Lions of Timbavati

[adamstocks16]

Mbiri Males both have the ‘dormant’ version of TB at the moment I think. @Tr1x24 has spoken on this quite regularly about the topic of the ‘black spot’ on hips which I also believe may be linked to TB which has been present on both Scar and Shaka for many years. Perhaps they just have greater tolerance or stronger immune system than other lions as although we’ve seen their condition fluctuate at times over the last couple of years recently they have both been looking great especially for their advanced age. Reply

[BA0701]

(4 hours ago)adamstocks16 Wrote: Mbiri Males both have the ‘dormant’ version of TB at the moment I think. @Tr1x24 has spoken on this quite regularly about the topic of the ‘black spot’ on hips which I also believe may be linked to TB which has been present on both Scar and Shaka for many years. Perhaps they just have greater tolerance or stronger immune system than other lions as although we’ve seen their condition fluctuate at times over the last couple of years recently they have both been looking great especially for their advanced age.

One thing we do know is that bovine TB causes sharp jagged growths on the bones of these animals, that are very painful. I believe, but have no confirmation or evidence of this, that these sharp edges rub the skin from the inside resulting in the black marks we often see happening in the hips and shoulders. We have seen some lions, where the bones actually rub to the point of breaking the skin, leaving bone exposed to the outside world. It is a horrific disease.

As is peritonitis, which I have seen kill people, and it is also a horrible, painful death. TB in humans causes the inability to breathe, which it does not seem to do to these animals, regardless, any animal that dies from TB, and/or peritonitis, suffered unimaginably. S8's death was actually a blessing, simultaneously suffering from both afflictions, as his final few days were horrible for him. Only cat that I believe may have suffered more was Dark Mane, whose suffering may have been the worst of all. Reply