Graphic content: Lions Kill Buffalo

Not one for sensitive viewers!

Three of the Selati male lion coalition destroy a big buffalo bull…

Battle At Idube Hits One Million Views!

This awesome capture of the Othawa pride of lions fighting a herd of buffalo for control of a small calf at Idube’s Marula Dam has been featured on television worldwide and now has over a million views on YouTube.

Idube Safari Highlights #150: 19–22 July 2012

In this highlights video:

The title clip features a male kudu feeding.

One of a group of 6 or more elephant bulls close to the lodge.

One of the Selati male lions (#4) whom we found on foot.

The Maxabeni (3:3 young) male leopard at night.

The big buffalo herd.

A Selati male lion in the company of a Ximhungwe lioness.

A male hippo sporting some serious bite marks, looks like he was pushed out of his spot in the river by a bigger male.

Hlab’nkunzi female leopard watching the hippo as it passes under the tree her impala kill is stashed in.

An outburst of aggression between hippos at hippo pools.

A giraffe feeding along the northern bank of the Sand river.

A herd of elephants descending a steep sandbank to drink at the river.

A lovely sighting of a serval on the clearings in front of the lodge.

Close up shots of a herd of elephants.

Hlab’nkunzi female leopard lying in the grass close to her kill which she had moved around in the tree a bit.

Hippos coming out of the water to lie on a sandbank in the morning sun.

A mating pair of lions – Selati male/Ximhungwe female.

A small zebra foal.

A side-striped jackal in the road.

One of a couple of hyena chewing on some old bones.

Another herd of elephants around the lodge.

The Selati male lions just as they finish feeding on a nyaa and go to rest.

Hlab’nkunzi female leopard feeding on her kill.

3 Ximhungwe lionesses feeding on a wildebeest they caught moments before.

Idube Safari Highlights # 149: 12–15 July 2012

In this highlights video:

The opening title features a close up of an elephants trunk as it feeds on the branches of a marula tree.

A white-backed and hooded vulture at the carcass of a buffalo cow that two of the Selati male lions had finished off close to the lodge.

The two Selati male lions had been joined by a Ximhungwe lioness at the kill, they moved off a short distance and were sleeping in the grass.

A large group of buffalo bulls in the Mabrak riverbed.

The Kashane male leopard sleeping close to the lodge.

A giraffe bull feeding on an acacia tree in the early morning.

One of a group of bull elephants feeding on a freshly pushed over marula tree.

A big herd of cape buffalo moving through the bush at dusk.

A close-up of the Kashane male leopard.

Some of the Selati male lions sporting fresh injuries after more in-fighting over mating rights.

A big herd of buffalo crossing the road.

Kashane male leopard patrolling his extended territory along the banks of the Sand river.

The Tai Dam male leopard (Previously the Shangwa 3:3 young male) listening out for movement as he looks for a meal.

The big buffalo herd, we found them whilst tracking one of the Selati male lions. His tracks went straight past the herd.

Selati male lion, the one we were tracking. He had circled ahead of the herd and decided to watch them from the elevated position of the termite mound.

The Romance Between the Selati Male Lions And Othawa Lionesses

Once the Selati male lions established themselves a Killing one and chasing the other two Mapogo lions, their next job was to take over a pride.

In the Northern parts of their new territory was the Othawa pride, once controlled by the Mapogo and raising four cubs fathered by them, the cubs were young and were soon gone and by May and June 2012 all three females were mating with the new territory holders.

The Following videos were filmed at the end of May and beginning of June as the Selati males established their right to mate with the females:

Male #3 was actually mating with both the lionesses in this clip.

 

Male #4 with one of the lionesses after the group finished a buffalo kill

Male #4 and the female again, this time he got it a bit wrong.

 

Male #4 and the female mate for a third time in less than 30 mins!

 

2 Days later and #4 is still with his lady.

 

The mating was less frequent now, this session about 30 mins after the first.

 

#3 takes over the lioness from #4 after a fight – #4 took over the lioness that was with #3!

 

Later the same day #3’s wounds have dried and the mating continues.

 

The next morning, after some more fighting, Male #2 takes over a lioness.

 

Nearly 40 mins between mating now.

 

A few days later, Male #2 was still mating with one of the lionesses.

Idube Safari Highlights #148: 09–12 June 2012

In this Highlights Video:

The title clip is the sunset over the Drakensberg mountains.

Metsi female leopard joined up with the Dewane male leopard with intent to mate.

Part of the big buffalo herd in the south-western section of the reserve

The Ximhungwe pride of lions (3 females, 3 youngsters) resting after feeding on a young member of the buffalo herd.

Another part of the buffalo herd on the south-eastern side of the reserve come down to drink at Lion Pan.

Some elephants close to the lodge

A huge crocodile on a sand bank in the Sand river.

Metsi female leopard, still together with the Dewane male.

Responding to a reoprt that the Selati male lions may have come back into the western sector we spent most of the morning trying to track them down. Eventually we found them sleeping off a meal of buffalo bull.

Crocodiles at the causeway in the Sand river.

A hippo in the deep channel of the Sand river.

The Selati males, still on site with the buffalo kill.

The Shangwa 3:3 young male leopard, we saw him hunt and catch a porcupine.

Hlab’nkunzi female leopard watching impala outside the lodge. She had been in the lodge grounds overnight.

The Selati males finishing off the remains of their buffalo kill. Hooded vultures surround the kill picking up scraps.

A huge bull elephant feeding on the side of the road.

Idube Safari Highlights #147: 05 – 09 June 2012

In this highlights video:

The title clip features the Dewane male leopard.

A courting pair of lions – Selati male and Othawa lioness, here the male is using his vomeronasal organ to check the receptiveness of the female.

Dewane male leopard patrolling his territory at night.

A newborn baby elephant staying close to the protective mother.

A big male giraffe feeding.

A buffalo bull ruminating.

A herd of elephants feeding in the Sand river.

Selati male lions with an Othawa lioness along the banks of the Sand river.

Dewane male leopard watching a waterbuck run across the clearings before continuing his patrol.

2 Selati male lions on the clearings in front of the lodge, following a scent trail.

One of the Othawa lionesses sitting on top of a termite mound, the two male lions were following her scent, a third male was in the area but was well hidden in the grass.

Metsi female leopard in the branches of a tall tree, keeping a close eye on the Maxabeni 3:3 young male leopard below her.

A second Othawa lioness feeding on a buffalo calf that she had caught alone after being chased from another kill by the Ximhungwe pride. She was within spitting distance of the two leopards

The Ximhungwe pride of lions (3 females and 2 youngsters – one young male missing) feeding on the remains of a buffalo calf that two Othawa lionesses had killed. The third Othawa lioness was happily feeding together with the Ximhungwes after initially being chased off, unaware that her sister had another kill close by.

The buffalo herd that the lions had been picking calves out of was still close to the lions.

Three Selati males and one Othawa lioness lying close to the lodge.

Tassleberry female leopard lying close to an impala kill she had hidden in the long grass.

The big buffalo herd at sunset.

One Othawa lioness watching the Metsi and Maxabeni leopards walk past in the dark, she did chase them but it was too dark to film. Both leopards got away safely.

One of the Selati male lions close to the lodge on the way back for dinner.

Bull elephants right outside the lodge first thing, they headed to Schotia dam to drink.

Shangwa female leopard looking for food north of the river. The wound in her back leg is probably from a run in with the Selati male lions who are thought to have stolen her previous kill. She walks through a herd of giraffe with neither species paying much attention to one another.

Idube Safari Highlights #146: 02 - 05 June 2012

In this highlights video:

The title clip features a close-up of a male giraffe.

Some elephants browsing outside the lodge.

Hlab’nkunzi female leopard feeding on an impala kill she had killed a couple of days previously.

The Selati male lions sleeping in a grassy area.

A young elephant just outside the lodge.

The Selati male lions patrolling in the same area they were sleeping in the previous clip of them.

One of the Selati male lions listening to his brothers roaring.

A business of dwarf mongoose sunning themselves.

A giraffe feeding.

Another group of elephants outside the lodge.

Tassleberry female leopard hiding deep in some red grass.

Some plains zebra, the lodge is named after them…

A buffalo bull moving through some tall thatching grass.

A brief glimpse of the Dewane male and Dam3 female leopards as they move in and out of the mombosa drainage line.

The Selati male lions patrolling in the north, their attention was on some buffalo in the distance.

The Ximhungwe pride, found after tracking the whole afternoon. # females and 3 youngsters were found. This was confirmation that only one of the male youngsters had been caught by the Selati males earlier in the month and not all three like was previously feared.

The Maxabeni 3:3 young male leopard exploring his new surroundings, again it took the whole morning drive to track him down.

Idube Safari Highlights #145: 20 - 23 May 2012

In this highlights video:

The title sequence features one of the Selati male lions on the rocks in the Sand river.

Buffalo bulls in the Mabrak riverbed at Madagwaan crossing.

A young bull elephant on the southern side of the waterboard.

The Othawa lionesses had joined the Selati male lions at the buffalo kill and the meat was basically finished.

A pair of white-tailed mongoose.

A new male leopard in the Western sector: the Maxabeni 3:3 young male from the Londolozi area.

The lone Ximhungwe lioness resting close to a young zebra that she had killed.

A tatty old buffalo bull feeding next to the vehicle.

Dewane male leopard, fast asleep after a long night of patrolling.

Kashane male leopard sitting in a position where he could watch the clearings for food.

A lovely elephant herd on the southern bank of the Sand river.

Kashane male leopard lying next to a fresh impala kill.

One of a pair of hippo bulls that had been fighting along the river at Inyati causeway.

Two separate mating pairs of lions – Selati males/Othawa lionesses lying a few hundred meters apart.

Whilst we were having a drinks break we could hear som commotion with the lions, we returned to find the two mating pairs had met one another and the males had started fighting. A third male was also in the area. the fight resulted in the two mating pairs swapping partners.

The lions were still together on the afternoon drive.

A spotted hyena feeding on the buffalo carcass the lions left behind.

The lions had been fighting overnight again and the lionesses were with different partners.

A big herd of elephants close to the lodge to end with.

Idube Safari Highlights #144: 16 - 18 May 2012

In this highlights video:

The title clip features waterbuck an impala on the clearings close to the lodge.

The four Selati male lions resting next to the road close to the Sand river.

A spotted hyena walking down the road at night.

The Tassleberry female leopard in the long grass close to the Tulamanzi drainage line.

Buffalo bulls along the banks of the Sand river.

A young member of a herd of elephants with an itchy ear.

The Xindlevhana male leopard, once thought to be dead. It seems he has taken over the territory that the Xinzele male occupied before the floods.

A male hippo feeding on the side of the lodge access road at night.

Kashane male leopard with an impala kill close to the Mabrak river.

The Selati male lions feeding on a buffalo that they killed overnight on the bank of the Sand river.

Idube Safari Highlights #143: 06 & 10 - 13 May 2012

In this highlights video:

The title clip features a warthog on the lawn inside Idube lodge.

The Tassleberry female leopard on the bank of the Tulamanzi drainage line.

Dewane male leopard walking along Mackenzie cutline in the dark.

Kashane male leopard in the Ximobonyane drainage line, resting close to an impala kill.

Dewane male leopard marking territory no more than 1km away from Kashane’s position.

One of a group of bull elephants feeding in a bush willow thicket.

Three of the Selati male lions and the three Othawa lionesses together, mating was taking place but is not shown in this video. One of the males had wounds on his leg so there had been some fighting over possession of the lionesses.

The big buffalo herd crossing the main road onto Idube property.

The Tassleberry female watching some impala on Nkombe dam clearings.

Kashane male leopard, fast asleep near his kill.

A large-spotted genet resting on a fallen tree.

An artistic shot of a giraffe at Piva pan.

The Selati males and Othawa lioness across the river on Othawa airstrip.

Kashane male leopard grooming after feeding on his kill.

An elephant herd digging for roots.

The Ximhungwe pride of lions back in the west after spending some weeks avoiding the Selati males.

Dewane male patrolling his territory along the edge of Idube property.

The four Selati male lions following the scent of the lone Ximhungwe lioness, they had just left the Othawa lionesses and were a bit tired so they gave up.

The Ximhungwe Pride Of Lions

 

One of our resident pride of lions is known as the Ximhungwe pride, here is a condensed history of the pride together with some videos from le last couple of years:

Ximhungwe pride feeding on a wildebeest after the mapogos had been kicked out.

In 2004 the 6 females of the Castleton pride were taken over by the Sand River Male aka Dzunani and soon were producing cubs all over the place. Due to the fact that the pride seldom crossed onto Castleton property anymore it was decided to rename them after the large open area that they were now spending most of their time - Ximhungwe clearings.

The youngsters of the Ximhungwe pride face an uncertain future

18 cubs were born between 2004/2005 but the numbers dropped to 16 then 12. Such a large pride struggled to feed all their members and were often seen in bad condition. The times when they did get good food their condition improved overnight.

The pride in more stable times, together with the Mapogo males

Sadly a combination of Bovine TB and the arrival of the Mapogo males meant that the pride went into freefall in 2006, 5 of the six lionesses and Dzunani were all gone by the end of the year. The cubs were also reduced to a group of 3 young lionesses and a young male. The Ravenscourt pride (once originally part of the Castleton pride) was also in decline for similar reasons and the pride male (the brother of the remaining lioness) came across to spend more time with the Ximhungwes, when one of the youngsters was killed by a hyena we were all surprised to see the pride numbers were unchanged a few days later. The last remaining member of the Ravenscourt pride - a young lioness, had also been integrated into the group. The pride now spent most of their time trying to avoid the Mapogo and the Castleton male was trying hard to forge a bond with the young male, a bond that we hoped would last.

The youngsters were very interested in some of the debris that the floods bring every year

In 2008 the Tsalala pride (2 adult females 1 sub female and 1 sub male) started to be seen in our traversing area, another breakaway from the Castleton pride, they had moved in under pressure from the Mapogo. The young male soon moved off to become known as Solo and the 2 lionesses started to be seen mating with the Mapogo males, the sub-adult female was seen alone a couple of times.

When the cubs were a bit younger, together with the Mapogo males on a kill

One morning we came across the Ximhungwe pride on a zebra kill and noticed that there were now 5 instead of 4 lionesses in the group, the Tsalala youngster had joined with her distant relatives!

Some of the cubs that did not make it. This is the first female to mate with the Selati males

It was not long after this that the 2 males were put down after being found eating a dog which tested positive for Rabies, a week or two later and they would have been inoculated against the disease as the authorities were busy with all the large predators at the time :( .

The pride members in this video are no longer with us

This then opened up the pride to a takeover by the Mapogo, all the lionesses were almost of breeding age so there was no threat to the group. Cubs were born in 2009 and early 2010 that did not survive, the current crop of cubs from late 2010 and 2011 stands at 4 (3 males and a female). the pride is now down to 4 lionesses after the death of the last of the Castleton females, they are now truly the Ximhungwe pride!

The last castleton lioness showing what a good mother she was

With the vanquishing of the Mapogo males by the Selati coalition in March 2012 the pride is once again under threat from a takeover and it will be interesting to see if these four lionesses will be able to raise the cubs despite the new males being around, the same way that they themselves were raised…

The following videos are all from when the various cubs were small, some didn’t make it but the four youngsters remaining are in the clips too:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An finally, turn your sound up as the youngsters bid you all farewell:

 

Idube Safari Highlights #142: 18 - 21 April 2012

In this Highlights video:

The title sequence features a Nile or Water Monitor.

Elephants feeding on a termite mound.

Xikavi female leopard, who we found by following tracks and her distinctive roar.

Two of the Othawa lionesses, the third was reportedly in the company of the Selati males, east of our boundary.

A crocodile sunning itself on the riverbank.

A musth bull elephant pushing down a tree to show off his strength.

A Ximhungwe lioness in front of the lodge, we found her there after a long time tracking.

Female giraffe.

A lone buffalo bull close to the lodge.

Xikavi female leopard with an impala kill, we spent most of the drive with her.

Hyena coming to check us out first thing in the morning.

A huge herd of elephants. The female with the even, curved tusks is known for chasing the vehicles and sure enough, when we left the sighting she followed at speed!

Idube Safari Highlights #141: 14 - 18 April 2012

In this Highlights video:

The title sequence shows the Tlangisa female leopard walking towards the camera.

Elephant herd with calves close to the lodge.

Shangwa 3:3 young male leopard up a tree feeding on an impala whilst the Shangwa female watches from the ground.

The three Othawa lionesses, seen together for the first time for weeks. They were left hunting impala.

A nice big bull elephant on Idube access road.

Tlangisa female leopard drinking in a puddle at the side of the road.

A dark chanting goshawk feeding on a small snake.

A lone buffalo bull feeding in the reeds.

The pack of African wild dogs chasing impala and then feeding on the kill.

Three of the four Selati male lions, they had been responding to the calls of one of the Ximhungwe lionesses. 

Dewane male leopard patrolling, then taking a break to clean himself.

One of the troop of baboons that have been hanging around the lodge.

The Ximhungwe pride of lions (minus one female) sleeping close to the western boundary.

A hyena right outside the lodge grounds.

A nice relaxed elephant herd.

The Ximhungwe pride moving towards the eastern boundary.

The Shangwa 3:3 young male leopard, we spent almost the whole drive with him as he stalked various animals.

Zebra outside the lodge.

Kashane male leopard up a tree, looking rather unhappy as he had just lost his kill to a clan of hyena.

The african wild dog pack feeding and playing, they had caught another impala.

The hyena clan resting with the remains of their stolen impala.

Idube Safari Highlights #140: 05 - 08 April 2012

In this Highlights video:

The title page features a herd of zebra.

A large herd of elephants coming to drink at Ebony dam, north of the lodge.

A small herd of buffalo (a few males and one female) in the dry Mabrak riverbed.

Tlangisa female leopard posing in a tree with the moon rising behind her.

A quick glimpse of the Dam 3 female as she walked off from an attempt to mate with the Dewane male (who we did not see).

The Shangwa 3:3 young male leopard on a walkabout. 

The four Selati male lions at the confluence of the Kloof and Sand rivers.

A baby crocodile sunning itself on part of the broken causeway in the Sand river.

The Ximhungwe pride of lions resting in some long grass and teak thickets.

A huge bull elephant close up.

Hlab'nkunzi female leopard throwing herself at the Dewane male again, eventually they would mate...

The same huge bull elephant as earlier in the moonlight (And Ronald in the clip too!).

A side-striped jackal next to the road.

The Selati male lions caught a buffalo early in the morning, we missed the hunt but arrived as the last life was being strangled from the huge beast.

Kashane male leopard on patrol close to the lodge.

Returning to the Selati males in the afternoon, the kill now dragged into a bit of shade.

A small family of elephants at the confluence of the Mabrak and Sand rivers.

Kashane male leopard after an unsuccessful kudu hunt close to the lodge.

Reedbuck and hippo at Marula dam.

A nice herd of elephants with a few feisty calves.

Hippo at Xikwenga dam during a coffe break.

On a drive with Wessel:

Another playful young elephant.

A nice view of a herd off zebra.

The Ximhungwe pride of lions fast asleep.

A fascinating sighting of a young side-striped jackal catching flying termites.

Idube Safari Highlights #139: 02 - 04 April 2012

In this Highlights video:

The title credits feature the Shangwa 3:3 young male leopard

The Ximhungwe pride were deep in the south west, away from the Selati males. Here the youngsters are relaxed and playing.

After leaving the lions we had drinks and headed back to the lodge, bumping into the Hlab'nkunzi female leopard on the way back.

A herd of elephants that were feeding in the thick bush below Alberts koppies

A lone buffalo bull feeding on the side of the road.

A big bull elephant having a drink at Piva pan.

Hlab'nkunzi female leopard trailing the Dewane male, trying to tempt him to mate with her. She was not having much luck, her attempts were violently rejected mostly!

A herd of elephants close to the lodge.

The Selati males resting next to the road, north of the river.

Shangwa female leopard grooming her son before he moves off to feed on their impala kill.

A surprise sighting of the Selati males on a morning patrol, their tracks were still being followed on the other side of the reserve when we found them!

A herd of giraffe that the lions walked past.

A lovely bull elephant feeding on some lush green grass.

Another herd of giraffe. One of the males was keen to mate, but the female kept walking away.

At the end of the drive the Selati males were seen resting just to the south of the lodge.

Idube Safari Highlights #138: 31 March - 02 April 2012

In This Highlights video:

The title credits show a crocodile in the Sand River.

A small herd of elephants close to the lodge.

The Ximhungwe pride of lions feeding on a wildebeest, lots of interaction and growling. The kill was not far from the lodge.

Elephant bulls splashing around in Dam 5.

The Selati Males on a night patrol, they passed close to the Ximhungwe pride but did not notice them.

The Tassleberry female leopard in the Tulamznzi drainage line.

A young hyena that had the scent of the Tassleberry female but could not find her.

Zebra on the clearings in the south.

Giraffe on the camp clearings, they could be seen from breakfast.

A small group of buffalo bulls resting, with red-billed oxpeckers picking off parasites.

Shangwa female leopard on patrol in the new reaches of her territory, North of the river.

The Selati males on a morning patrol, North of the river. the four males had covered a huge distance. they did stop and rest at Kiri crossing for the day.

African Big Cats: Mating Lions (HD)

In the days leading up to the fight between the Mapogo and Selati coalitions one of the Ximhungwe lionesses was on heat. At the time she came into oestrus, the Mapogo were at the edge of the territory feeding on a buffalo, the Selati males were roaring within earshot so she instincively headed towars the males that she could hear, driven by the urge to mate. The Selati males mated with her and she returned to her pride a few days later. A couple of weeks later she again came into oestrus. This time the Mapogo werte quiet after a run-in with the Selati males so she again headed to mate with the new coalition. A few days into the mating period the Mapogo had regained their confidence and started roaring, the lioness heard the roars and ran away from her Selati partner towards the more familiar roars of her dominant coalition. This video shows the resulting reunion of the Ximhungwe lioness and Mapogo male. Things have changed now, but by mating with both coalitions any cubs she produces may have a better chance of survival in the changing dynamics of the local lion population.

Majestic Lions In Glorious Sunshine

A look back at Mapogo male Mr.T looking glorious early one morning as he and Makulu walk across the clearings in front of the lodge. Their attention was on a male leopard (Kashane Male) walkin on the clearings on the other side of the dam.

A New Era Begins: Meet The Selati Male Lions

The Selati Males are a coalition of four lions born into the Southern Pride in 2007 and 2008 and sired by the Golf Course males. When they first left their maternal pride there were five males but their wanderings brought them into the territory of the Majingalane males where a fight between the two coalitions resulted in one of the younger Selati males being fatally wounded. The four males needed to find a place to grow and avoid contact with the Majingalanes and that saw them pushing towards the western section of the reserve, a place that they had been previously as youngsters when the pride was spending time trailing the buffalo herd. It was a slow approach, the young males were accomplished buffalo hunters and following the big herd and building themselves up was the primary goal at the time. At this time the young Othawa pride had also taken a liking to the buffalo herd and inevitably the two groups met, this time it was the Selati males that emerged as the victors, killing the youngest male of the pride. The victory proved to be short lived as the Mapogo coalition somehow got wind of the new males on the edges of their territory and chased them back south.
It would be a while before we heard of the Selati males in the west again, but eventually they did return, again following the big buffalo herd. At the same tome two of the Mapogo males were in the same general area, also looking for the buffalo, speculation was rife as to what would happen if the four young males bumped into the two big old males - would numbers or experience win the day? In the end there was no confrontation, both sets of males making a kill a few kilometres apart. The two mapogos only took down a calf, whilst the Selati boys had an adult, this meant that the two older males finished first and began patrolling, straight towards the younger males. It seems that upon hearing the roars of the Mapogo getting closer, the Selati males left their buffalo kill and moved briskly in the opposite direction, the older males never even knew they were there and another conflict had been avoided.
Again it would be a couple of months before the Selati males were heard of in the west, but the next time they were close things were beginning to change. One of the lionesses from the Ximhungwe pride had come into oestrus and was looking for a mate. The three Mapogo were a long distance from the pride with a buffalo kill and she did not know where they were. The Selati males were roaring to her east and following her urge to find a mate she went towards the position where she would be sure to find a male. Mating occurred with one or more of the Selati males and she returned to the pride a few days later, just as the Mapogo had finished their kill. The Mapogo would have had no idea she had mated with rival males so there would be no problems with any eventual cubs.
The Selati males had now received a confidence boost, the lure of females brought them further west once more, again at a time when the ruling Mapogo coalition were indisposed, this time with two buffalo kills between the three of them. The Selati males were patrolling and marking late one evening and were seen heading in the general direction of where the older males were feeding.
The next morning the four young males were found looking very pleased with themselves only a short distance away from where the Mapogo coalition had been feeding, the three Mapogo were found shortly after, heading away from the area, one of the males was badly beaten. It seemed that the Selati males had begun a serious attempt to takeover the Mapogo territory.
Whilst the Mapogo males stayed quiet in the southern reaches of their territory, the Selati males began to explore the northern areas and made themselves a buffalo kill, the takeover was on pause whilst they fed.
At around this time the Ximhungwe lioness came back into oestrus, and again the Mapogos were quiet whilst the Selati males were roaring, having finished feeding. Again the lionesses hormones took her to the younger males as her pride males were inactive. A day or two later the Mapogos did begin to advertise their presence and the lioness hurriedly left the young males to continue mating with the males she was more familiar with.
The 4 Selati males, knowing the position of the older males, began to further explore the northern areas before becoming hungry and returning south to look for the buffalo herd. The mapogos again took down a pair of buffalo, close to the spot where the previous double kill occurred. The Selati males were at this time only a maximum of two kilometres away and it seemed another fight was on the cards.
To begin with, nothing happened, the two coalitions missed each other. Then on the morning of the 16th of March they met...
The ensuing battle resulted in two of the Mapogo heading east to the far edge of their territory and one of them lying dead on the side of the road, tattered torn and broken. The four Selati males had some superficial scratches and seemingly a new territory.
In the days since the fight the Selati males have been up and down the western section, making, calling and generally establishing themselves as the new owners of the area. they still have to take over the two resident prides (Othawa and Ximhungwe) and there is till the possibility that the remaining two Mapogo males may try to fight back.
The coming months will be an interesting time for the local lion population as well as for those that follow the developments, already the tracks of the remaining two Mapogo males have been seen in the area again, and the one of the Selati males got a bit of a hiding from the lionesses of the Ximhunwe pride when he came too close this morning!