lion Coalitions - Maasai Mara & Sabi Sands" Facebook page :
♌️ Lioness Stories ♌️ The Ximhungwe/Castleton Pride has an intriguing story within Sabi Sands for a number of reasons. As one of the older prides within the region, it has endured some tough times throughout it’s long existence, which is now as precarious as ever. This post will cover the history of the pride, in particular focusing on some of the well known lionesses. The Ximhungwe Pride was most likely the second pride taken over by the five strong coalition of the West Street Males after their arrival in Sabi Sands during the mid 1990’s. Their spell over the pride lasted many years and was extremely successful, producing the six Rollercoaster Males in 1996 and later on Makhulu in 1998. In that same year, two lionesses from the Ximhungwe Pride broke away from the core group and would go on to form the Tsalala/Marthly Pride. By 2000, the ageing West Street Males had focused their attention towards the Sparta/Eyrefield Pride as they entered their twilight years, and from 2000 to 2004 the famous Ximhungwe Pride faded out of the limelight with clear lack of updates or information of any kind during this time. In 2004, the Ximhungwe Pride consisted of six adult lionesses who were the likely offspring of the West Street Males. At this point they were taken over by a solitary male known as Dzunani who originated from the Sand River Pride. His reign over the pride began in promising fashion as many litters of cubs were born between 2004 & 2005, including two females who became known as Long Tail & Short Tail. However, as the pride increased in numbers this created challenges in terms of availability of food. The pride members were often seen in poor condition which led to their immune systems becoming compromised and the spread of Bovine TB. At the same time, a different type of threat emerged in the form of the Mapogos and the two deadly adversaries combined had a devastating effect on the Ximhungwe Pride. In 2006, the pride was reduced to just one adult lioness known as Kokwana, the sub-adult lionesses Long Tail & Short Tail and another unnamed sub-adult lioness, along with one sub-adult male. In the middle of the year, Dzunani became yet another casualty after being vanquished by the Mapogos, although the six marauding males weren’t able to take control of the pride at this point. Instead, the Ximhungwe Pride merged with the neighbouring Ravenscourt Pride who were a related break away pride. After experiencing similar problems, this pride was also on a sharp decline having been reduced to just two members, a young sub-adult lioness and the Ravenscourt Male. With numbers now bolstered, it was time for a fresh start for the Ximhungwe Pride. However, disaster struck almost straight away when the unnamed sub-adult lioness was killed by hyenas. This incident meant the bad luck was continuing for the Ximhungwe Pride, but things began to settle down and a year passed by without any incident. If 2007 allowed the Ximhungwe Pride to get back on track, 2008 would see a return to the turbulent days of the past. Due to the continued pressure from the Mapogos, the Tsalala/Marthly Pride were increasingly seen traversing within the same area and the close contact between the two prides resulted in a surprising turn of events, as a sub-adult lioness from the Tsalala/Marthly Pride ended up joining her distant relatives on a permanent basis. This young lioness was known as Queen and would become an important part of the fabric of the pride moving forwards. Despite this, trouble was never far away for the unlucky pride. Later on that year, both the young Ximhungwe Male and the Ravenscourt Male were spotted feeding on a dog which had been infected with rabies, which left the authorities with no choice but to put them down. This tragic event meant the pride was left without any males, which left them open to a takeover. As 2009 arrived the pride consisted of Kokwana, who took on the role of grandmother in the pride, in addition to the four young adult lionesses Long Tail, Short Tail, Ravenscourt Lioness & Queen. The time had now finally arrived for the Mapogos to establish their dominance over the Ximhungwe Pride, but their three year spell in charge was not a successful one. None of the cubs from the 2009 or 2010 litters survived, and the fortunes of both the pride and the Mapogos failed to improve after this. Six more cubs arrived in late 2010/early 2011 but by this point the coalition was reduced to three following the loss of Kinky Tail, Rasta & Dreadlocks. The situation was made worse due to the death of Kokwana after she was caught in a poachers snare, and the demise of the most experienced lioness was a huge blow to the pride. By 2012, only three cubs now remained and the winds of change were on the horizon with the arrival of a new coalition to challenge the Mapogos. As the now ageing males struggled to maintain control over their territory, they were often spending extended periods of time away from the pride as they checked up on their other prides and patrolled the borders. So when Short Tail came into oestrus in early 2012, she took the only other available option and mated with the nomadic Selatis. This event gave the Selatis the confidence to launch their takeover bid, and after killing Mr T and seeing off Makhulu & Pretty Boy by mid 2012 they were the new rulers of the western sector. Around this time, Queen was often sighted looking after the sub-adults and played a crucial role in protecting them whilst the other lionesses were distracting the Selatis, although this effort would ultimately be in vain as none survived. This meant that for six years, no cubs had been successfully raised to maturity in a sorry state of affairs for one of the much loved prides of Sabi Sands. Everybody was hoping for a better outcome with the Selatis in charge, and sure enough in late 2012 and early 2013 all three of Long Tail, Short Tail & Ravenscourt Lioness gave birth to new litters of cubs with seven in total. Despite the prospect of new cubs in the pride, the Selatis did not seem to be fully committed to them and would often favour spending time with the Othawa Pride instead which meant the lionesses had to shoulder the burden of responsibility themselves. This became even more difficult when Queen started to lose condition and passed away around early 2013, most likely due to disease. For the rest of 2013 and going into 2014, things continued to follow the same pattern with the increasingly rare interactions between the Selatis and Ximhungwe Pride usually tense and strained in nature. In the middle stages of the year, change was in the air once more for the Ximhungwe Pride when the Majingilanes entered the scene. After spending their first four years of dominance in the eastern sector of Sabi Sands, they had now turned their attention to the west which was bad news for the Selatis. After one of the brothers was killed by the new males, the remaining two cut their losses and fled towards Manyeleti. At this point, the lionesses of the Ximhungwe Pride had done an admirable job in raising their cubs and six out of the seven had made it to sub-adulthood. However, within a short space of time clashes with hyenas resulted in the loss of one of the young females, as well as the Ravenscourt Lioness. After another sub-adult female was also lost, the pride was now made up of Long Tail, Short Tail and four sub-adults with one male and three females. As they were not the offspring of the Majingilanes the four youngsters had to tread carefully and avoid the attention of the males, who also had the welcome distraction of the Othawa Pride to divert their interest elsewhere. Initially, this was a blessing in disguise for them, but the presence of the Othawa Pride inevitably became more of a hinderance than a help and the close proximity resulted in fights between the two prides. These repeated clashes were nothing short of catastrophic for the Ximhungwe Pride as both Long Tail & Short Tail were killed within the space of a month in mid 2015. At this point, the future of the pride was hanging by a thread as the only hope for the future rested on the shoulders of four sub-adults who would struggle to survive on their own. Despite the immense challenge they now faced, the resilient youngsters regrouped and faced up to the task remarkably, operating as nomads in their natal territory. In the next few months they were able to bring down enough prey to keep them all going and were staying in good condition, until one of the females fell victim to hyenas in late 2015. After this, the remaining three became extremely secretive and updates were hard to come by. As sightings continued to become more few and far between from mid 2016 onwards, concern began to grow over the fate of the Ximhungwe Pride. In early 2017, reports emerged of three lions in the Dixie Loop area of Manyeleti which turned out to be the Ximhungwe Pride. They had all matured into healthy young adults, although the male seemed to be struggling with a limp on his hind leg. They were sighted again in mid 2017 in Ulusaba but this time there was no sign of the male. Reports suggest he had split off from his sisters to go it alone but his eventual fate remains a mystery. The two lionesses continued to roam in Manyeleti and northern Sabi Sands and as the time progressed optimism was growing they would eventually fall pregnant and begin the process of rebuilding the Ximhungwe Pride. These hopes turned into reality when one of the lionesses gave birth in early 2020, although this good news was overshadowed by concern for the health of her sister, who dramatically began to lose condition due to disease. After becoming separated, the emaciated lioness continued to deteriorate and later passed away. Following the tragic death of her sister, the remaining lioness was now the sole hope for the continuation of the Ximhungwe Pride. Although only one female cub survived, the lone Ximhungwe Lioness and her daughter are beating the odds and thriving to this day. They regularly move between Manyeleti & Sabi Sands, keeping a low profile and avoiding the attention of territorial prides or males. The lioness has excelled in her hunting duties, no doubt perfected during the tough period as a nomadic sub-adult with her siblings. In some ways, it really is a remarkable twist of fate how the stories of the Ximhungwe Pride & Tsalala/Marthly Pride have ended up to be so similar given the history between them going all the way back to the 1990’s. Both are relying on the strength and courage of a single lioness to keep their rich history alive and ensure a future for their lineage. Just like her mothers and aunts before, the Ximhungwe Lioness has shown she can cope with adversity and pull through in seemingly impossible circumstances. In order for her daughter to reach independence, she will have to dig deeper than ever before.
https://www.sunsafaris.com/blog/2013/01/the-klaserie-lion-lowdown-ross-pride-vs-giraffe-pride/
The Klaserie Lion Lowdown – Ross Pride vs. Giraffe Pride The ongoing saga of the Ross Pride vs. the Giraffe Pride has never failed to attract attention, especially given the tumultuous history these prides share. The Ross Pride in particular has a much publicised following that many readers have tracked religiously. Since 2008, when the borders between the Klaserie and Timbavati nature reserves were dropped, the formidable strength of this large lion pride has been fractured. The triumphs and successes match the tragedies that these lions have suffered, yet the Ross Pride continues to create excitement as they determinedly defend their territory in the Klaserie. Their opponents, true to tradition, are the members of the Giraffe Pride. Each of these Kruger heavyweight prides is led by strong males that were once part of a coalition of three. Two of these males, hailing from deeper in the Timbavati, took on a few of the Ross females who had hung well below the radar between the years 2010 and 2012 after their dominant leaders, Tyson and Fabio, had been killed in a lion hunting incident. The Good and the Bad, as this leading pair is known, have bravely brought this pride out of the pits of destruction and now represent a strong and fierce male presence in the Ross Pride. Suffering tragedy after tragedy, this grand pride – once twenty females strong and reigning supreme under the leadership of Scar Face up until 2008 – has defeated the odds, and now, more than ever, fuels the fire of the lion fans. In order to gain a full understanding of the might of this group of lions and the strength of the bond of a pride, it should be known (for those who may not have followed the story from the beginning!) that this spectacular group of beasts puts up a fight each and every time the arch enemy presents an attack. After losing two fearless leaders, the remaining pride members retreated and the end of their legacy was speculated, as the fading group of females and cubs scavenged and hid for their own protection. Without a territory to call their own, a pride of lions will not survive the odds. Over time, three females and fourteen cubs died and the remaining members of the Ross Pride were not seen very often for two years. In late 2011, in a miraculous turn of events, old Ross Pride females were spotted around the Klaserie. Two Timbavati males were stepping up to stake their claims and territory was once again up for grabs. These comeback males, aptly named the Good and the Bad, for their contrasting physical appearances, regrouped this ailing gang of females and took them back to old Ross territory. All seemed to be looking up when these lions produced a few litters of cubs, including two rare white lion cubs! The Giraffe Pride, accompanied by the third member of the previous male coalition, also boasted two thriving white lions and a coalition of young strong males; including Brutus – a particularly menacing member of the group and no doubt, a future King! As soon as the future looked optimistic for the Ross lion pride, an unhealthy and desperate female started preying on the young cubs that were so fundamental in growing the pride once again. Eventually this burdened female passed away and it was possible for the Good and the Bad to lead their pride toward success. Over December and January, the Ross Pride ate well and is gaining strength once again; however, it merely takes a territorial scuffle to remind one that these two ferocious teams are in a game of survival of the fittest, and they are not about to share the title! At a buffalo kill made by the Ross Pride, just too close to the Giraffe Pride territory, defense set in and the battle for land lifted dust high into the air as four Ross females were attacked and chased off their hearty meal; sadly losing their last living cub in the fight. Aside from a bit of healthy competition, the handsome Good and the bedraggled Bad seem to be striding to the top of the ranks and present a formidable challenge to any potential young guns. One of the females is pregnant and the Ross Pride is hanging around the Africa on Foot & nThambo territory (known as “Ross”, hence the name of the pride) providing superb sightings right from the lodge viewing points. Still timid when approached on foot, these lions have been frequently spotted from game vehicles and are creating an excitable buzz, as lion lovers gear up for a powerful revival of a renowned pride! Ross Pride male taking a drink  *This image is copyright of its original author Four of Giraffe Pride’s young males  *This image is copyright of its original author White Lioness  *This image is copyright of its original author Ross Pride male on a kill  *This image is copyright of its original author The Good and the Bad  *This image is copyright of its original author Giraffe Pride’s Brutus  *This image is copyright of its original author
@Potato So, the current Ross males where sired by Tyson & Fabio before they got killed in 2010 right?
This might be confusing as we had 2 coalitions called Old Ross males..first we have Tyson & Fabio who got killed in 2010, and then we have 3, later on 2 Old Ross/Giraffe males called Bad & Good who took their territory and pride. (05-23-2021, 04:27 PM)Tr1x24 Wrote: @Potato So, the current Ross males where sired by Tyson & Fabio before they got killed in 2010 right? I am not sure. I presume they were sired by Ross/Giraffe males they did not kill Ross males while they were cubs which makes sense if they would have been sired by Old Ross males - Tyson and Fabio, but I do not know exact dates from which Ross/Giraffe males started to mate with Ross females to definitelly say which coalition sired them. Recently Tino was posting there saying that dates actually do not match to Ross/Giraffe males and so young Ross males must have been sired by old Ross males, but I do not know myself about that.
http://www.arathusa.co.za/pdf/diaries/Dec0701.pdf?fbclid=IwAR09txfPApOP0PSLoGp4eW80s03mSjd2PvsC1yfZ7yFhzh0BZxFqXqnj9Ss
December 2007 The end of Nkuchuma male Blondie Greetings from Arathusa! This has been two weeks of the most vivid manifestation of life and death. We were privileged enough to witness both the birth of a new baby wildebeest as well as the death of one of our much-loved Kuhuma male lions. As stated in our previous report, we have been seeing a lot more of the five big Mapogo male lions. Last week the elusive sixth member of the group finally joined the pride. Bigger, darker and bolder than the rest, he lent a menacing presence. Absolutely mindblowing sightings of all of them together followed. Unfortunately this spectacle was to end in disaster for our lion population. The two Kuhuma males we see on a regular basis came down to the southern reaches of their territory to mate with two of the Styx pride females (which are in estrus at the moment). The fact that they are territorial also means that the Kuhuma Males are very vocal. A bout of territorial calling eventually brought about the inevitable. We awoke one morning to an update that the Mapogo Males were in “full swing”. Upon reaching the sighting we found three of them all roaring and very mobile to the east. We followed the leading male - he led us straight to two more of the group moving around the female lion which had been mating with the Kuhuma boys the previous day. A massive fight ensued between the Kahuma and the Mapogo male lions - and the Kuhumas came off second best. We followed four of the Mapogos as they pursued the Styx female. Late in the drive everything calmed down with all four males and the female lying down in the shade. Upon our return to the sight in the afternoon, we found that the Mapogo males now had two females with them and that two of the males were mating with them, pausing occasionally only to keep the others at bay. Later on in the drive, the bigger of the two Kuhuma brothers was located. He was in a badly injured state, unable to move. His enemies (the four Mapogo males) were no more than two hundred meters away. What followed was pure proof of “Survival of the Fittest”! Upon our return the next day we found the badly mauled remains of the once proud Kuhuma male. Only time will tell what this means for our lion population. The Kuhuma pride and their cubs will from now on be under constant threat from other marauding males with only one brother left to protect the cubs. The Mapogos were last seen heading back from whence they came.
Since the link to the oryginal source (Nkhoro blog) is dead I put links to were the blog was copy-pasted. I also include some Mala Mala raports.
https://www.facebook.com/679816045492261/posts/the-end-of-an-eraherewith-follows-the-events-that-led-up-to-the-death-of-a-legen/730693383737860/ https://wildfact.com/forum/topic-the-mighty-mapogos?page=6 https://www.facebook.com/notes/3043947679174835/ June 2010 2 Mlovathi (Eastern Mapogos) vs 5 Majingilane males 07 June 2010 Our evening game drive ends off north of Nkorho open area sitting with four of the five young male lions, estimated to be roughly 5 - 6 years old. The fifth allegedly still on a buffalo kill north of our cutline, that the young coalition had brought down two evenings prior. Up to this point we had only seen this pride a handful of times and usually only fleetingly. There was something this evening that was different to our previous encounters with the young males. It was almost as if a growing confidence could be sensed amongst the coalition. The events that would follow in the wee hours of the following morning signalled a possible shift in power amongst the lions of the northern Sabi Sands. At roughly 02h30 on 08 June 2010 the five young lions, for the first time, fully vocalised. Thunderous roars sounded across the open grasslands of the farm Nkorho. By morning and our departure for game drive, all was still. Only their tracks telling their story of a night full of activity, as they had virtually covered every square inch of Nkorho. Due to the presence of so many tracks heading off in so many different directions, we were unable to relocate on the five males. Instead, assuming they had crossed out of our traverse, we started to head in a westerly direction to try and assist on the relocation of two large male lions whose tracks had been picked up many kilometres west of our farm. The rangers were sure that the tracks they had were for two larger males which could only mean our two Mapogos had come north. As time went by it became more and more apparent that the sudden arrival of the Mapogos was most certainly in answer to the roars of the four younger males earlier that morning; as their tracks showed that the two lions had steadily made their way in an easterly direction headed straight towards Nkorho, and the possible location of the young coalition.  *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  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author The call came in on the radio that Kinky Tail and Mr T had just been detected and were heading in a north easterly direction across the north western edge of Nkorho open area hot on the heels of two young male lions. Unfortunately, shortly after their detection they crossed our northern cutline and moved out of sight. In the hours that followed partial sightings of the two big males were had as they zigzagged in and out of Nkorho up into a farm by the name of Torchwood then in a southerly direction back and forth between the Kruger National Park and ourselves. Suddenly, as if signalled by something too slight for human senses, the two dominant males cut back into Nkorho in a south westerly direction. The pace increased and there concentration levels peaked. The rigidity of their bodies showed that they had become incredibly focused. Their rate of movement made it impossible for the vehicle tailing them to stick with them as they entered a thick pocket of bush. The vehicle went around to a road running parallel to the one from which the lions had entered the block in the hope of re-establishing contact with the two big males on their exit from the very thick bush. The vehicle had not gone far when it spotted one of what it thought to be the two dominant males. It was only on approach, and due to the fact that Kinky Tail and Mr T suddenly popped out of the bush to the north of our position, that we realised the male lion lying tucked flat in the tall grass was one of the five younger males - perhaps the one lingering behind due to his late departure from the buffalo kill. At this point Kinky Tail and Mr T had not spotted the younger male but were definitely aware of his presence. Perhaps an earlier contact call, or the detection of the younger male's scent, had brought them within mere metres of the young rival. Kinky Tail and Mr T made their way onto the road and steadily in a southerly direction. Suddenly the two came to a standstill, sniffed the air and Kinky Tail slowly turned his gaze in the direction of the younger male. The air froze ... silence before the storm. In an explosion of power the two dominant males were out of the blocks and on top of the younger male. The few minutes that followed felt like a lifetime. The brutality of the encounter overpowered the senses. Thunderous roars and growls not enough to drown out the sound of breaking bone. Although the younger lion gave his all he never stood a chance. By the end of the battle both parties were clearly exhausted, panting profusely.  *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 Kinky Tail and Mr T lay down mere metres from the now disabled younger male as if to catch their breath. Now for the first time the damage caused by this encounter became apparent. It appeared as if the bones which we had clearly heard breaking were both hind legs of the younger male and from his posture, while trying to sit it seemed as if the pelvis was shattered. Massive lacerations and deep puncture wounds across his flanks and abdomen. The presence of blood streaming from his head and neck indicated massive injuries hidden by his not yet fully developed mane. Kinky Tail and Mr T, although victorious, did not escape unscathed. Puncture wounds on Kinky Tail's left front paw appeared massive roughly the width of an average human beings thumb and who knows quite how deep. He also carried a massive laceration above the left eye. Mr T also sustained reasonable amounts of damage to both front paws and his flanks. The encounter leaving him with a bloodied nose. Upon catching their breath the two Mapogos rose to their feet and approached the younger male, scent marking vigorously and roaring ferociously as if to enforce their dominance on him and the region. Two more brief spats developed in the following hours, but no real contact was made. The job had been done and there was no reward in risking further injury. The two lions spent the remainder of the day lying in the shade while the younger male, now immobilised, faced the fury of the direct African sun. By early evening infection of the young male's wounds had become apparent by the amount of swelling on his hind quarters. As darkness fell we sat in anticipation for what we all assumed would be a really vocal sighting of the two dominant males. But there was little activity from the two as they hobbled around scent marking, then lay close to each other tending one another's wounds. The roars never came. Instead an uneasy silence gripped the bush around us as if the Mapogos were listening for something. Perhaps the four young males that now remained had not left the area as we had presumed and now that Kinky tail and Mr T carried wounds they would return. This moment never came and eventually, we hesitantly started returning for dinner leaving the two Mapogos draped in darkness and all we could do was wonder. On approaching the lodge we spotted a shape way ahead on the road eyes reflecting like mirrors. Closer inspection instantly answered all questions, with one young male lying on the road the other three in the longer grass not far away. Could this be happening? Would it happen on Nkorho and would tonight be the night? Now a few hours late returning from drive we had to head for home. We would follow up in the morning, the tracks telling the story of the lions nocturnal activity. Seated in the boma for dinner the silence was deafening, lost in thought we made our way through starters. Suddenly breaking the silence the four young males roared followed by an instant response from the Mapogos. Spine chilling roars creating a sinking feeling in my stomach, and we flew out of the boma onto the game viewers and round to the front to pick up the guests. As we got onto the open area in front of Nkorho Bush Lodge we got our first visuals. Out of the tree line to the east came Kinky Tail head up short powerful roars announcing his presence with the four young males roaring back in defiance. The following seconds are a blur to me but what I do vividly recall is Kinky Tail increasing his pace until at full speed as if he carried no injuries at all. The four younger males turning and giving way. They flew past the front of our vehicle and down through the drainage line we struggled to keep up at one stage doing easily 60km/ph and being left behind. The lions turned west and ran along the road, the four males ahead and kinky tail right behind. As we dropped through another small drainage line and emerged on the other side, we were down to only three. Two of the younger coalition and Kinky right behind them, suddenly rival lions three and four were back on the road but now behind Kinky tail. The next few seconds are vague but what is clear is that Kinky Tail ran straight into the two leading lions, which by this time had turned to face him, with such force that he and the lion he hit head on virtually went head over heels. Lion two of the coalition tackled Kinky from behind and shortly there after lions three and four joined the fray. At this point Kinky's growls went from the low thunderous sounds we had become so accustomed to over the years to something higher pitched, something disturbing. He was in pain and I though, "could this really be the end?" For the next fifteen minutes the four young rivals tactically took Kinky Tail apart, before the arrival of Mr T. Where he had been I am not sure and his arrival was less the heroic, first stumbling through a hole and then approaching the tussle seeming unsure of what was happening as if he expected Kinky tail to be dominating the dispute. It was only once he realised that his brother was the lion losing the confrontation that he suddenly sparked into action immediately removing one of the four young rivals from the rear end of Kinky Tail and rolling him upside down then attacking him savagely. Quite frankly I never thought Mr T had it in him. At this point the possible destruction of one of the younger lions sparked a second into action which ran up to a now separated younger lion and Mr T. The two of them together tackled Mr T and he was now clearly losing the battle, a few seconds later he was free and running for his life with the two young rivals in toe. Off into the distance he ran until out of sight, one young lion in pursuit the other returning to a now doomed Kinky Tail. With the eventual return of the fourth lion there was no mercy for a helpless lamed Kinky Tail, climbing straight back in there as if Kinky Tail was still resisting.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author The exact brutality of this encounter could not be captured in words effectively but what I can tell is that by the sound of bones breaking they managed to break three of his four legs, his back in at least two places and there was major structural damage to his head and face. By the collapse of the left side of his face it looked as if they had broken the lower section of the orbital socket and there was a puncture wound in the head about as thick as a grown mans thumb and I'm assuming as deep as the average length of a male lions canine, roughly the length of your thumb. Off in the distance we could hear Mr T roaring. As if signalled the young rivals loosened there grip on a now still Kinky Tail and started moving in the direction of Mr T's roars, signalling their intention with triumphant roars of their own. We followed for a short while but when they entered a thicker pocket of bush we let them go intending on returning to Kinky tail. Wheeling our way back to the road the sound of the constant roars seemed to be coming closer. As we emerged back on the road the lions were ahead of us making there way back in the direction of Kinky Tail. As we got closer they started to run excitedly towards the downed lion and on arriving at his helpless body tackled him savagely. Kinky Tail still softly growled in defiance, but it was over. Once again in an attempt to avoid all the gory details the following twenty minutes I will only touch on briefly, the just of it being that it took Kinky the above mentioned twenty minutes to die all the time while three of the four were already feeding on his hind quarters, the forth still attacking his head and neck as if in a full on confrontation with a fit opponent, no mercy. Constant urination and vocalisation by the younger lions enforcing their dominance over their downed foe. By the time we left the sighting the young lions had eaten about a third of Kinky Tail and the big lion had taken his last breath. The end of an era. The darkness of night was filled with the constant roar of lions, in the far distance Mr T and closer to home the replies of the four young males. By morning all that remained was the blood stained earth, flattened grass and tattered remnants of a once magnificent mane. By the tracks left behind the rest carried off by the nocturnal scavengers that had visited the area. Kinky Tail was a lion that will long live in the memories of the rangers of the Sabi Sands. He and the Mapogos arrived with a bang so perhaps its best suited he went out with one. My practical mind understanding the sometimes brutal realities of nature, now for the first time finds it difficult to convince my heavy heart that this is the way it's meant to be. That nature takes its course - something I have explained to my guests on numerous occasions. As time goes by and we adapt to the changes things will return to normal. But like a long lost friend he will be missed." Mala Mala raports on the event and the followings of it: June 2010 (8 years 7 months): (10 sightings) It has been a very interesting and difficult month for this coalition. They started off the month as strong as ever, roaring and mating in the northern parts of Mala Mala, then the 5 males from KNP came in and started challenging them. The two Mlowathi males went north and caught one of the male killing him. A few days later the remaining 4 KNP male returned and they managed to find the one Mlowathi male (Kinky tail) by himself and they returned the favour killing him and wounding the second Mlowathi male. This all happened in the first two weeks of the month and the rest of the month saw mostly a roaring contest between the remaining Mlowathi male and the 4 KNP males. The Mlowathi male has since recovered from his injuries and towards the end of the month settled with the Marthly pride eating two buffalo with them as he regained strength. However the 4 young males wanted the last say and caught up with the Marthly pride, killing 4 sub-adults and chasing the Mlowathi male off. The last we heard was that the Mlowathi male was with his three older Eyrefield brother to the west of Mala Mala, it will be very interesting if they will come across and challenge the 4 KNP males, it happened before with the Split Rock males. July 2010 (1 sighting) - (8 years 8 months) This male was seen only once this month, with his brother having been killed by the 4 KNP males he spent a little time with the Marthly pride in the very north-west section of the property, before the 4 males caught up with them there and killed a sub-adult female from the Marthly pride and chased the pride and the Mlowathi male west. Since then he has joined up with his 3 older brothers in the west and taken the dominant role he has always held. He has killed some of his brother’s cubs and taken control over one of their prides. Once he settles into this new coalition it will be very interesting to see if he will bring his brothers east again to try and reclaim his territory that he seems to have given up to the 4 new males. August 2010 (0 sightings) - (8 years 9 months) This male has not been seen at all this month and was only seen once last month, there are confirmed reports that he has joined his older brothers in the west and that he has even taken the more dominant role there. Although it seems unlikely now that he will return with his brothers, maybe as he takes control to the west and becomes more dominant he might look to expand back west into his old hunting ground. 
Where the Majingilanes really just 3.5 - 4 years old when all this happened? Or did people underestimate their age..
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