Majingilane Coalition Male Lineage

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Part 2.

3 Mhangeni sub-adults where still with Nkuhuma pride in early November,but 2 younger ones where in bad condition.

Photo of the 3 on 1. November 2018:

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Eventually 1 of the younger ones disapeared thru mid November.

Another 1 appeared in Sabi Sabi at that time,later on was seen with Southern Pride,but he was in bad condition,he disappeared/died shortly after:

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2 Mhangenis and 1 Talamati boy at 1. December 2018 in Djuma:

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Talamati male eventually left this area and rejoin his brother, Big Boys little brother was in bad condition,and eventually went missing and died thru mid december.
Big Boy was alone, the last of his brothers,good news for him was that pride is more and more fine with him being around.

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Thru mid January 2019. it seems that he was fully accepted into the pride,especially close with Nana and her son Nkuhuma young male, his condition was getting better aswell.

Nana,Nkuhuma male and Big Boy:

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Big Boy and Nkuhuma young male bonding:

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*This image is copyright of its original author

Big Boy thrived in the pride for months,recovering well and even starting to grown his mane again:

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

But in the May 2019. another tragedy,oldest lioness Nana was found dead,she was the most closest to the young Big Boy,second mother to him.

One of the last sightings of Big Boy with his beloved Nana:

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

Cause of her death we will never know for sure,some speculation was that she got injured in defending two young boys against dominant N.Avoca males.
In the May, N.Avocas where starting to pressure two young males,they where around 3 years old,so their time with the pride will come to and end soon.
In the June, Avocas agression towards them where increased even more,constantly fighting each others. For that reasons 2 young boys where seen less and less with the pride and more on their own or with few lionesses with them separeted.

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

In July they where often hanging alone with the 1 lioness:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Mhangeni Big Boy stealing a kill from 10 members of Styx pride alone (there was i video of him jumping into 10 Styx members and claiming the kill, i couldnt find it, if somebody has it pls share) and defending it against countless hyenas,his arch enemies from the past,but he isnt affraid anymore,he is the big guy now:

At the end of July,two boys got separeted, Big Boy headed south and was seen with his old friend, Talamati male and his brother with Southern Pride. Nkuhuma male meanwhile was seen in Londolozi,hanging out with one of his fathers,injured Nsuku.

Big Boy in the south with Southern pride:

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But that was a brief visit, S.P and Talamati males left into Kruger,on a path that Big Boy wasnt ready yet,he wasnt ready to left behind his family,his pride,which gave him second life. Towards the mid August 2019,two boys reunited and where seen again in the north with Nkuhuma pride,but their pride now has new cubs with N.Avocas, dominant Avocas wont tolerate them anymore around little cubs and chased them away again.

They where seen in the late August in Londolozi,trying to challenge 6 Kambula pride lionesses over a kill, but Kambulas had numbers and chased them:

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*This image is copyright of its original author

In September two boys where less and less seen together,they occassionaly visit the Nkuhuma pride when Avocas where not around.

Handsome Big Boy watching Nkuhuma pride and cubs from the distance in absence of the Avocas:

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Amber Eyes wasnt too happy about his presents around the cubs,but he was stuborn and eventually succeded at the end, at the thing that he wanted,to be with them:

Big Boy was very often seen lying on the top of the termite mound, it seems that he just loved that spot, in this photo he defends it against buffalo heard:

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Lonely Big Boy calling his partner and the pride on top of the termite mound, he just wants companionship:

Late September,one of the last sightings of 2 boys together with some pride members:

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Big Boy feeding on impala kill,with more then 10 hyenas watching, respecting the power of the young male:

In October Big Boy was mostly on his own, even in the same area, 2 boys where not seen together, Nkuhuma male was mostly with his sister, he seems to be more independet type of lion,and coalition of these 2 was less and less likely.

Big Boy was again seen few times following Nkuhuma pride, this is his last sighting on SafariLive, show on which he was the biggest star thru 2019:

*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 period he spent more time beign alone then ever in his life,but to the mid November things seemed good for Big Boy,he was hanging mostly around Arathusa and Elephant plains,close to Nkuhumas.

Then we haved this sighting of him on 14. November:

Maybe slightly lost some weight and mane,but nothing for concerne

Next sighting was on 22.November,1 week before his death:

Again,not much different from the last sighting, maybe slightly smaller mane. Little do we knew at that time that this sighting will be the last recording of Big Boy passing by...

And then the last sightning on 26.November, 3 days before his death,sleeping 50 m away from Nkuhuma pride:

Its hard to tell because hes lying down,but it seems that he lost some condition,but not too bad,but bigger concerne was his mane,it was clearly visible that he lost big portion of his mane.

He was following his family,his pride to the very end...

And then it happened, 29. November, Big Boy was found in early morning dead in the south in Chitwa Chitwa,lying under the tree in the shade, 2 m from the road, only few days/weeks of his 4th birthday:

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

Crew from SafariLive came to the place first, then called the Sabi Sands people who looked him, no signs of injuries on his body, few spots of mange on him, he lost most of his mane, only some was seen still under his neck, they first mistaken him for Nkuhuma boy because of that. Cause of death is unknown, they said that they will make an autopsy to see what killed him.
We can only speculate what happened, he prob had some health issues as a consequences of that terrible mange and malnutrition that he had as a youngster, bad immune system because of that, stress from those times in his life and now again as a lone young male, something that he hated the most, being alone, etc. 
Maybe we find out some day.



With Big Boys death, ended the heartbreaking and one of the most tragic stories in hystory of Sabi Sands, story of the Mhangeni sub-adults and their fight against "all odds", fight against the "World". Theres many "what if" around this story, what if their mothers didnt abandon them,what if Majingilanes lived 1 more year?? Would we get the biggest and greatest coalition of all-time? A coalition that even their mighty fathers and legendary Mapogos in their prime would not dare to stand against?? We can only dream now...
Their legacy still lives in their 2 surviving sisters, they have great future ahead of them, with many cubs to come.
Mhangeni sub - adults and their story will never be forgotten...

And at last Mhangeni Big Boy..
He was the first and the last Mhangeni Boy, tried his best to protect,save his younger brothers, but life was just too cruel. I think this left a scar on him later on, there was something in his eyes,in his looks, that breaks my heart, i think he never get over the loss of his beloved brothers and sister. He was a special lion, different, everybody knew about the last Mhangeni male and his story, because of that he was the most famous lion of Sabi Sands even at his young age. He inspired and touched thousands of people worldwide with his determination for life,survival,family,companionship,friendship and much more. I never saw this kind of impact from any lion until him, and prob never will anymore, and because of that he is up there with the most Legendary lions of Sabi Sands.

Farewell Mhangeni Big Boy, The Legend of Sabi Sands, you wont be forgotten!! (December 2015 - 29.11.2019.)
You are not alone anymore, you are now reunited with your brothers and sister,your fathers and your beloved Nana.

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