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Lions of Sabi Sands

Croatia Tr1x24 Offline
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( This post was last modified: 03-06-2023, 03:48 PM by Tr1x24 )

(03-06-2023, 12:51 PM)BigLion39 Wrote: Can't agree more here! We forget about this because we live a cush, easy life. It is very hhealthy to put down the technology, go for a walk in the forest, in nature (in wherever part of the world you are), and witness it in full effect. The new, civilized world will make you forget what life is truly about.

Exactly, we "forget" what living in nature is, and become "soft" towards it.

Lets go back lets say 15 k years ago, as hunter gatherers, humans lived purely in nature and wilderness. They needed to kill animals pretty much on daily basis to survive. Predators where their enemies, lions would hunt and kill you, your children etc., and you would do the same to lions if you have chance, you where direct competition, as is monkey and leopard now for example.

Thats what pure nature is and looks like, we just "pulled" ourselves from it, we are now living in safety of our homes, with full fridge of food, watching animal channels, feeling depressed and sad when a lion kills baby buffalo.

A bit of offtopic but yea.
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Tonpa Offline
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Lions
  • The Mhangene Pride has slowly been pushing north and has been sighted as far up as our airstrip. As the members grow in confidence so they expand their territory. We have had it on a few occasions where some members have been seen by themselves, possibly scoping out suitable denning areas as we expect a number of lionesses to give birth soon.
  • The Talamati Pride have had great success close to Ebony and Boulders Lodges with them using the rainy conditions to hunt a young wildebeest and an adult waterbuck bull that was caught right outside the shop between the two lodges. The five adult lionesses finished off the four-hundred-pound antelope within the night.
  • With the abundance of buffalo in the south the lions are not having to go too far to find a hunting opportunity. The Plains Camp male lions were viewed successfully hunting a buffalo calf just after dusk. Out of desperation the herd came back to drive off the predators, but unfortunately the calf did not manage to survive and fell to the ground. A truly emotional sighting.
  •  The Nkuhuma breakaway lioness and her two sub-adults have been doing their best to avoid conflict with the bigger prides in the area. On one afternoon the two youngsters were chased by the Mhangene females while their mother was off hunting. Luckily, no lions were harmed in the process. She managed to bring down a kudu bull along the river that fed them for a few days and gave our guests fantastic viewing in a beautiful setting.
https://singita.com/2023/02/singita-sabi...Feb%202023
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United States BorntobeWild Online
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(03-06-2023, 01:56 AM)T_Ferguson Wrote:
(03-06-2023, 01:01 AM)veritas Wrote: Thank you for your friend's reply.
But no matter how much I think about it, I don't understand.

The motherhood that abandoned many babies is shocking.
It's hard to understand why Nana covered it up for another Pride-born big boy.
It's just that the whole story is weird and tragic.
He's just a baby too young.
I feel like he has given up his will to live alone rather than sick or hungry.
How lonely he must have been...I can't forget the poor boy. I'm so sad.
I have 2 hours left to go to work, but I can't sleep even after taking sleeping pills and tranquilizers, I'm so depressed.
I'm crying so much, I have a headache.

Thanks to @ducondona @criollo2mil 


Life is hard, and always has been.  It's a shame, but this is the way of the wild far too often.  It's sad, and we all tend to have our favorites that touch our hearts, but the only thing we can do is manage what we can manage.  Get involved and donate to people you think can stop the pointless trophy hunting, or ruination of natural habitats.  We humans can spread our morality that way.  We can't change what is another species' way of life.

Well said!!
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Mwk85 Offline
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Ximhungwe lionesses, both are pregnant. Whom the father/fathers are is obviously unknown given that the PC males, Nkuhuma male, and Tumbela male have all been seen with them on numerous occasions.




*This image is copyright of its original author
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Tonpa Offline
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Marthla/Tslalala Lioness
  • The only record of the Marthly lioness was on the 5th, when she was at Kigelia Crossing in the morning. By that afternoon, she had moved south and was found in the tree that the Nkoveni female had an impala kill. Rangers were surprised to find a lioness in place of the leopard they left there in the morning.
Other Lions Encountered: 
  • The BLACK DAM MALES (2 Adult males – 5 YEARS 6 MONTHS) These males were recorded on five occasions this month. On the 3rd, they were at Mlowathi Dam. They moved south overnight and were at Campbell Koppies on the 4th. On the 5th and 6th, they had a zebra kill in Piccadilly Triangle. The last time they were seen was on the 8th, when they were at the Mlowathi Spot. •
  • A NO ID young male was around MalaMala Camp on the 9th. We presume this to be a young male from the Kambula pride but could not confirm this as the sighting was brief. 
  • • Another NO ID young male was at Clarendon Dam on the 15th .
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Croatia Tr1x24 Offline
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( This post was last modified: 03-07-2023, 07:36 PM by Tr1x24 )

(03-07-2023, 01:47 PM)Mwk85 Wrote: Ximhungwe lionesses, both are pregnant. Whom the father/fathers are is obviously unknown given that the PC males, Nkuhuma male, and Tumbela male have all been seen with them on numerous occasions.

Cubs might finally solve the problem or make it worse.

I hope they introduce the cubs to PC males first, as if PC males find them and cubs in company of Tumbela or NK, they might kill the cubs and even females if they try to defend, if they conclude that cubs are not theirs, yet of that male.

Introducing them first to PC males might also showcase Ximhungwes that best for the cubs is to be raised under territorial males, meaning that on next attempt ,they will chase away Tumbela and NK ,and not allow them near cubs.

Eventually, with the cubs, Ximhungwes will need to make a choice, territorial life under PC males, or nomadic.

As i dont think this can work with the cubs, that mothers and cubs can hang with 2, even 3 different males simultaniously, i cant remember any example of this happening. Quite strange situation tbf.

As for who might be the fathers, we need to look who hanged with them around beginning of January. Before it was Birminghams  and after Nhenha fight it was PC males. I cant remember that Tumbela hanged with them at that time, so he is prob not the father.

I personally think it was Birmighams, as they hanged and mated with them up until "Nhenha fight", hard to imagen they didnt concieve then, yet with males who mated after Birminghams.

So this cubs might be last Nhenha offspring, what irony would be if thats the case, and PC males accept the cubs, these cubs would see PC males as their fathers, while in fact they killed their real father. Thats a soap material right there.
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Panama Mapokser Offline
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I do think Nhenha is the father. Maybe NK sired some cubs too, but it's very likely this was the coalition to have sired them. Tumbela was seen with them, I remember, a day or two after the BBoys-PCM fight, might have been with them a week before, can't recall now for sure but I think he was with them before being chased a last time by Bboys. He always sneaked in when Bboys were chased by PCM after all.

But we didn't see him mating recently. I know at least one PCM mated with Ximhungwe but I don't know if any mated with Gingerella.

But yeah ideally they will introduce the cubs to the PCM first. Let's see how lucky and smart they are.

Issue is that 2 females are not enough and if NK or Skorro Jr try to kill the cubs they'll probably be able to. Maybe the females should move deeper into the core of PCM territory in Singita because PCM can't properly patrol such a big territory and have not been able to get rid of NK and Tumbela, but there's risks in moving to Singita too since the Manghenis dominate there.
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Tonpa Offline
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Will be interesting to see if the 5 Talamatis eventually push these two out once the 4 girls enter their oestrus cycles and lose their fear of all the males roaming in the west, North Singita seems to be more of a transient area for lions so I don't imagine they'll settle there. It would be terrible timing if this push comes right after the cubs are born.
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United States afortich Offline
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(03-07-2023, 04:17 PM)Tonpa Wrote: Marthla/Tslalala Lioness
  • The only record of the Marthly lioness was on the 5th, when she was at Kigelia Crossing in the morning. By that afternoon, she had moved south and was found in the tree that the Nkoveni female had an impala kill. Rangers were surprised to find a lioness in place of the leopard they left there in the morning.
Other Lions Encountered: 
  • The BLACK DAM MALES (2 Adult males – 5 YEARS 6 MONTHS) These males were recorded on five occasions this month. On the 3rd, they were at Mlowathi Dam. They moved south overnight and were at Campbell Koppies on the 4th. On the 5th and 6th, they had a zebra kill in Piccadilly Triangle. The last time they were seen was on the 8th, when they were at the Mlowathi Spot. •
  • A NO ID young male was around MalaMala Camp on the 9th. We presume this to be a young male from the Kambula pride but could not confirm this as the sighting was brief. 
  • • Another NO ID young male was at Clarendon Dam on the 15th .

So happy to know that princess Tsalala got a meal!!
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Duco Ndona Offline
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Lions don't get sexual education, so they dont really connect childbirth with sex. Nor do they have a concept of time. 
So whichever coalition that happens to be around to when the cubs are introduced isn't going to count back the months to see if they could be the father. 

Its more likely going to depend on whether or not they are willing or able to form an emotional connection with the cubs.

She may luck out and every male ends up accepting the cubs. 
Though most likely the cubs end up having the scent of the male that they are first introduced to. Resulting in the other males rejecting them when they come around. 

I am not optimistic about their chances.
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Croatia Tr1x24 Offline
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(03-07-2023, 10:50 PM)Mapokser Wrote: Issue is that 2 females are not enough and if NK or Skorro Jr try to kill the cubs they'll probably be able to.

If PC males first get introduced and accept the cubs, i dont think Tumbela and NK will go for Ximhungwes to kill those cubs, yet most likely will try only to hang with them, but Ximhungwes will chase them away.

They still might see those cubs as theirs, but even if they dont see cubs as theirs, killing cubs of your enemies, in their territory , outnumbered, is pretty much direct challenge, which neither of them want.

But yea, hard to predict what will happen.
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Duco Ndona Offline
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I dont think there is that much strategy involved. 
If they really were that scared or wise not to mess with the PCmales. They would have stopped messing with the Ximhungwes a long time ago. 
With the PCmales visiting only occasionally the chances are also low that the cubs will be introduced to them first anyway.

There is also a chance that the cubs are abandoned after birth. Or that each lioness introduces the cubs to different males. 

The whole situation is pretty unknown territory really. Regardless of wheter the cubs survive or die. Atleast it may give us some insights on the matter.
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Panama Mapokser Offline
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@Tonpa I think northern Singita is where Othawas lived back in the day, they get their names from there, "Othawa property", so I think it's an area that a pride can live.

Originally Ximhungwes and Sand River Pride shared Western Sector while Othawas were more similar to how Manghenis are now.
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Croatia Tr1x24 Offline
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Its Nkuhumas turn to hang with Ximhungwes:

Photo credits: Savanna


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author
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Korea, Republic of veritas Offline
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Wait, I'm a little confused right now.
BYM was a friend of Mhangeni bigboy?
Is it Nkuhuma young male?
Isn't BYM about five years old?
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