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Lion tales
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https://www.sundestinations.co.za/blog/klaserie-lion-catch-up-new-male-lion-in-klaserie/
April - June 2016 Mabande male vs Trilogy males warfare Part 2 Klaserie Lion Catch-up: NEW Male Lion in Klaserie As the seasons have shifted, so have our lion pride dynamics. Being based in an area sharing unfenced borders with the Timbavati Game Reserve and the Kruger National Park means plenty of scope for nomadic lions and lion prides to move around. Prides split, new males patrol territories, old males mate with rogue lionesses and cubs grow-up. This is par for the course when it comes to lion prides in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. We observe, we speculate and then we huddle together to confirm what’s happening in the ever-shifting world of lions. With that being said, we have an exciting new development in the lion world. Sightings over the past year have been largely dominated by the Trilogy boys, the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses, the occasional Hercules Pride sighting and of course, the white lioness sightings. But, there’s a new kid on the block. A lone ranger of sorts who has been spotted traversing Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp turf. Meet the Mabande male, a scraggly looking, slightly nervous, nomadic male lion who appears to be staking his claim on Klaserie turf. Or so we think. We could be wrong, or we could be right! Here’s what we do know.  *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 boys from the Ross Pride of lions chased the Mabande male off his traverse and he fled to our neck of the (Acacia) woods. Previously part of a coalition of 4, the Mabande male ended up in a coalition of two. After being flushed out by the Ross Boys, the two fled. We’ve only seen Mabande male around our camps – sightings of the second male have not been recorded. There seems to be a shift in power and a bit of chaos with our Klaserie lions. Here are our recorded sightings and happenings over the past couple of weeks, courtesy of ranger Michael Beard.
The Mabande male was initially nervous but is becoming more relaxed now. Will he go in hot pursuit of the Ross Pride girls? Is he going to stake his claim on old Trilogy turf? Where is the other male? Will the Mabande male return to his old hunting grounds or have the Ross boys take over for good? At this stage, there’s plenty of speculation. What are your thoughts and future predictions about the Mabande male and the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses?  *This image is copyright of its original author
https://www.sundestinations.co.za/blog/new-nomadic-lion-mabande-mates-with-the-ross-lionesses/
April - June 2016 Mabande male vs Trilogy males warfare Part 3 Update: Male Lion Mabande Mates with the Ross Lionesses! Welcome to part two in the Mabande male lion saga – this time, things have heated up and excitement is mounting. The Mabande male, who we’ve recently introduced to our guests, is certainly settling into the Klaserie way of life. His presence is having a trickle down effect on the resident lions on the Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp territory. This is big news for lion pride dynamics. Just like the changing seasons, the lion activity seems to be coinciding with the shift. New seasons, new lions. Over the past few weeks we’ve been closely monitoring Mabande’s antics. It appears the Trilogy males were also watching Mabande’s every move and, feeling threatened, the old legends returned to their grounds for a fly-by-night visit. We suspect this was just to show all and sundry who dominates the area. However, this didn’t deter the scraggly maned Mabande male, who continued to test the waters of a potentially new turf. If you recall, last week we reported that he killed a buffalo, followed the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses and made his presence known around nThambo Tree Camp and Africa On Foot.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author During the time when the Trilogy returned to their old domicile, Mabande seemed to lie low for a while. When he deemed it safe, he re-appeared with a vengeance! Is this boy actually be here to stay? There was speculation that he might just be passing through, but since Thursday last week, there’s been an interesting twist in the saga. You could say he has upped his game and asserting his dominance. The virile male decided that mating with the two Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses was the next step. Since Thursday last week, Mabande has been spotted with his pants down, taking turns to mate with BOTH lionesses! In conjunction with that, he has been calling during the dead of night. Calling is normally a form of communication to advertise their territory. Contact calling happens at night because the air is still and sound travels further. During this time, not one of the Trilogy have responded to his territorial roars! Quote:Greg Moran, a ranger at Africa on Foot, says “Mabande has been calling almost every night since Thursday and the Trilogy boys haven’t responded. If Mabande continues to hang around the Ross girls, then the Hercules Pride will leave them alone. There is a chance that if Mabande comes face to face with the Hercules Pride that he might kill off the youngsters.”  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author Why would Mabande want to kill the youngsters from another pride? Unfortunately, this can happen when a male is attempting to take over a territory. He would, in theory, want his own bloodline to be continued and will kill off the young within a pride. This also eliminates the possible competition from youngsters who may grow-up wanting to take his spot as leader. Being brave and full of testosterone, Mabande tried to take down another buffalo last night during our virtual LiveBushFeed session. He stalked his target, but it was a useless attempt. He has probably expended plenty of energy during the mating process! The Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses certainly have had their fair share of warfare and drama. The Hercules pride killed their cubs, they’ve mated with the Trilogy and now it’s new beginnings for them with the Mabande male. The Klaserie is alive with lion activity !  *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
https://www.sundestinations.co.za/blog/klaserie-lion-fight-mabande-grapples-with-the-trilogy-boys/
April - June 2016 Mabande male vs Trilogy males warfare Part 4 Klaserie Lion Fight: Mabande Grapples with the Trilogy Boys We speculated that things would heat up in the Klaserie with the presence of Mabande, the rather brazen lion who is making his presence known on our turf. We questioned what the Trilogy would make of Mabande and how they’d react to their territory being invaded. Our speculation has now turned into cold, hard fact. Things heated up faster than a bush fire on Sunday night. The Mabande male fought with one of the Trilogy boys, leaving a wake of destruction and whirlwind of dust in his path. This Mabande male will do anything for a kingdom, including taking on of the legends of the Klaserie. I came, I saw, I conquered is the motto in the world of lions. I arrived in the Klaserie and an excited Greg told me about his and Mike’s first hand account of the sighting. Needless to say, I missed the crescendo of the lion saga, but I have feeling this is not the end. In fact, this is just the beginning. The A-team rangers will be watching the dynamics closely in the next few weeks and we’ll all be waiting with baited breath.  *This image is copyright of its original author Here’s the story. Quote:Greg says, “So, Mabande male was doing his normal contact calling. Then, the Trilogy obviously heard the calls and, having had enough of Mabande, moved swiftly across to where Mabande was located. We only saw Mabande and hadn’t noticed one of the Trilogy lying low in the thickets. Then the madness started! Mabande hadn’t noticed the Trilogy. One of the Trilogy boys stood up, he glanced over and then Mabande saw him. That’s when the attack happened. Mabande approached with a look of death in his eyes. Dust was flying, there was slamming up of bodies against trees and then they disappeared behind the termite mound. At this stage, both lions were unscathed. The lions were actually parallel to each other, run alongside and creating a storm of dirt and atmosphere of sheer adrenalin. The bushes were thick so we did lose visual” Quote:Mike says, “Out out of the blue, the second Trilogy came to defend his brother, just following closely behind. Almost like a back-up crew. Mabande knew his limits and fled the scene!”  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author All three lions came away unharmed from the battle, but one of the seemed a bit unsteady on his feet when we saw them last night. After their fight, the Trilogy decided to hang around for a bit and made a buffalo kill. Yesterday afternoon, the boys lay around next to the carcass while the feint call of one of the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses could be heard in the distance. That night we returned to the kill site only to see the Ross girls and the Trilogy hungrily gorging themselves on the meaty morsels surrounding the buffalo’s rib cage.  *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 So, where are we in the tale of the Trilogy? Last night, while we were exchanging pleasantries around the campfire, we heard Mabande calling. The Trilogy were calling, but from a different direction. Let’s see what tonight brings. * I’ve actually edited the words used by our A-team rangers. Let’s just say the excitement right now is huge. Mike and Greg will keep us posted in coming weeks.
https://www.sundestinations.co.za/blog/battle-of-the-klaserie-continues-mabande-vs-trilogy/
April - June 2016 Mabande male vs Trilogy males warfare Part 5 Battle of the Klaserie Continues: Mabande vs Trilogy Yesterday we flew in with reports and updates about the Mabande male lion. You remember him? He’s the nomadic male who has spent the past few weeks patrolling and marking new territory. During the course of last week, he had a huge showdown with the Trilogy lions, the dominant males of the area. So, what’s the latest in the Mabande vs Trilogy saga? Well, Mabande was relaxing close to Buffelsdam and managed to give guests a brief sighting. He even engaged in a bit of rolling back and forth to entertain his onlookers. After his fight with the Trilogy, he went scurrying away but now it appears his confidence his back up. Clearly last week didn’t deter this potential king, who wants the Klaserie and the Ross girls for himself. Although Mabande lay low for a while, he certainly didn’t go running for the hills. He spends plenty of time patrolling turf, scent marking and covering huge ground. Guests from nThambo Tree Camp have actually spotted him casually strolling past camp. He was also seen just outside the ranger’s block at Africa on Foot. Is this not a dangerous situation for Mabande? Returning to Trilogy traverse? The absolute brazen attitude of Mabande surely is a sign of a burgeoning and brave leader! So, after being spotted at Buffelsdam, Mabande subsequently left the area because one of the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses was contact calling. He moved off in the general direction of the calls. The next sighting was of one of the Trilogy males mating with Ross girls! The following day, the nThambo team spotted one of the Trilogy males just relaxing by himself. Believe it or not, while nThambo were with the handsome Trilogy male, the Africa on Foot team were observing the Mabande male mating with one of the Ross girls.  *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 It’s getting very risky out there in the Klaserie. The competition for females is strong and you can slice the tension in the air with a knife. Thus far, two males, one turf. Things are inching closer to a [b]battle of the Klaserie – Mabande vs Trilogy. [/b]  (06-19-2020, 11:10 PM)Tr1x24 Wrote:(06-19-2020, 10:58 PM)Potato Wrote: Update: Male Lion Mabande Mates with the Ross Lionesses! Two Mapoza males came in shortly after actions in above posts dealing with both Mabande and Trilogy males and taking Ross and Giraffe girls for themselfs. I do not know what was with Hercules pride by that time tho. (06-19-2020, 11:23 PM)Potato Wrote: Two Mapoza males came in shortly after actions in above posts dealing with both Mabande and Trilogy males and taking Ross and Giraffe girls for themselfs. I do not know what was with Hercules pride by that time tho. I meant today, are those prides extinct?? Or are they further in Klaserie or some different area?
I do not know, but since there are no updates on them at all then I presume they must have went extinct at some point.
(06-19-2020, 11:48 PM)Potato Wrote: I do not know, but since there are no updates on them at all then I presume they must have went extinct at some point. Or they are further into Klaserie, i mean except River pride (dominated by Impalabos and his partner), theres pretty much no updates on lions/prides from Klaserie..
Actually I hecked some older reports and sort out my memory a bit. Hercules pride was seen in the Timbavati up untill late 2017. They were hanging with Sumatra male and moved further from Timbavati due to Mbiri males presence which fatally injured sub adult male from Hercules pride. What it comes to Ross pride there were reports some time ago of its two last lionesses hanging around Kambaku lodge on Timbavati - Klaserie border and mating with Black Dam male. I do not know tho what is going on with both those prides currently.
https://www.sundestinations.co.za/blog/what-two-new-male-lions-mate-with-ross-lionesses/
June-November 2016 Mapoza males raise to power, ousting Mabande male and two remaining Trilogy males part 1 WHAT? Two New Male Lions Mate with Ross Lionesses [color=rgba(84, 84, 84, 0.7)]tags: africa on foot, kruger lions, lion safari, lions in klaserie, nthambo tree camp[/color] Mabande moved in on Trilogy turf and mated with the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses. Two of the Trilogy returned to reclaim their land and their “women”. They fought with Mabande and he kept a low profile for a while. During his hiding out phase, the Trilogy mated with the Ross Pride Breakaway’s and conducted a successful buffalo kill which they dutifully shared with the lionesses. Mabande came back with a vengeance and mated with the Ross girls. So much for lying low. We knew Mabande would be back and try to claim a kingdom. Over the past couple of days, since our last update, Mabande has been patrolling and scent marking around nThambo Tree Camp and Africa on Foot. Like we’ve mentioned before, we’re watching the Trilogy, Mabande and Ross girls dynamics with intent. However, we could not predict what happened this morning. The events of this morning have thrown a spanner into the works. And a large spanner at that. A-team rangers Mike and Greg phoned through with this information. We’ve edited a fair amount of their verbal feedback – the excitement is mounting and it’s evident in our ranger’s vocabulary. Quote:Greg says, “Caro, ok, are you ready? We saw two young male lions, one had no mane but he was quite big. The other one had a beautiful golden mane and blonde locks. The younger one with no mane was really skittish and nervous, so he disappeared really quickly. The beautiful one stayed because the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses were there! At the same time we saw Mabande’s tracks everywhere and he’s definitely headed to where the new males and the Ross girls are at the moment…”Mike interrupts and says, “They were mating! The one with the thick mane was mating with one of the Ross Pride lionesses. We managed to get a decent sighting of him and there was plenty of noise and aggression during the mating session. This new male was contact calling and announcing his presence. Overall, both newcomers were slightly anxious.”  *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 At this stage, rangers haven’t ID’d the two new males to the Klaserie. The mating session is still happening at Swart Dam and rangers from nThambo and Africa on Foot will head down there on this evening’s game drive. Interestingly enough, there are also six lions on a buffalo kill slightly east of where the action is unfolding. Will Mabande approach the area tonight? The stakes are high at the moment with plenty of fighting and lions moving in and out; which is creating a shift in dynamics. This could explain why the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses are mating with any male which crosses their path. Greg has a theory. He thinks, perhaps, that this is a tactical move from the Ross girls and isn’t just about them being “easy”. If the Ross girls mate with all the potential new kings, it means that their cubs will be safe because there’s no telling who the father might be. Remember, if a new dominant lion takes over an area he may kill the existing cubs so he can mate and continue his own bloodline. We’re looking forward to the feedback from tonight’s game drive in the Klaserie. Good luck out there, it’s a war zone of warriors and potential kings.
https://www.sundestinations.co.za/blog/new-lions-in-klaserie-enter-the-mapoza-males/
June-November 2016 Mapoza males raise to power, ousting Mabande male and two remaining Trilogy males part 2 New Lions in Klaserie: Enter the Mapoza Males Earlier this month, we reported the presence of two unknown male lions intruding on what we know to be Trilogy lion territory. This pair of males entered the equation right in the middle of a tense couple of days, as the Mabande male (also a newcomer) had staked his claim by mating with the Ross Breakaway lionesses and fighting with the Trilogy males. Amid all this excitement, these two males were spotted looking very wary and keeping a low profile. Since then, we learned that these two lions are known as the Mapoza males, and they have decided to stick around…  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author There is no confirmation on where exactly these two male lions came from when they arrived on Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp traverse, but it is safe to speculate that the pair wandered in from the Kruger National Park. There are no fences between the Klaserie and the National Park, and the skittish behaviour of the lions makes us think they have probably come from an area where not a lot of commercial activity takes place. The males are estimated to be between 4 and 6 years old – one looking slightly older than the other, and it is likely that they are relatives/cousins from within the same pride. They go by the name ‘Mapoza’, which means ‘those that chase’ in Zulu. This is a fitting name, seeing as the two males managed to chase the Mabande male out of his comfort zone getting snuggly with the Ross Breakaways in Trilogy territory! Mapoza is also a name that poachers are known to use for Field Rangers, which is apt because Field Rangers make it their business to chase poachers far away. So, that’s that: the Mapoza males is what the two lions go by, and we got acquainted with them on the weekend when they killed a buffalo not far away! On Friday morning, both Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp came across the Mapoza males on a freshly killed buffalo kill. One male – identified by his thinner mane – is notoriously skittish and remains well hidden from sight, while the bigger, blonde male is more relaxed around the vehicles. That night, guests got another look at the Mapoza males and discovered they were being harassed by the ever-pesky hyenas, making for an unforgettable sighting in the dead of night. We are certainly keeping out noses to the ground with these guys, and we look forward to seeing how the Trilogy and Mabande react to the presence of these guys in the territory…  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
https://www.sundestinations.co.za/blog/mapoza-males-breakaway-lionesses-on-kudu-kill/
June-November 2016 Mapoza males raise to power, ousting Mabande male and two remaining Trilogy males part 3 Mapoza Males & Breakaway Lionesses on Kudu Kill Lion tension continues in the Klaserie! The arrival of the Mapoza male lions sent things into a tailspin in the kingdom of the Trilogy males. Since this pair of unknown lions, now known as the Mapozas, arrived on the block we’ve seen them mating with the Ross Breakaway lionesses, Mabande lying low and then emerging with healing wounds on his flank, and the Trilogy males fighting with the Ross males in the Timbavati. Now, last night during #livebushfeed it was reported from the Africa on Foot vehicle that the Mapoza males were seen picking a fight with the Ross Breakaways!  *This image is copyright of its original author Yesterday morning, the guides at Africa on Foot and nThambo found the tracks for both the Mapoza male lions, while at the same time the Ross Breakaway lionesses were spotted by student guide, Rey. Well, lions in the flesh are a better sighting than tracks in the sand, so Mike and Bjorn took their guests through to see the lionesses we know and love. We couldn’t have betted on what happened next! As we were enjoying the sighting of the lionesses, the Mapoza males came in in a storm of dust and a ‘cat fight’ broke out between the males and the females. After some serious snarling and squabbling, it dissipated and the lions moved off, but this was not to be the end of the morning’s lion action! The Ross Breakaway lionesses were spotted soon after the fight stalking a kudu bull, and soon enough, it was reported that they succeeded in taking the animal down.  *This image is copyright of its original author Unusually, the lionesses were very uneasy. One female was found on her own, keeping her distance from the vehicles, but there was evidence of having made the kill on her face. The second lioness was found feeding hungrily, although she was also highly alert. The guides gave them space and took their guests back to camp for breakfast, while photographer and cinematographer, Kevin MacLaughlin, returned to the scene to investigate the strange behaviour. Lo and behold, the two Mapoza males had arrived and taken over the kudu carcass, chasing the lionesses away from their hard-earned meal. The larger of the two males was feasting, while the smaller, shy one hid in the bushes. Last night on game drive, Mike returned to the scene with his Africa on Foot guests, and they witnessed the same feisty tension between the Mapoza males and the Ross Breakaway females. They stared lethally at one another, and the big Mapoza stood and guarded the kill from the two lionesses.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
https://www.sundestinations.co.za/blog/rare-photos-of-both-mapoza-male-lions/
June-November 2016 Mapoza males raise to power, ousting Mabande male and two remaining Trilogy males part 4 Rare Photos of Both Mapoza Male Lions The two Mapoza male lions who strutted onto the property a few months ago have increased their their confidence tenfold. The pair came, saw, and appear to have conquered, this part of the Klaserie. We questioned whether these males could would be a match for the Trilogy, but it seems the Trilogy males were the ones to lay low when the new boys rocked up. Just goes to show that we know precious little about lion dynamics and should never assume to know how things are going to play out!  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author The Mapozas (meaning ‘to chase’) were very shy and behaved aggressively towards vehicles in their early days. One of the males – the older one – was more confident than the younger one, and we have seen a little more of him in the past, while the younger male would retreat to the bush as soon as a vehicle would arrive at a sighting. Now, the lions seem to have become habituated to the vehicles, and for the first time ever we have managed to photograph both males relaxing in the sunlight with one of the Ross Breakaway lionesses.  *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 Mapozas have certainly made their mark at Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp where they have feasted on many a buffalo, and been heard calling all around camp at night. Last week, they fed on nThambo’s access road, and since then they were spotted in another area close by, which is where we were delighted to find both males.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
https://www.sundestinations.co.za/blog/end-of-an-era-for-trilogy-as-mapoza-lions-takes-over/
June-November 2016 Mapoza males raise to power, ousting Mabande male and two remaining Trilogy males part 5 End of an Era for Trilogy as Mapoza Lions Takes Over As we know, male lions spend their lives fighting for territory and dominance of prides, but we can’t help but feel some sense of disbelief when we see it happen in front of our eyes. What’s happened in our neck of the woods in the Klaserie over the weekend has left us confident that we have bid farewell to the reign of the Trilogy male lions. These 3 males arrived as nomads from the Kruger National Park 2.5 years ago and swiftly chased the Good and the Bad, as well as the rest of the Ross Pride, off their turf. We have covered their every move on our blog, Facebook page, and YouTube channel, as our guests have enjoyed superb experiences with them, and now it looks like we’re seeing the end of an era for the coalition as the Mapoza males send a message, loud an clear.  *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 weekend, both Mapoza male lions were seen mating with the Ross Breakaway lionesses (not the first time), but there was something brazen about their most recent performance. With the last remaining Trilogy male having been seen briefly last week fleeing towards a property known as Bateleur’s Nest, it looks like the Mapozas took the opportunity to proclaim a victory by mating with the Breakaway females and roaring loudly to finish the deed. It was an unforgettable sighting for Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp guests, who were viewing from close proximity in the game viewers. Over a couple of days both camps got to see these king cats in action, as lions spend a good few days mating continuously. The bonus sighting was when the younger Mapoza male ended the deed with a good roar, mere metres from Enoch, who was sitting on the Africa on Foot tracker seat! Over the last months we have seen less and less of the Trilogy, as they have spent a good portion of time in the Timbavati after the Mapoza moved in and proclaimed their intention to stick around. One of the Trilogy males died earlier this year, leaving the duo to defend the turf. The two remaining Trilogy spent more and more time away from their old stomping ground, and we saw them intermittently when they crossed back over in pursuit of buffalo. About a month ago, it was reported that the one Trilogy male was seen alone, calling for two days straight. This was after his brother was seen in very poor condition after not recovering from wounds. Things were not looking promising for him. Then, last week, one Trilogy male was seen crossing through the property, moving quickly and without any intention to show his presence. Only days later, the Mapoza males were discovered, as shown in our video and photos, mating with the Breakaway lionesses.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author Is this the end of the Trilogy? With only one male left, he has no leg to stand on against an up and coming coalition like the Mapozas, and would be wise to move off. What lies ahead for this male is a possible nomadic lifestyle, or attempting to take over a pride where there is no existing dominant male. He might fight for territory, and this might kill him, but he might succeed and take over – we can only theorise what could lie ahead, but it is unlikely we will see this male on his old territory again. What will our future hold with the two Mapoza males in charge? We’re excited for the future of the Klaserie lions! |
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