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(10-24-2023, 07:38 PM)Tonpa Wrote: "The two Ottawa females continue to shine and grow! Slowly turning into two beautiful adult lionesses"
By Savannah Game Reserve
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Absolutely incredible what those two have been able to accomplish, they continue to amaze and inspire.
Remind me of the Namibian Desert lions “orphans”. A pair of female Cubs mother had died and the remaining lioness didn’t like the Cubs and chased them away. They two yearlings wandered around and found a river mouth at the beach that was a bird nesting area. The two Cubs learned to hunt and survived! They both just turned 7 or 8 and they currently have 2 Cubs of their own. They were some of the first lions to tackle seals, a food source that had been rediscovered in lion culture. Apparently these 2 orphan lionesses are so badass they can hunt and take down a 1,000lb+(450kg+) cape fur sea lion!!
Very rare and impressive of all these young lionesses.
(10-24-2023, 10:40 PM)GhostCatP-22 Wrote: Remind me of the Namibian Desert lions “orphans”. A pair of female Cubs mother had died and the remaining lioness didn’t like the Cubs and chased them away. They two yearlings wandered around and found a river mouth at the beach that was a bird nesting area. The two Cubs learned to hunt and survived! They both just turned 7 or 8 and they currently have 2 Cubs of their own. They were some of the first lions to tackle seals, a food source that had been rediscovered in lion culture. Apparently these 2 orphan lionesses are so badass they can hunt and take down a 1,000lb+(450kg+) cape fur sea lion!!
Very rare and impressive of all these young lionesses.
@GhostCatP-22 , my friend, if you have any information regarding these two girls from the desert, such as photos and/or videos, background on the pride they were born into, their names, if given one, the name of the pride they seem to have created, it would be great if you could share it in the desert lions thread. Myself, and I am sure countless others, would love to learn more about their fascinating story.
(05-26-2022, 02:30 AM)Tr1x24 Wrote: "Short" recap of recent Othawa pride history:
3 sisters where born in Othawa pride, which residents in western sector of Sabi Sands, around 2007/8, alongside 2 brothers. They where sired by famous Mapogo lions, who overtook Othawa pride from lone Nhlanguleni male in 2006.
Not sure how many adult females where in Othawa pride at that time, but there where atleast 2 for sure, 1 was called Half Ear, she was older female and prob mother of those females.
2nd female took care of raising 6 lions when they reach subadult age, as Half Eared female had new offspring, here is their photo from May 2010:
Photo credits : Tristan Dicks
(we can see 1 adult female, 3 sub females and 3 sub males, not sure who is that older male with them)
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Older Half Eared female died in buffalo hunt accident later in 2010, as for that female who raised them, im not sure, but she was no longer with them by 2012.
2 young males reached maturity, they where forced out of the pride by their fathers later in 2011, they where known as Othawa M and T.
Photo credits : Dave Pusey
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They become nomads and eventually disappeared into Kruger, we dont know their fate.
In late 2011, 3 young females started to come into estrus, they where seen in company with nomadic Nkuhuma male (Sizanani).
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Photo credits : Adam Bannister
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But their first pride males become 4 Selati males, who ousted their fathers in mid 2012.
Photo credits : Marlon du Toit
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3 females started mating with them, eventually 2 females give birth to their offspring in 2013, 1 female couldnt give birth, she was infertile. There was 8 cubs, July 2013:
Photo credits : Juan Jose Rubio Coque
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All was great until 2014, when notorius coalition of 4 males from the east, known as Majingilanes, where starting to challenge Selati males, who lost 1 member in 2013 and where outnumbered, after few months of clashes, Majingilanes tookover Selatis territory and Othawa pride around mid 2014.
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All Selati offspring was either killed or went missing by April 2015, when last subadult male was killed.
In January 2015, first Majingilane offspring was born to 1 female, 2 male and 1 female cubs:
Photo credits : Leopard Hills reserve
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In January 2016, tragedy struck the pride, mother of those 3 cubs was killed by hyenas.
Photo credits : Dulini reserve
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Her 2 sisters took the duty of raising her cubs, becoming known as "Aunties".
Despite that, cubs where thriving, but in September 2016, 1 subadult male disappeared, leaving only 1 subadult male and female, those 2 will reach adulthood and become famous Othawa Male and his sister Sassy.
Around mid 2016, fertile Aunty female give birth to new cubs, unfortunately these cubs all didnt make it, disappeared around mid 2017.
Photo credits : Savanna game reserve
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In March 2018 she gives birth to another 3 cubs, all 3 males.
Photo credits : Dulini reserve
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At that time, their dominant coalition, Majingilanes, died off from old age, leaving these cubs without protection. Young, 3 year old Othawa Male filled that shoes as their big brother:
Photo credits : Roger Hlongwane
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*This image is copyright of its original author
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But not for long, around mid 2018, 2 old S. Matimbas moved into empty area left by demise of Majingilanes, they where starting to follow Othawas and mate with infertile Aunty and young Sassy. This meant that young Othawa Male's days with his natal pride where over, he went on his life journey shortly after.
Photo credits : Johan de la Ray
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Photo credits : Roger Hlongwane
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Altrough not their offspring, old S. Matimbas didnt kill 3 young cubs, but 2 out of 3 cubs disappeared at the end of 2018, remaining cub will be known as Junior Othawa, he was fully accepted by Matimbas, altrough he was offspring of their former rivals.
Photo credits : Roger Hlongwane
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Sassy gave birth to her first litter sired by S. Matimbas in September 2018, it was 2 males and 1 female.
Photo credits : Ranger Stu
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In August 2019, Ginger Matimba passed away, leaving 1 old Hairy Belly to raise 4 subs to adulthood, and against all odds he succeded.
Photo credits: Omegagodi
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Photo credits : lorettandtim
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Around mid 2020, 3 new males arrived in western sector, from Nharu pride, named Tumbela males, they where not particulary confident young males at first, so old HB kept buying time for the youngsters, eventually he lost territory to them and become nomad towards late 2020.
Photo credits : Dulini reserve
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Sassy took Junior and her 3 subadults, now known as 2 Mini Matimbas and Gingerella, and avoided Tumbelas at first for few months with them around late 2020, but eventually left them and returned to her 2 Auntie's and new Tumbela males in 2021.
Photo credits : diffmarimane
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Junior and subadults formed an Othawa breakaway and where hanging around western sector, later on towards mid 2021, they moved of this area and went south into Kruger.
Photo credits : Dulini reserve
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Sassy and Junior's mom gave birth to 6 Tumbela cubs (5 females, 1 male) around April 2021.
Photo credits : Dulini reserve
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Gingerella and 1 of mini Matimbas returned to natal area after they went in Kruger, but they where rejected by Othawas who have new cubs now, young male disappeared shortly after, while Gingerella hangs alone in western sector, recently in 2022 linking with lone Ximhungwe female.
Photo credits : Neil Jennings
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Photo credits : Legendsafaris
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Junior and 2nd mini Matimba stayed in Kruger but no news on them.
Photo credits : diffmarimane
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Photo credits : Sabi Sabi
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Tumbela Scar died towards late 2021. Currently Tumbelas are down to 2, with Limper not being in best condition, they are getting heavly pressured by neigboring coalitions atm, they even lost 1 cub after encounter with Plains Camp males, and had confortation with Birmingham/NK males, so future of these cubs and Othawas in general is at risk, as 2 out od 3 females are 14-15 yrs old.
Photo credits : Savanna Reserve
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The second adult othawa female was killed by a snare and that’s the reason the mapogos never returned to the othawas and stuck with the ximhungwes no adult females to mate with but fought with their sons a few times
The two young Othawa females continue to thrive and it’s been an inspiring journey to be a part of, as they further the legacy of the Othawa Pride.
Well done to our newly appointed guide Bright, who has risen through the ranks from tracker to the guides seat. He shares his passionate knowledge of these two females as they feed on a freshly killed Warthog.
The two young Othawa females continue to thrive and it’s been an inspiring journey to be a part of, as they further the legacy of the Othawa Pride.
Well done to our newly appointed guide Bright, who has risen through the ranks from tracker to the guides seat. He shares his passionate knowledge of these two females as they feed on a freshly killed Warthog.
Beautiful young ladies!!
(01-28-2024, 09:38 AM)Mapokser Wrote: Othawas yesterday, by Carol Stratfold.
One of them has a nasty injury on her back leg, though Strafold says she could walk fine.
I hope she is able to fully recover, because this doesn't look good:
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*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
Probably a wildebeest's horn caused this?
I concur, looks like a wound from a horn or something. But if she can walk (and therefore hunt) she should be fine, lions have crazy strong immune systems. And she's young, but not too young.
