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The Mighty Mapogos
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"The Mapogo warriors have finally fallen!
The brave short maned male stood up to the 4 and put up a valiant fight as his brothers ran away. He wasn't going to give up his prime territory and lionesses easily. Here he lies with a broken spine, the young victors catching their breath before the next onslaught! He has probably taken his last gasp of air by now. We salute the legends we came to know as the Mapogo Coalition, it is time now though for a new era to begin!" (Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve, March 16, 2012) https://www.facebook.com/LeopardHills/ph...=3&theater  *This image is copyright of its original author
"Makhulu Mapogo standing tall over his buffalo kill, watched patiently by a hooded vulture waiting it's turn.
The 4 Southern males were a little closer this morning, about 4 kilometers further north! Maybe they will catch wind of the pungent buffalo carcass during the night..." (Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve, March 14, 2012) https://www.facebook.com/LeopardHills/ph...=3&theater  *This image is copyright of its original author
"The Mapogo Males fixed their attention on activity of a nearby buffalo herd - moments before the African Sun had set they managed to take down a buffalo calf which kept them busy for quite some time while the full moon was on the rise in the East." (Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve, March 10, 2012)
https://www.facebook.com/LeopardHills/ph...=3&theater  *This image is copyright of its original author
"3 Mapogos being closely watched by this dazzle of zebra, while the Mapogos' attention momentarily turned to a herd of impala alarm calling a distance away from the zebra." (Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve, March 9, 2012)
https://www.facebook.com/LeopardHills/ph...=3&theater  *This image is copyright of its original author
"Mapogo's Kinky Tail in his prime chasing the Shaws male out of his territory." (Jos van Bommel)
https://www.facebook.com/vanBommelSafari...=3&theater  *This image is copyright of its original author Shaw's Male = Rollercoaster Male For more details about Rollercoaster males see https://blog.londolozi.com/2011/03/23/re...haws-male/ (12-22-2016, 04:22 AM)vinodkumarn Wrote: Article by James Kydd https://rangerdiaries.com/diary/mapogo-r...JYLy0G6RPE
Idube Game Reserve
Rangers Monthly Newsletter 11 August 2010 "There has been a shift in power in the lion population since the death of one of the Mapogo male coalition up in the northern sabi sands. The remaining five males regrouped here in the west and were seen together frequently even spending a night outside the lodge roaring. The five males then moved in a north easterly direction across our boundary, something then happened between them and the new coalition in the north, and only three of the males returned west, a fourth returned about a week later – heavily battle scarred, the fifth has not been seen since and is probably dead. This leaves four of the original six males with about half their original territory, luckily for us most of that territory is our traversing area! With the new males in the north putting pressure on the prides up there we saw the return of the Tsalala pride (3 females, 1 sub-adult male and 5 young females of 14 mo) to our traversing area, they were obviously trying to bring their youngsters deep into Mapogo territory to protect them from takeover attempts from the so called Majingalane coalition. The first sighting we had of all four remaining males together after the fight was at a buffalo kill north of the river, together with the Ottawa pride, it can be noted that the two young Ottawa males were kept away from the area by their fathers, and as they are approach the three year age mark it will not be long before they are pushed out permanently. The Ximunghwe pride has lost all but the three youngest cubs but the females have been seen mating with the Mapogo males since then. The lodge was visited by one of the Ximunghwe females a 10h30 one morning, she was trying to catch the nyala close to room 5, this after she had caught a waterbuck just NW of the lodge but lost it to her Mapogo mate!" https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_i...030&ref=mf
"End of an Era! Last stand of the Mapogo Coalition!
The defining moment had to come, speculation as to how and when has dominated conversation around dinner tables and campfires in recent weeks. Every epic tale must build up and deliver a scintillating finale and the story of arguably the most acclaimed and notorious coalition of male lions ever documented to prowl Africa certainly did! After their brief encounter with the 4 Selati (Southern) males a few weeks ago when the weakest Mapogo member was slightly injured, the dynamic changed and a follow up encounter involving the coalitions was imminent. Was it the Ximhungwe lioness mating with the Selati males a month ago and giving them a taste of the trophy at stake? Was it a sudden a weakness detected in the weaker Mapogo male? What is certain is that a number of factors led to the showdown and heart wrenching culmination on the morning of March 16th! Our guests have been privileged enough to witness both sides of the story evolve over the past week. Firstly the youngsters moving in, strengthening their coalition bond, scent marking all over the Mapogo’s northern territory. It was almost as if they were preparing themselves for the inevitable confrontation. Meanwhile the 3 Mapogo were occupied and content with a large buffalo kill in the south that kept them busy for days. On the morning of the 16th when we received the radio message “we have audio of lions fighting in the south”, we knew it was on! The initial message was relayed as 3 Mapogo’s have isolated a young male, this is what we expected… what we wished to be for the proud old men we had known and revered for so long! On arrival on the scene to see the tables turned was unforeseen, shocking… it took us all some time to grasp what was unfolding in front of us. We expected all 3 Mapogo’s to stand their ground and rise to the challenge! The old boxing adage “You’re only as good as your last fight” certainly holds true! It was the veteran gladiator that stood up to be counted and fought admirably for his territory, his offspring, his lionesses and ultimately his livelihood as a male lion!  *This image is copyright of its original author Without a territory is he not a male lion? He would rather die defending his pride than live out his existence as a castigated nomad, whatever your thoughts are on the short maned Mapogo and there are many contrasting opinions! He will always be respected and remembered for his character and fearlessness. An afternoon thunderstorm rose eerily and saturated the bloodstained earth, washing away the Mapogo bloodline and unveiling an exciting new era. The fate of the remaining Mapogo cubs hangs precariously in the balance, they will most likely be killed! We are however excited about new beginnings and some stability for the Ximhungwe pride under the Selati males. The 2 remaining Mapogo have been seen infrequently since the takeover and are keeping a very low profile. Their existence will now be a struggle for survival with limited hunting ability and strong young coalitions looking to eliminate them from all sides." https://www.leopardhills.com/blog/game-r...arch-2012/
At the end of February 2011, Mr. T stayed in Majingilanes territory for almost one week.
Arathusa, Rangers Diary, 21-27 February, 2011 http://arathusa.co.za/rangers-diary-21-27-february/ Monday: "We heard the Majingilhanes roaring to the east early this morning, long before any of the guests were awake." Wednesday: "On our way back to the lodge we happened upon the highlight of our morning. We were close to the airstrip when we found a solitary male lion that looked very familiar. Upon closer investigation we identified him as Mr T, the remaining Mapogo brother that used to dominate this territory with his brother Kinky-Tail. After his brother was killed by the the Majingilhanes – the new dominant coalition of males, Mr T moved back to the west of the reserve to be with his other brothers. We hadn’t seen him in about eight months, so it was really exciting to find him back in the ‘hood. He was looking fit and healthy, and spent the day sleeping in the shade under a bush. In the afternoon we found Mr T still sleeping where we’d left him in the morning." Thursday: "This morning we heard the Majingilhanes roaring in the far south eastern sector of the reserve." Friday: "The morning kicked off with more audio of the Majingilhane males, but very far to the east." Saturday: "The afternoon started off hot and slowly. We were pleased to find Mr T again, this time with a young giraffe kill. We’re not sure how long he will risk staying in this area, before returning to his brothers further south. However long he stays, it’s always good to see an old familiar face." _______ Idube Game Reserve, March, 2011 http://idubelodge.blogspot.ro/2011/03/ "The three remaining males of the Mapogo coalition have been very happy to stay within our traversing area, rarely venturing east for more than a few hours; however, the male who many know as Mr.T due to his Mohawk styled mane suddenly decided to go on holiday recently. One evening he got up and left the other two males, heading straight east, a few days later he was reported as being up in the northern Sabi Sands where he used to spend most of his time before being chased off by the Majingalane males that moved up there last year. About a week passed after that report before he returned to our area having managed to elude the new males up north. During that time, it was reported that he had killed and eaten a baby giraffe. His brothers did not go without food as they shared a buffalo kill with the Ximunghwe pride (including the two oldest cubs)." (Rob Vamplew)  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author Rundle's reports give us the exact location of Mr. T: Rhulani Road, that is, the border between Elephant Plains and Simbambili.
Trying to understand how Mini-Pog (one of the Mapogos sons from Ximhungwe Pride rejected by aunts after his mom died in a snare) has died I (re)watched the following video:
Mr. T at 6:20. ("it looks like he already got a smack of the other male this morning" fighting over a lioness who seems that Mr. T has lost, as the ranger says and the video shows.) The common belief is that Mini-Pog died by starvation. But if anyone has some evidence about this I'd be grateful if could post it here. (11-12-2016, 01:23 AM)fursan syed Wrote: 2009 Mlowathis Hit List Continues I'm wondering how did you arrive at the conclusion that this lion was killed by the Mlowathis? The original post https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-the-bo...75456.html doesn't mention this. Moreover, Buffelshoek seems to be a little out of the range of Mlowathis territory.  (05-16-2019, 02:46 AM)AbcXyz Wrote:(11-12-2016, 01:23 AM)fursan syed Wrote: 2009 Mlowathis Hit List Continues i dont remember may be someone told me . now after all these years its looks a like a mistake since i dont have any proof or link about it. i am deleting that post (05-25-2019, 12:38 AM)fursan syed Wrote:(05-16-2019, 02:46 AM)AbcXyz Wrote:(11-12-2016, 01:23 AM)fursan syed Wrote: 2009 Mlowathis Hit List Continues Meanwhile, someone who followed the Mapogos when they were alive told me that this picture is from 2008, and it is indeed a casualty of the Mapogos. Not necessarily of KT and Mr. T, but of the Mapogos for sure! (Of course, I don't have any proof either.)
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Mighty king T Mapogo _____________________ Credits Francois fourie safari  *This image is copyright of its original author
Lion warfare – Life's tribulations
Karen Loader, June 16, 2018 I remember the morning like it was yesterday. At the time, I was working for the world renowned Londolozi Private Game Reserve as a Lodge Manager at Founders Camp where a Big Cat Safari has become synonyms with Londolozi. We had a honeymoon couple, let’s just call them Mr and Mrs Smith who wanted to do something special and requested to sleep under the stars at the Londolozi lookout deck. Being a romantic at heart, the Founders team and I set up an incredible evening for this great couple. Just think lanterns, candles, beautiful Londolozi bed, draped in an Out of Africa mosquito net, surrounded by an incredible River view, a finely prepared picnic dinner and an assortment of luxury beverages, not to mention the sounds and the incredible stars, bringing you closer to nature, a spiritual connection. What an incredible evening, little did they know the morning would bring a sighting like no other. It was awesome to be out so early in the morning, still dark, the air was crisp and I had a sense of excitement about me that I couldn’t quite explain. I set off, following the sand river, passing Taylor’s dam and Pioneer Camps entrance and through open areas to Mhangene Double Crossing to where the look-out deck was situated. Conversing with Mr and Mrs Smith over the radio I made my way through the giant Jackelberry trees towards the deck where the couple were eagerly awaiting, with big smiles, excited to tell me about their night and how special it was. After enjoying a fresh, hot cup of coffee we all set off back to camp to meet up with their guide Sandros, who would take them out on their morning game drive. It was starting to get light now with a slight mist hovering over the dewy grass, Impala attentively watch us from the open areas and a chorus of baboons barking in the background alerted us to something incredible. With limited time, we moved on and followed the sounds, moving closer and closer to camp, we were eagerly followed the barks of the baboons. We had no idea what we would find. With the barking escalating in volume and witnessing the baboons scrambling from tree to tree to get a better vantage point, we came to a sight that to this day is etched in my memory. Turning the corner towards the Pioneer entrance and the wall of Taylors dam, right where I had driven early this morning, were two of the famed Mapogo Male Lion Coalition, Kinky Tail and Mr T, devouring a sub adult hippo. These Incredible lions, had successfully taken down an animal 4 times their size with ease and were now enjoying the spoils. It was an absolutely incredible sighting, positioning the vehicle so the guests could get the perfect shot, all I could hear was the “cha cha cha” of the shutter of Mr Smith’s Canon SLR like a semi-automatic machine gun, mixed with tearing flesh and low pitched growls as the two males fed. Calling in the sighting we left to get back to camp to ensure we were able to meet up with the other guests. The lions had a large meal and we knew they would more than likely be there for some time, coming back to visit them later. It’s incredible. We had to warn staff at Pioneer Camp to ensure they were aware of the lions right outside their entrance and to be mindful during the day as the interaction was bound to attract other predators to the scene. The staff canteen was full of commotion about the lions and the hippo they had killed, so much so that we decided to go out to see how far the lions had got and whether there was another story to be told. Heading back towards Taylors Dam, to where we had seen the lions that morning, we found not two but now four lions, two lionesses from the Styx pride had heard the commotion and had come to investigate. It was an unusual sighting, as one of the lionesses you could see was quite skinny and clearly hungry but was not feeding, where the other lioness and older female was feeding alongside the males. Every time the younger lioness tried to feed, the males would aggressively confront her, forcing her to submit and retreat to a nearby bush. She would try again and the interaction would become more and more aggressive, leading to the flashback Friday image of the lioness bearing her teeth at Mr T. Sheer power seen in both lion’s bodies as they face off each other before the lioness very wisely submitted and retreated. Why was one lioness accepted and the other not? And what would happen next we all thought! We would find out that evening, as the often tranquil evenings, was now filled with lion roars, growls and cries, that were so loud I don’t think anyone slept that night. Investigating the area in the morning, we came across a gory sight, the lions had moved the hippo closer to Pioneer car park, and we could see by the spoor marks, fur and blood throughout the Pioneer car park that a huge fight had taken place that evening and someone had come off second best. But who? We found out about an hour later over the radio, warning staff that there was a lioness walking through the staff village. The guides moved in to investigate to find the female breathing heavily at Camp Dam, she had been mauled by the two males and was in a bad state. Nature at her cruelest, watching the magnificent animal take her last breath in front of us was very sad. Why had the males killed her? It’s hard to understand the lion dynamics in the Sabi Sands, and ever changing saga, which fascinates us all on a daily basis. Nothing is wasted in the end, the lioness’s body was later consumed by crocodiles who found her body on the banks of camp dam. I will never forget the events of that day and it will forever stay with me and all that had the privilege of seeing nature in all her glory. The circle of life. https://unearthexperience.com/lion-warfa...bulations/ Kinky Tail – Photo Credit: Rory Loader  *This image is copyright of its original author
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