|
Lions of Sabi Sands
|
12 cubs in the Mhangene pride! Article by Joshua Bell - Singita Sabi Sand.
Excitement among the guiding team has been running at fever pitch for the last couple of months at Singita Sabi Sand! It all began with a sighting of a single lioness from the Mhangene pride in an extremely inaccessible part of the Sand River. While that might not sound entirely out of the ordinary to those reading this, the guide and tracker who found the lioness that day also noticed that the animal had suckle marks around her teats. This could only mean one thing; she was a mother!
Lion cubs have all the odds stacked against them from birth; hyenas, leopards, cold spells and even other male lions who have not fathered the youngsters can all spell an untimely end to their short lives and it is estimated that 80% of lion cubs die within the first two months from birth. Even one new addition each year is a very special event and a cause for celebration! With much jubilation (and a diligent effort from the tracking team), a sighting of the lioness with two young cubs occurred a couple of weeks later, the animals lying out in the open on one very cold winter morning. Little did we know that this was to be the last sighting we had of any of them for quite a while and naturally we feared the worst.
We didn’t see the animals for several weeks bar the odd set of tracks from the lioness around that same hidden spot in the river. Then eventually we saw two sets of adult lion tracks and conspiracy ensued! We thought perhaps the adult females of the Mhangene pride were separating from their sub-adult current offspring and enjoying some time by the river as hunting opportunities were plentiful there during the dry season. Another sighting confirmed that there were actually all four adult lionesses together by the river, in the same spot as before. And we noticed ALL of them had suckle marks! The two older cubs presented themselves again, we observed with relief, but it was many weeks before we saw any sign of others. We thought perhaps the others may have died and the lionesses were sharing suckling duties for the two oldest cubs, a common trait among lions in the same pride.
A few fateful weeks and much searching later (just in case, of course) led us to an area known as ‘Ranger’ Rock’ on the northern bank of the Sand River, almost completely inaccessible for a Land Rover and the perfect place for four potential lion mothers to raise their newborns during the first weeks of their lives. I will never forget listening to the sighting being called in on the radio that day: “Stations, we have located 4 lionesses of the Mhangene pride and 12 cubs of varying ages playing on the ridge below Ranger’s Rock”.
A colleague quickly called back, “Last station, please confirm you have located… (pause)... twelvecubs?”
And there you have it! That was the precise moment that guests, guides, trackers, lodge staff and senior management alike had their hopes and emotions resting with the survival of the 12 perfect new additions to the Mhangene pride. No-one can predict the future of course, but at least we can rest assured that they have 4 very experienced and protective mothers who have chosen the perfect densite to give them every possible chance to take on and survive in the extraordinary concession that we are fortunate to spend time in every day. 
Talamati male lion
Credits to Eckson Sithole  *This image is copyright of its original author
From Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve, credits to Hugo Breed Wildtography:
"Future Othawa king."  *This image is copyright of its original author
Tsalala males
Credits to Arathusa Safari Lodge  *This image is copyright of its original author Credits to WildEarth Sunrise Safari  *This image is copyright of its original author
From Londolozi, Lioness Survives Attack From Clan of Hyenas: by Amy Attenborough.
Recently we have been reporting extensively on how the lions of Londolozi are on a high, enjoying the plethora of weakened buffalo and other prey scattering the land. Being the most dominant predator in these parts they tend to not have too much to worry about in terms of competition but as is so often the case in the bush you can just never guarantee when the tables will turn. Recently we bared witness to what can happen to the ‘king of the jungle’ when they find themselves outnumbered, in this case by a huge clan of hyenas. Tracker Sersant and I were walking in a dry river bed, following tracks of a female leopard that had killed something and dragged it to a tree. We found the hoisted duiker kill but there was no leopard in sight and so we were scouting out the area to attempt to find where she had gone. This was incredibly fortuitous because while we were walking we were not distracted by the sound of the vehicle and as we quietly moved on foot we heard the distant and very distinctive chattering of hyenas. Hyenas make a wide variety of sounds which differ depending on whether they’ve got food, if they’re contacting calling to each other, if they’re in distress or if they’re marking territory. The noise that we heard was the unmistakable, excitable sound of heckling and from what we could hear there were a lot of them! We rushed back to the vehicle and headed in the direction of the commotion, deciphering that it was coming from close to a hyena den site we were familiar with. When we got there the scene we were met with was sheer chaos. A single lioness was surrounded by over twenty hyenas who were circling and intimidating her. At first she crouched low to the ground, growling and readying herself, making sure hyenas didn’t circle round to the back of her where she couldn’t defend herself. It was incredibly intense and we all sat with baited breath because we knew just how dire her situation was. Should some of the hyenas manage to grab hold of her, there was no way she would have been able to fend off the entire clan. It took a while for the hyenas to build up the courage but once one of them had rushed in and bitten her on the rump the others descended. They would avoid attacking her from the front because of the power of her jaws and paws but the sheer number of them meant that some could distract her from the front while the others tried to attack from the back. On a few occasions they managed to get a hold of her but luckily she was able to keep swivelling, fending off the most imminent threat. At one point the lioness even managed to grab hold of one of the hyenas and hold it down for a few moments before she was forced to release it to defend herself again. Eventually she managed to break from the circling hyenas and was chased through the clearing. Hyenas, although slower than lions have incredible stamina and it looked like they were going to catch her as she retreated. Fortunately, she found a tree that she managed to scale and although typically large and clumsy in trees, she was able to get out of the biting range of the hyenas and into safety. The hyenas circled the base of the tree for a while, eventually becoming bored and moving off. What was incredible was that the sound of the commotion also drew in two other lionesses. As they came running in, the treed lioness leapt from her hiding place and began to run from the new arrivals. We were startled at first, assuming that they were from different prides and commented on just how unlucky this lionesses’ morning had been. After trailing the heckled lioness for about a kilometre the pursuing lions began to roar, which caused the single lioness to stop, slowly turn and head back towards her pursuers. Before we knew it and rather perplexingly they were soon head butting and greeting each other affectionately. What we assume is that the lioness who had been treed was in such a state of stress that she had not even recognised her own sisters in the moment and had thus retreated, only relaxing when she recognised the familiar sound of their roars. Luckily she escaped with just one surface gash to her side and a cut on her lip, apparently completely unscathed other than that. As Heinrich Van Den Berg so adeptly states “royalty runs the risk of losing not only perspective while sitting on a throne. Many a life and tail have been sacrificed for the sensation of authority”. It’s a reminder that sometimes even the most dominant predators and those at the top of the food chain can find themselves as the underdog and in this particular situation, we were grateful that the underdog got away unscathed. The lioness in question is one of the Mangheni breakaway girls. 
@Majingilane regarding post #305
what an intriguing article by Londolozi. Wow the intent to kill by the hyenas really surprises me. Didn't know they're so persistent.
Tsalala young male resting on the hot tar airstrip - E.p. Rangers, Dawie Jacobs - 17 Oct 2016
 *This image is copyright of its original author
In the war between these two eternal enemies, this particular battle goes to the lions.
Image by Field Guide Mark Winckler. Talamati male  *This image is copyright of its original author
Hilda Rock male and Charleston young male
Credits to Eckson Sithole  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author Sparta Male  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
Tsalala young males, credits to Louis Liversage - E.P Rangers.
 *This image is copyright of its original author
#ShockWildlifeTruths: No treatment for Sabi's mange-infected lions
2016-10-24 15:46 Cape Town - A game reserve bordering Kruger National Park says it does not plan for now to treat a number of lions suffering from a bad case of mange. Sabi Sand Wildtuin said in a statement that the reserve had a "stated policy of non-intervention related to the natural occurrences of free-ranging animals within the reserve, which is an open ecological system." "Therefore in regard to the deteriorating condition of certain lions within the Styx Pride in Sabi Sand it is incumbent on management to adhere strictly to this stated policy," the statement says. Debate has been raging on Facebook for 10 days or so after wildlife photographer Inuz du Preez posted photos of mange-infested lions at the private sanctuary. Mange is a skin disease spread by mites that's often found in pet dogs but can affect other animals. Cases of mange have been recorded also in cheetahs, wild dogs, impala and springbok in Africa, wolves in Europe and wombats in Australia, among other animals. It can kill. The photographer said there were two cubs and two females in the "Styx pride" that were affected with mange. Some wildlife lovers have argued that the lions should be treated (and have even offered to help with funds to treat them). But there are others who believe nature should be allowed to take its course. Said the statement from Sabi Sand, "Unless the incident is of an anthropogenic nature such as snares, poisoning, road accident or any situation of a man-made nature the Sabi Sand Wildtuin will not intervene but rather allow nature's processes to take their natural course." "Management will continue to monitor the situation and keep its members and interested parties informed," it added. Drew Abrahamson, Owner of Captured In Africa-Exclusive Safaris and Founder of Captured In Africa Foundation posted a link to du Preez' photographs on Facebook, expressing her concerns in detail: https://www.facebook.com/drew.abrahamson...6906135328 She also told Traveller24,"Being involved in the rescuing and relocating of lions, with wild lion numbers decreasing the way that they are, I don't believe we have time on our hands to wait and see. Many don't agree...but many more do. People intervene everyday with regards to wildlife, if it were Rhino something would have been done, why should it be different with Lion?" In one prominent case reported by the Los Angeles Times, a 6-year-old mountain lion first photographed with lesions and scabs on his face due to mange in 2014 was found to be healthy this year. The animal had taken up residence in a municipal park in Los Angeles, California and was treated for the disease. Researchers suspected this puma's mange might have been linked to exposure to rat poison. What do you think, should the Sabi Sand's lions be treated or left alone? We'd like you to share your view with us - email [email protected].
Found these 2 young boys in the early morning near main camp on the 23rd of October...anyone know them???
Credits to Leo Bargiacchi Junior and Friend!  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
(10-26-2016, 01:08 PM)Georgel Wrote: This part is at least intriguing: Take the context into consideration. Quote:The Sparta Pride had 17 lions, the Castleton Pride 22, the Xmobanyana Pride 11, the Tsalala Pride 3 and the Styx 14. Since then we’ve had more males than South Africa has had Finance Ministers. Quote:11 years and so much turnover. It’s no wonder that most of our lion prides have been whittled away to a few breeding lionesses here and there and that the dynamic is fractured and teetering on the brink of disaster. So, what he's talking about is that a coalition would take Londolozi as permanent residence, instead of being too weak to hold it for long (like Kinky tail and Mr.T, and the previous males before them), or moving off to conque new prides (like the Majingilane did). 
who are the Clarendon males and the gowrie male? just heard of them someone please help........are they in sabi sands or knp
 |
| Users browsing this thread: |
| 19 Guest(s) |