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Lions of Timbavati
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Farewall to the milky-eyed lioness of the Avoca Pride - The death of the Avoca lioness with the milky-eyed will have a big impact in the lion dynamics of the Avoca pride. Unfortunately the breakaway Birmingham pride, have been pushing the Avoca pride out of their home range for the past 6 months. Every time the Avoca have been coming back to their original home ranger, they don’t stay for more than a day or two before being push further west again. Unfortunately the Avoca pride is being squeezed into a smaller and smaller space everyday between the break away Birminghams new home range and the Monwana home range. The next few month will be very interesting for the Avoca pride
The 4 Monwana females rushed all 10 Avoca pride members. Being out of their core territory they ran away and the old female was the one that was caught and killed. The 4 Monwana females left the dying Avoca female to continue chasing the rest of the Avoca pride back into Timbavati from Thornybush, then came back and again attacked the paralysed Avoca female for another round. She died during the early afternoon, 4 to 5 hours after the attack. Image by: Byron Grobler  *This image is copyright of its original author
One of the Sark breakaway young females seen recently at Kings Camp Lodge in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
Image courtesy of Cathan Moore  *This image is copyright of its original author
 (06-21-2021, 05:51 PM)Timbavati Wrote: Farewall to the milky-eyed lioness of the Avoca Pride - The death of the Avoca lioness with the milky-eyed will have a big impact in the lion dynamics of the Avoca pride. Unfortunately the breakaway Birmingham pride, have been pushing the Avoca pride out of their home range for the past 6 months. Every time the Avoca have been coming back to their original home ranger, they don’t stay for more than a day or two before being push further west again. Unfortunately the Avoca pride is being squeezed into a smaller and smaller space everyday between the break away Birminghams new home range and the Monwana home range. The next few month will be very interesting for the Avoca pride Isn’t this the Xikukutsu males’ mother? So they technically took out the grandmother of their cubs. (06-21-2021, 08:44 PM)Gijima Wrote:(06-21-2021, 05:51 PM)Timbavati Wrote: Farewall to the milky-eyed lioness of the Avoca Pride - The death of the Avoca lioness with the milky-eyed will have a big impact in the lion dynamics of the Avoca pride. Unfortunately the breakaway Birmingham pride, have been pushing the Avoca pride out of their home range for the past 6 months. Every time the Avoca have been coming back to their original home ranger, they don’t stay for more than a day or two before being push further west again. Unfortunately the Avoca pride is being squeezed into a smaller and smaller space everyday between the break away Birminghams new home range and the Monwana home range. The next few month will be very interesting for the Avoca pride Exactly, This lioness known by rangers as the milky-eyed lioness, was mother of the Xikukutsu males. She had a really sad ending, but this is how lion dynamics play his role when intruders push into territories of other prides and coalitions (06-21-2021, 08:47 PM)Timbavati Wrote:(06-21-2021, 08:44 PM)Gijima Wrote:(06-21-2021, 05:51 PM)Timbavati Wrote: Farewall to the milky-eyed lioness of the Avoca Pride - The death of the Avoca lioness with the milky-eyed will have a big impact in the lion dynamics of the Avoca pride. Unfortunately the breakaway Birmingham pride, have been pushing the Avoca pride out of their home range for the past 6 months. Every time the Avoca have been coming back to their original home ranger, they don’t stay for more than a day or two before being push further west again. Unfortunately the Avoca pride is being squeezed into a smaller and smaller space everyday between the break away Birminghams new home range and the Monwana home range. The next few month will be very interesting for the Avoca pride Yeah, I don’t blame the Monwanas.. they have cubs to protect. It seems like the Avoca Pride really needs a male protector though. It won’t be easy being on their own. (06-21-2021, 08:53 PM)Gijima Wrote:Yes, without a doubt the Avoca pride needs dominant males, Hercules and Sumatra males should be a good bet for the Avoca females. Two strong and healthy males to protect them and raise cubs.(06-21-2021, 08:47 PM)Timbavati Wrote:(06-21-2021, 08:44 PM)Gijima Wrote:(06-21-2021, 05:51 PM)Timbavati Wrote: Farewall to the milky-eyed lioness of the Avoca Pride - The death of the Avoca lioness with the milky-eyed will have a big impact in the lion dynamics of the Avoca pride. Unfortunately the breakaway Birmingham pride, have been pushing the Avoca pride out of their home range for the past 6 months. Every time the Avoca have been coming back to their original home ranger, they don’t stay for more than a day or two before being push further west again. Unfortunately the Avoca pride is being squeezed into a smaller and smaller space everyday between the break away Birminghams new home range and the Monwana home range. The next few month will be very interesting for the Avoca pride 
One of the 3 young male #lions born to the Monwana #lion pride a few years ago waking up and yawning after a day spent sleeping at a waterhole near the lodge here at @royalmalewane in South Africa.
The three nomads are skilfully managing to avoid confrontation with the larger territorial males dominant in the reserve, and it should be a matter of time until we no longer see them as they venture far and wide trying to establish their own territory in the #greaterkrugernationalpark somewhere. These 3 Thornybush males are the last offspring of the Trilogy Male before he died a couple of years ago. I have been really quiet for a while, but will try my best to keep you all up to date on the animal dynamics we get to witness on our #wildlife photographic #safaris here.  *This image is copyright of its original author
https://www.kwambilisafarilodge.com/death-at-kk-dam/
One morning we set out on game drive, eager to see what was waiting for us, in the mist. The mist gave off an eerie feel as the first rays of sun kissed the horizon. The guests were eager for the adventure that lay ahead. The morning was quiet and still, not even the chirp of a bird could be heard. We drove past dams where the mist was slowing rising from the waters, touched by the now quickly rising sun. We decided to take a road on the northern side of the dam, to follow up on the lion cubs that had been seen the day before. As we rounded a magic guarrie bush thicket, I could not believe my eyes. There lay one of our male lions, Mapoza, in all his glory, feeding on a big hippo bull. This was something new for me and for my guests, which made this an even more special and rare sighting. The vultures were scattered around everywhere, fixated on their future meal. The setting of the scene was incredible, the only sound being Mapoza crunching the bones of the hippo and the odd flap of a vulture’s wings, adjusting its position in a nearby tree. Later on the two Skukutsu brothers joined Mapoza. This was an epic sighting in itself because these three male lions rule Thornybush and they were all in the same place at the same time, which doesn’t happen as often as we guides would like. After a while we decided to leave the carcass and the lions and go back to camp. When we returned that same afternoon the setting was completely different. Almost 150 vultures were now taking advantage of their long-awaited meal, accompanied by spotted hyenas. It was extremely special to see the different stages – which animals feed on a kill and how the dynamic shifts completely in animal behaviour when the lions are not around. A truly magical day for me and my guests and a not so magical one for our once dominant hippo. Report and images by ranger Matt  *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
A very recent sighting of the mighty Mapoza male in the Thornybush fenceline
Inage by: Drew Abrahamson  *This image is copyright of its original author
Xikukutsu males with Black Dam female
https://www.facebook.com/Rudihulshofclassicafrica/videos/2824770847853715 
A recent sighting from last week of the three Thornybush/Monwana males. The three Thornybush/Monwana males were sired by the last Trilogy male in 2018. The Thornybush/Monwana males spend the majority of their time on a private property, trying to avoid the Xikukutsus and the Mapoza male, who are well-settled in the area. These boys will grow more over the course of time, and only time will tell when they will reach their opportunity to challenge the dominant males in the area.
Photo courtesy of @rudihulshof
Stunning and recent shot of the distinctive Scar Mbiri Male, a well known lion and one of the largest Kruger lions.
Kruger National Park, South Africa. Photographer credit: To follow & for print: @capturing_kruger 
A fine good looking of male lion - The Sumatra male on a territorial patrol in the early hours of the morning. 25/06
Photo credits: Z. Hugo  *This image is copyright of its original author
Lions galore. Great sightings from Shindzela and Makanyi Lodges in Timbavati Game Reserve with the Burningham prides including the "spokies", cubs and Ross males. Also saw the Sumatra and Hercules males with 3 lionesses from giraffe pride on a giraffe-kill. Just missed the Avocas when they crossed back into Thornybush and saw Mapoza male down south trying to coss back into Thornybush reserve.
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Tanda Tula update
As for the lions, the Sark breakaway Pride did pay us a brief visit last weekend, but the cold conditions got too much for them. The three members that were present were not in any mood to do anything besides resting off some well-rounded bellies. Far off in the distance we could hear the Nharhu males roaring, but that was about the only evidence they left for a couple of days before taunting us with tracks roaming across the eastern side of the concession. Later in the week we awoke to the wonderful sound of the two males roaring just outside of camp and I shot out of bed to go and find them. As for the River Pride, they were around at the start of the week and found again on the last day, but in between those periods, they remained very elusive. One of the cubs has an injured back and front paw, but fortunately, it was still mobile enough and hopefully makes a full recovery. Sadly we didn’t catch up with the cubs again to report further on his condition. The Giraffe Pride were reported in the far west earlier in the week before being seen crossing into Klaserie.  *This image is copyright of its original author
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