Lions of Manyeleti

[KM600]

(01-19-2025, 10:47 PM)sunless Wrote: Another good video of Matthew Crookes at The Virtual Safari @Tintswalo.

Not really a big fan for those type of questions, which lion is bigger, purely thru the fact it's impossible to know most of the time. I personally think Zigzag size is hugely overstated, he's a massive male for sure but some ppl make out like he's simply that much bigger than surrounding males, and I think that's largely due to Shaka being his partner. Shaka who aside from height, is nowhere near an impressive male in my opinion, never anywhere near as bulky, much smaller head and his mane definitely isn't impressive either. This obviously isn't taking his behaviour into account too. The ranger seems quite certain that Zigzag is bigger but I don't recall Zigzag ever being seen having a confrontation with RRM, I think they'd be quite similar and it's definitely too close to call without both of them next to each other. 

I remember a Manyeleti guide saying RRM was much bigger than DarkMane years ago. The same DM who aside from Nhenha, was comfortably the biggest lion is Sabi Sands at the time, and was comfortably bigger than brothers who weren't the biggest in height, but were massive in bulkiness in their primes, yet he was apparently nowhere near the size of RRM. If we going by that logic, Zigzag definitely being bigger than RRM who was bigger than arguably the biggest lion in Sabi Sands, who himself was said to be the same height as HB, then Zigzag should be the biggest male in KNP easily.. so ye unless these lions are spotted together, I will never take guides opinions too serious on this matter. Reply