Other male lion coalitions from Masai Mara

[KM600]

Start of the video is Olonkera and Kidongoe’oe, ends with 4/5 Rongai boys tracking a buffalo herd.

I think this puts into perspective how young males lives are always completely dependant on how successful their fathers are. It wasn’t long ago a lot of us were feeling for Olonkera as he was being harassed by Olobor, which led to him leaving the pride for some time, and he was completely by himself.

How many times do we see young males who have no brothers to leave with and just end up perishing, their life is hard enough as it is at surviving even as a nomadic coalition.

Even if the local coalition doesn’t have much surviving male offspring in the same pride, it helps massively if they have them in later litters or in adjacent prides. Examples like Makhulu being born in a separate pride to his brothers, NK and SYM, Sekoti leaving as a lone male from Marsh Pride before being joined by his younger brothers etc.

Males can ofc always join up with unrelated members, but it takes longer to establish bonds, which normally means if takes longer to acquire both their own pride and territory. These young males getting a good start at life with companions is so important.

Rongai Pride is apparently also having a mini breakaway, some of the female subadults are having a rough time with new cubs being born, most likely a reason they’ve been seen accompanying their brothers. Unless BRBs lose their territory soon, they will have to breakaway anyways, but right now they’re too young to conceive so I doubt it stays permanent for now.

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