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The Mighty Mapogos
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We say that the Mapogo's reign lasted 6 years, but shouldn't it be 9 years?
I was looking at the Mala Mala reports on the WSM and Makhulu was a dominant male since 2003. He was roaring his dominance to make invaders back off: May 2003 And young male lions are at the door. This month there were several sightings of two approximately five-year-old male lions hanging around the northern parts controlled by the West Street Males and also north of this, onto northern Mala Mala and Eyrefield. Probably in response to this intrusion, we heard plenty of lion roaring in this area, a very obvious way to demonstrate that they, the West Street Males, are not yet ready to hand over power. One wonders just how much of this roaring was done by the four-and-a-half-year-old male lion of the Eyrefield Pride. Went in patrolls with the 2 dominant males: September 2003 Compared with previous months, the two West Street Male lions probably spent more time away from the lionesses of the Eyrefield Pride than usual. Often they were accompanied by the now impressively large young male lion from the Eyrefield Pride. Although some of these excursions appeared to be dedicated to territorial patrols, many involved finding food, either fortuitous scavenging or following after buffaloes. Won mating rights and mated with the lioness: October 2003 One other interesting incident this month, however, was when one of the lionesses of the Eyrefield Pride came into season and, in the absence of the West Street Males (still seeing off the Split Rock Males in follow-up operations), mated with the five-year-old Eyrefield Pride Male. When the West Street Males rejoined and the pair was still mating, they failed to chase the young male lion away and let them continue. Again as a dominant male he was patrolling, roaring, and scent-marking the territory with the 2 WSM. Again he participated in the mating rights dispute with the other two, but this time he lost: November 2003 The two West Street Males survived another month and again emerged looking pretty good. They and the five-year-old male lion of the Eyrefield Pride roamed around, proclaiming their territory and hunting with the lionesses of the Eyrefield Pride. At the very beginning of the report-period, one of the Eyrefield Pride lionesses came into season and was calling for a male lion. Both West Street Males and the young male of the Eyrefield Pride, which at the time had been on their northern border roaring and scent-marking against continued incursions or threats thereof from the Split Rock Males, responded and, led by the young male lion, caught up with the lioness. Interestingly, rather than the young male lion dominating the lioness as happened last month, it was one of the West Street Males. The young male lion was lying close to where the courting pair was resting, his frustration plain to see. Conquering new territories with one of the WSM: May 2004 The two old West Street Males were seen together at the beginning of the May-report-period, then separated and reunited a month later. The West Street Male with the torn nose spent a fair amount of time with the young adult male of the Eyrefield Pride near the southern parts of the reserve, an area in which the Windmill Pride was operating and which has yet to be fully claimed by other male lions following the demise of the Ridge Rocks Males half-a-year-or-so ago. Here the two males, one in the beginning of his prime, the other clearly beyond it, ruled supreme. And of course, Makhulu hold control over the Eyrefield Pride until at least January 2006 when they decided to leave and conquer the Othawa Pride in Febraury 2006: January 2006 EYREFIELD MALES (6) Location: MALA MALA, FLOCKFIELD, CHARLESTON The six Eyrefield Males spent most of the month of January with the Eyrefild pride and were seen regularly throughout January comprising 28 sightings in total. These members spent a fair amount of time in the area of the Mala Mala airstrip, where they were successful in catching a wildebeest on one occasion. Perhaps the sighting of the month included the six males and one of the females involved in an epic 45 minute battle with a buffalo bull in the middle of an open area in broad day light. With the strength of the young males the lions were finally victorious and enjoyed their prize over a two day period. So in truth, Makhulu's reign began in 2003 and ended in 2012. For 9 years he was King, not 6. 
The two males of May 2003 were probably the Rollercoasters, Makhulu was the young male of four and a half years. For a while they remained in the sparta pride but not as dominant lions, in 2006 they left, probably too pressured by Rollercoaster and Split rock. Only Makhulu was fully adult, a 4-5 year old lion cannot compete with a 7-10 year old one.
(06-20-2022, 10:15 PM)Gabriele Wrote: The two males of May 2003 were probably the Rollercoasters, Makhulu was the young male of four and a half years. For a while they remained in the sparta pride but not as dominant lions, in 2006 they left, probably too pressured by Rollercoaster and Split rock. Only Makhulu was fully adult, a 4-5 year old lion cannot compete with a 7-10 year old one. A 4yo lion is a fully-grown cat. Lions stop growing when they reach 4 years. They usually avoid challenging dominant males at equal numbers because they lack the confidence, experience and a big mane to look bigger and scarier, but size-wise they will be as big as they can get. The Mapogos were never pressured by the Rollercoaster and Split Rock Males while in their own territory. The Split Rock had multiple encounters with the two 15yo WSM and ventured into their territory countless times, but were never able to oust them, in fact they were even chased back by the WSM in different occasions. So if they couldn't oust the ancient WSM, they couldn't oust Makhulu with the back up of the rest, since in fact, they didn't. The last WSM died in mid 2004, Split Rocks had one year and half to oust Makhulu and didn't even tried. Mapogos didn't left because of any pressure, they were by far the strongest coalition in early 2006. Earlier the younger Mapogos weren't fully territorial and dominant males ( since older twins were 3,5yo and the younger twins only 2 and something ) but as I've showed from the reports, Makhulu was a fully dominant male since 2003, he patrolled, scent-marked, roared against lion intruders, went to conquer new territories and more importantly, mated, he fought for mating rights with the dominant males and won. He was by all means a dominant male since 2003 and only stopped being one when Mr.T died in March 2012. His reign was of 9 years.
Yeah, lions are fully-grown by the age of 4, sometimes even before that.
In the Serengeti, males reach sexual maturity by about 2 years of age and are fully grown at 4 years; females typically have their first litter between 3–4 years of age. By Karyl. Whitman and Craig Packer. http://www.cbs.umn.edu/sites/default/fil...uide-1.pdf There's this misconception that a 4-5yo lion is still growing because they don't have a big mane, but the mane keeps growing and getting darker throughout all of the lion's life, however, the lion in itself stops growing when he turns 4, or even before that. When a lion turns 9 he leaves his prime and starts losing strength and is considered an old lion, at 10 he's generally just a very old lion waiting for his death. It wouldn't make any sense for a lion to wait 7 years of his life to reach his full size when he is considered old by the age of 9 and is lucky if he makes it to 10 alive. A 4yo lion will always be as tall and large as he is when he's 8, only difference is that with 8 he has a much bigger and darker mane, is much more confident and experient. 
It's longer for south african lions.
"Lion growth was studied by fitting sex specific Von Bertalanffy curves and linear regressions to data on body mass, heart girth, shoulder height and vertebral column length. Measurements were recorded for 344 lions (Panthera leo) (158 ♂♂ and 186 ♀♀), from Kruger National Park, South Africa. Growth in mass for males and females was linear up to about 36 months of age 0 = 0–98 and 0–99 respectively). The other age-specific measurements were clearly curvilinear. Mean weights for adult lions (excluding stomach contents) were 187–5 kg (♂♂) and 124–2 kg (♀♀) respectively. Lions tended to continue growing up to about seven years in males and nine to 10 years in females after which they usually started to lose condition. Body mass and heart girth measurements of Kruger Park lions were compared with samples from three other populations. These showed that lions from East Africa were smaller than those from more southern populations in Rhodesia, Kalahari and Kruger Park." https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wi...0condition. (06-22-2022, 02:42 AM)Tonpa Wrote: It's longer for south african lions. This backs up my point, in fact, it means the southern lion likely stops growing a bit earlier. Unfortunately the study isn't fully available for free, but it's very cleary that they're talking about weight ( growth in mass ), not size. Or do you honest think a lioness is still growing their bones until 10 and then after that she suddenly starts shrinking? What the study is saying is that they have a linear growth until 3yo, meaning their natural growth. Then the growth in mass is clearly curvilinear, meaning they gain some mass in let's say a month due to eating well and will be bulky, but next month they don't and lose some mass, and so on. You can see that in any lion, to use the Mapogos as examples, you can see pictures of a very bulky adult Makhulu, and in the same year some picture of thin Makhulu. Prime dominant males will usually eat well and be in top condition so it's natural that usually they'll have more mass when they are 7 than when they are 4 as nomads, it doesn't mean they got any bone/height/length growth. When they start getting old, no matter if they eat well or not, they'll deteriorate. It would make absolutely no sense that virtually the same animal would have one being fully grown at the age of 4 and the other 7, or 10 for the female, just because they live in different countries. To simplify: Lions stop growing in a linear pattern until they're 3-4yo, after that they, just like humans, can gain and lose mass/weight due to how much they're feeding, it's a curvilinear growth of mass, sometimes they're eating well, gaining mass, sometimes they aren't, and lose mass. Once they get old, they start deteriorating regardless of how well they eat.
Here I'll post shoulder height of lions by age, but first it's relevant to mention that the study says that all african lions, regarding if it's from the south or not, got the same results:
 *This image is copyright of its original author Now the shoulder heights, (a) for females and © for males:  *This image is copyright of its original author As we see lions ( southern or otherwise ) grow a lot in a linear pattern until they're 3, then they grow a little more until they are 4, with an insignificant outliner of lions growing a little little little bit more until they are 5. Source: https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/EJC117339
Tricky paper to find
 *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
No big cat is full grown until around 6-8. Frame size slows after 4 but they still can gain size in frame and especially mass even after 4. Although females will slow in growth quicker than males.
 *This image is copyright of its original author
(06-22-2022, 05:11 AM)Tonpa Wrote: Tricky paper to find The vertebral column here grows until 5 and then has an insignificant growth after that but still it seems to contradict the other study in some capacity. What was the size of the sample? (06-22-2022, 07:31 AM)Mapokser Wrote:(06-22-2022, 05:11 AM)Tonpa Wrote: Tricky paper to find Vertebral column was 101 males and 129 females, heart girth 101 males and 129 females and shoulder height was 101 males and 134 females 
Around 4 yrs old lion is close to his peak in height and length (prob still growing after that to around 6, but insignificantly), but lion still puts body mass and muscle to around 6 yrs, which are start of the prime years.
So depends what we think by "growing", because if you compare pictures of the same male at 4 and 6 yrs old, they might be similar or even same in height/lenght, but on average 6yrs old lion will be much bigger in frame, regardless of mane. (06-22-2022, 01:20 PM)Tr1x24 Wrote: Around 4 yrs old lion is close to his peak in height and length (prob still growing after that to around 6, but insignificantly), but lion still puts body mass and muscle to around 6 yrs, which are start of the prime years. More or less this. |
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