LIONS - Nkorho & Elephant Plains Area

Today Jacques ( NK-ranger) said they havent seen ore heard from the Windmill pride about a month, He was told that the Manyeleti brothers are in the Manyeleti area. No news on the only sandriver survivor.

Henny van Heerden updated her South africa photo's and i saw this one! This photo is a MUST see for all lion lovers!

The Crown Prince of the Eyrefield pride.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hvhe1/3251672592/in/set-72157611334933511/

take care

Styx Pride

Information/background has been gathered from various sites ((Mala Mala, Londolozi, Djuma, Savanna, Nkorho, Elephant Plains, Singita, Exeter, Arathusa, Ulusaba, Inyati, Wildwatch) and their sightings databases along with some very helpful people answering questions sent their way.

Styx Pride occasionally referred to as the Mlowati Pride possibly referencing their past association with the Mlowathi/Mlowati males that use to dominate them.

Home Territory is mostly in Mala Mala.

This story starts in early 2000. The Styx pride consisted of a total of eight. One adult lioness of approximately 10 ½ years in age, four sub adult males two of which were a little over 4 yrs of age and two 3 ¾ yrs of age who reached independence around November 2000, and three sub adult females approximately 4 ¼ yrs of age. Though this pride has been in existence for at least two and a half decades, these 4 lionesses (1 adult, 3 sub adults) were the beginning of the pride we know today. The pride, as it existed then, were one of few that managed to stay out from under the dominance of the forceful West Street Males. The West Street Males were a coalition of five males that sired many of the lions we still see today in the area including the six Mapogo Males/Eyrefield Males.

An interesting note about this pride, back around 2000 two lionesses reportedly broke off or were separated from the Styx pride and became known as the Sandy Patch aka Safari pride.

Today the pride consists of seven lionesses, only 2 Styx lionesses from the original 4 are still alive. They are 2 sisters that are now 13 yrs of age. The other 5 are surviving cubs from the original 2000 core of 1 adult and 3 sub-adult females.

Approximate age of the 7 Styx lionesses in February 2009

2 Adult lionesses appx 13 yrs and 5 mos

1 Adult lioness 7 yrs and 10 mos - Sired by one of the Mlowathi Males

1 Adult lioness 7 yrs - Sired by one of the Mlowathi Males

2 Adult Lionesses 5 yrs and 6 months - Sired by one of the Split Rock Males

1 Adult Lioness 5 yrs and 4 mos - Sired by one of the Split Rock Males

As of late July 2008 they had 11 to 12 surviving cubs including two just recently being born. As of Mar 2009, the exact count of cubs is uncertain but there are at least 9 and possibly more with speculation of recent births by at least one lioness.

The Styx pride are known to be hard Mothers. They haven’t had much success in raising cubs for a number of years now. Maybe this is the year that reputation changes.

In 2006 they had cubs by the Split Rock males. One of the males died in 2006 and the other old male maintained control of the Styx pride until mid 2007 when he was pushed out by the Roller Coaster males. Prior to the Styx pride being taken over by the Roller Coaster males, they lost all their cubs by the end of 2006 probably from infanticide by the Roller Coaster males.

Mid 2007, one of the Roller Coaster males was killed by a Crocodile. Since then, his brother has maintained dominance over the Styx pride and is believed to be the Sire of their current cubs. There have been a number of reports of the Styx lionesses seen mating with males from the Mapogo Coalition but the old Roller Coaster male is usually in attendance with the Styx pride and accepts the cubs as his. So don’t tell him they might not all be his.

The latest reports indicate the two oldest cubs were sired by the Roller Coaster male, the other seven it is unsure rather it was the Roller Coaster or the Mapogos or a combination of both that sired them. March reports indicate another lioness has very young cubs that were sired by the Mapogo/Eyrefield males.

There have also been several reports of the Styx pride fighting off Mapogo Males when they came near their cubs. Below are a couple of the recent fights between the Styx Pride and the Mapogo/Eyrefield Males as reported by Mala Mala.

August 2008

It seems the Mapogos found the Styx pride with their 11 cubs on Aug 10th. It was said the 5 male lions didn't pay much attention to the lionesses until they noticed the cubs. They went for the cubs and the Styx girls went into action fighting the males but of course they were no match for 5 big males and had to depart. The Mapogos went in search of the cubs but it was believed they couldn't find any. A couple of days later the latest Styx mother and her two new cubs were still safe in their den area. On the 15th of Aug. the rangers were relieved to see the rest of the pride along with the other 9 cubs so all survived the Mapogo attack.

The Styx pride have always been questioned about their Motherly qualities and are usually shown in a bad light when it comes to taking care of their little ones. In their defense… one must reconsider how good of Mothers they truly are. Taking on 5 big males to defend their cubs and grant the little ones time to escape to safety was indeed heroic.

On another Aug 2008 encounter between the Styx Pride and the Mapogos the Styx didn’t fare as well. The encounter was with 3 Mapogo males and the adult lionesses had an aggressive fight with them. One cub was caught and slung in the air but managed to survive and take refuge in the nearby rocks. The adult lionesses escaped unhurt except for one lioness that received fairly bad bite marks on her back but she recovered quickly.

December 2008

Another heroic attempt to keep their cubs safe was noted on Mala Mala, December 7th sighting. Mala Mala calls it the Battle at Campbell Koppies.

Two of the Mapogo Males, Kinky Tail and one they call MoHawk who have been frequenting the Mala Mala area in recent months, moved slowly one morning straight towards where the Styx Pride pride, the cubs and the old Roller Coaster male were resting. A fight was surely imminent when they spotted each other but instead the pride did nothing and the Mapogos skirted around them and found shade for the day.

That afternoon, the Mapogos and the Styx pride were all in the exact same place fast asleep. Things changed in the evening! The Styx pride with their cubs and the old Roller Coaster male in tow, moved straight towards the two Mapogo aka Eyrefiled males. The two Mapogo males sensed the females approaching and rose to meet them. Upon visual contact the Mapogos started roaring and ran at the Styx pride and the Roller Coaster male. All 7 of the lionesses and the old male scattered and retreated to the safety of the Campbell Koppies with their cubs. When the two Mapogo males came near the rocky area, the lionesses burst down from the koppies roaring and headed straight towards the two males. The two males hastily retreated back to the Milowati river. After the lionesses gave chase they returned to their cubs and the Roller Coaster male back towards the koppies. The two Mapogo males took this opportunity to mount another charge aimed at the lionesses roaring all the way. This time the Styx pride retreated to behind the Campbell Koppies and were moving away from the Mapogos. The two males rounding the western koppies ran into a well laid ambush. Five of the lionesses waited for their arrival and again charged the two Mapogos. Again with tucked tails the two ran for the Milowathi River with the girls in hot pursuit. The other two lionesses and the old Roller Coaster male had moved off with the cubs. Not admitting defeat the two Mapogo males again mounted another charge and sent the five lionesses scattering in all directions. Then a contest between the Mapogo males and the old Roller Coaster male erupted. Roaring back and forth with neither admitting defeat. The five lionesses set up a distract the Mapogos strategy which seemed to work well while the cubs were being lead further away to safety by the other two lionesses. Their strategy was to separate in all directions and roar loudly to distract/confuse the two Mapogos. The old Roller Coaster male split quickly as he had no real intentions it seemed to try and impose his dominance on the two Mapogo males.

Mar 4th 2009 the Styx Pride and the Roller Coaster male had yet another run in with two Mapogo males. Reports were of 4 Styx lionesses accompanied by 9 cubs and the old Roller Coaster male giving the two Mapogos a severe beating. The Styx lionesses came out of it with minor injuries and the old Roller Coaster male was limping and some new scratches to his nose but apparently nothing serious.
The next day, the two Mapogos had apparently met up with another Styx lioness who had made a kill near the Gowrie boundary and joined her for the feast.

Watch the Girls in Action: The Styx Moms proved again they are being serious about protecting their cubs this time around. As shown in this clip from an awesome sighting on Sept. 2nd, 2008 titled "Styx Girls Fight to Protect Their Cubs PM 09/02/08". (action starts about 2 1/2 minutes in)

Styx Girls Fight To Protect Cubs

Other interesting traits to the Styx Pride.

They seem to have a true hatred of Leopards. There are numerous reports of them chasing leopards and killing them. They are the pride reported to have killed the White Cloth female leopard’s 18 month old son in of June 2007. Also for killing the Campbell Koppies female leopard’s 3 yr old daughter, known as “Yo” on Mala Mala, in January 2008. There have been reports of them chasing different leopards at different locations all in a matter of hours. It seems the Styx pride takes their hatred of leopards to an extreme.

One of the older lionesses who has two cubs is known for taking down adult Kudu on her own. Her and her young cubs seem to be well fed due to her excellent hunting techniques. She is a brave old lady also, when she and her two young cubs were on one of her Kudu kills along with the Roller Coaster male (he never misses a free meal), the Eyrefield pride approached 12 strong (3 adult lionesses and 9 sub adults) and though strongly out numbered she managed to chase off the entire Eyrefield Pride and retain her well earned meal. A few bad scratches were all she received from the encounter.

This old lioness is the same one that gave birth right next to a game drive vehicle that was viewing the rest of the Styx pride in July 2008. The vehicle couldn’t move off as they were afraid their movement would put more pressure from an already intense moment thus they had to wait till the birthing process was over. Below is a video of the birth recorded by Ranger Graham Dyer that day.

Styx Lioness Giving Birth

We’ll end this story with a recent video of a Styx Pride Reunion by mabuhr. It just makes you want to say awww…

Styx Pride Reunion

Putting the Styx Pride story down in writing is very hard as there are so many chapters in their lives. We can only hope, with the new cubs, the Styx Pride will remain in existence for at least another two and a half decades.

Please remember, this information is not set in stone as it is an evolving story and there are conflicting accounts.

Updated Feb/Mar 2009

Aquila & Karen in VA

Manyeleti Males (Young)

They first appeared on Djuma in July 2008 coming from the North (Manyeleti).

Their history is unknown. Two very large young male lions estimated to be approximately 4 +/- years in age and more than likely brothers. Both sported fairly light colored manes with one having a fuller and more mature mane than the other. They were virtually scar free and it was assumed they had recently been pushed out of their pride.

Frequently venturing more and more into Djuma and neighboring reserves over the next months, they were seen in the company of two lionesses from Nkuhuma Pride and mating with the one known as Snaggletooth. They also spent time with the lone Sandy Patch lioness who currently has 3 cubs believed to be sired by one of the Manyeleti males.

Africam at Nkorho Lodge Video of Manyeleti Male with Snaggletooth from the Nkuhuma Pride by Sagresta

Manyeleti and Nkuhuma Nov 17, 2008

In early January 2009, reports came in that these two magnificent males had been in a fight sometime around Jan 3rd/4th. Speculations were that the Mapogos and these young males had clashed. This altercation happened near the Mala Mala/Kruger boundary South of Nkorho. One of the Manyeleti brothers was said to have been killed, however a few days later, both of the Manyeleti males were seen alive. The one with the immature mane though had been severely injured with his right back leg badly broken.

Africam Video Jan 9th, 2009 at Nkorho Lodge by pnutbutrnjely

Manyeleti Brothers at Nkorho Pan - One Injured

The one brother remained with his injured sibling for some time. The last time seen together... they were heading into Kruger but only the uninjured brother seems to have returned. It can only be presumed his brother is dead.

The most recent sighting of the surviving Manyeleti was in Buffelshoek on the morning of March 2nd, 2009. He was mating with Snaggletooth from the Nkuhuma Pride once again.

We were so looking forward to watching these two brothers mature and become a presence in the Nkorho & Djuma area. May the injured brother beat the odds of his demise and return to prove all wrong.

During their visits to Djuma, they provided some incredible sightings as portrayed in these videos:

Manyeleti Lions PM 18Oct08 by Sagresta

Manyeleti Lions Oct 18, 2008

Djuma The Manyeleti Males by justbrb while on Safari at Djuma Game Reserve

Manyeleti Males on Safari Aug/Sept 2008

Manyeleti Males vs Buffalo 10/20/08 - 2 by muttluver

Dagga Boys Take on the Manyeleti Males

Manyeleti Males vs Buffalo 10/20/08 - 3 by muttluver

Dagga Boys and Manyeleti Males continued

Updated Mar 2009

Aquila and Karen in VA

Aquila and Karen in VA.

Thank you so much for sharing this fantastic info with us!

NK Ranger Jaques said in the waterhole chat,  that you 2 do deserve a special Award. ( and i fully agree! )

You 2 made me aware that each pride is different, That each pride has a name, that each pride use's different ways to hunt.

It was so nice to learn that the Windmill pride does let the leopards in peace. Totally opposite on what the Styx ladies do to leopards. (bad cats)

It is because of this topic that i learned so much more about lions!

It is because on what you 2 posted that i found the malamala website and the leopards Hill website.

The Info on the malamala is beautifull!

For all you people who are reading this topic and enjoying it, and love to learn about Lion behaviour and interaction, Go take virtual visit at:

http://www.malamala.com/wildlife_7_lion.htm

On that link there is so much info to read about the Lion pride's!

YES HAPPY ME!   also a lot of info on the Windmills!

I sure do hope that this "traveling windmill pride" are gooing to show themselve's soon again on the NK webcam!

And one day i will meet them in real life!

Again to Aquila and  Karen VA Thank you for all info that you 2 did post! and please continue giving us all great information!

Take Care and Be Safe!

Mapogo Males/Eyrefield Males/Sparta Males

Information/background on The Mapogo Male Coalition has been gathered from various sites ((Mala Mala, Londolozi, Djuma, Savanna, Nkorho, Elephant Plains, Singita, Exeter, Arathusa, Ulusaba, Wildwatch) and their sightings databases along with some very helpful people answering questions sent their way.

We hope you find this info as interesting as we have.

Mapogo Coalition - 6 Male Lions also known as the Eyrefield Males, the Sparta Males and in some regions the “Cannibals“ They were named Mapogo after a security company that utilizes rather harsh methods in dealing with offenders. We’ve found several different meanings for Mapogo. Ulusaba refers to it as meaning “Vigilantes“ and Savanna Lodge refers to the Mapogo name being a Zulu word meaning “Rogues”. What ever the meaning, they are Bad News!

Pride they Originated From: Eyrefield Pride aka Sparta Pride This pride still exists and consists of 3 adult females and 9 cubs. Two of the remaining Eyrefield pride lionesses are siblings of the Mapogos and the third and oldest lioness may very well be the Mother to some of them. The dominant male of this Pride today is the one remaining Roller Coaster/Shaw/Castleton Male.

Sired by: A Coalition of 5 Male Lions known as The West Street Males aka The Sparta Males. (Note: There is a twist to this story that we will share a little later.) These males took over the Eyrefield/Sparta pride from the Manyeleti males in 1998. They were approximately 8 yrs of age at the time and successfully raised many cubs to adulthood during their reign. The last of this coalition died in 2004 at the approximate age of 14 years or even older (some reports indicated the last two were plus/minus 16 yrs in 2003 when two of the original four Marthly/Split Rock/Robson males moved in).

The Oldest Mapogo Male is said to be unrelated to the other 5. The story is that the original pride (Eyrefield/Sparta) lost a male sub adult of 20 to 21 months of age in May/June 2000 and in July 2000 this male of about the same age latched on to the original pride. Though not readily accepted by the lionesses, the West Street Males barely tolerated him though they did not kill him as he was no threat to their dominance due to his age.

His life was not an easy one as he was considered an outcast, yet this young lion became one of the boldest and most valued hunters by helping to keep the pride fed when the West Street males became too old.

Londolozi refers to the oldest Mapogo male as "Ngalalalekha”. Ngala means lion so does lalekha mean “old, older, oldest”? Another name for this male is "Ngalagalega" said to mean "The Lonely Lion".

This oldest Male is elusive. He is said to be bigger, bolder and darker than the other five. He is believed to be the sire of most of the Mapogo cubs that have been born so far but with more recent reports of matings it seems some of the other males will become fathers too if not already. (Note: See section on Cubs Sired by Mapogos Below)

One story about this older Mapogo male that sticks out in our minds is when Londolozi reported a sighting of two hyena clans on a buffalo carcass. A group of approximately 25 adult elephants standing shoulder to shoulder with little ones behind them were staring the hyenas down. A noise was heard behind the vehicle and when the spotlight was shown in that direction an “enormous” male lion burst into their sight roaring louder than any roar they had ever heard before which sent 30 hyenas scattering. It was the leader of the six Mapogos. He stared down the wall of elephants which after about 5 minutes of standing their ground finally gave way to the lone male and moved off.

The Older and currently the Dominant Male of the Coalition is easily identified by his broken right canine tooth.

The Other 5 Mapogo Males are said to be sired by the West Street Males but here is where the twist comes in...... the two youngest might have been sired by the Roller Coaster Males aka Shaw Males aka Castleton Males. The Roller Coaster males were believed to have started out as a Coalition of 6. Four of which enticed some of the Eyrefield/Sparta females into mating with them while the aging West Street males were away from the pride. Thus it is unclear who actually fathered the two youngest. And to add another little twist, it is said that the West Street Males who sired the Mapogos also fathered the Roller Coaster/Shaw/Castleton males.

Estimated ages of the Mapogo Coaliton as of Feb 2009:

Older Unrelated Male 10 yrs 4 mos

Two Older Related Males 8yrs 1 1/2 mos

One a Little Younger Male 7yrs 11 mos

Two youngest males (possibly sired by the Roller Coaster Males) 7yrs 3 mos

(They are distinguished from the others by their immature manes sporting mohawk style look to them. Sometimes referred to Mr T and T2 on some reserves with Mr T being known as Satan due to his aggression towards other lions/lionesses/cubs and his willingness to initiate a fight)

Order of Dominance: It is said that the Oldest Mapogo is still the most dominant of the six with the next in line for dominance being the one with a snipped tail (his tail tuff looks like someone took scissors and cropped it).

Cubs Sired by the Mapogo Coalition: Prides that currently or previously have/had cubs sired by a Mapogo are the Tsalala pride, the Othawa pride and the Sand River pride. (UPDATE: Jan 2009 -The Sand River pride with their 5 male sub adult cubs feeling pressure from the Mapogo Coaliton escaped the safety of the reserve and the entire pride (2 Lionesses and 4 sub adults) were shot and killed. Only one sub adult male survived the shooting and his survival is uncertain due to his young age.

More than likely, there are other cubs by the Mapogo Coalition as well. There is speculation that the Mapogos sired the Styx Pride's cubs or at least some of them but if that is the case... don't anyone tell the old Roller Coaster male as he thinks all those cubs are his and readily accepts them. The Styx "girls" seem to spend a lot of time dodging the Mapogos and it has been reported on a number of occasions where the lionesses fought off the Mapogo Males while another lioness would lead the cubs to safety usually with the old Roller Coaster Male in tow.

Specifically, two Mapogos seem to be spending a lot of time chasing after the Styx pride on Mala Mala for the last six/eight months or so. They are described as Kinky Tail (broken tail) and MoHawk (one of the ones known as Mr T or T2 in other areas of Sabi Sands) and is said to have a broken nose. Reports of these conflicts to date indicate the Styx pride either on their own or with the old Roller Coaster male have been able to fend them off and protect the cubs. Usually the Mapogos have suffered severe beatings when attempts were made to get to the cubs.

Great Photo of "Kinky Tail" when he visited Elephant Plains on Feb. 24, 2008. Photo by Africam member OutofAfrica:

March 2009 Update: Of the current Styx Pride cubs, two oldest are known to be sired by the Roller Coaster Male, seven are either by the Roller Coaster male or various members of the Mapogos or a combination of both, the most recently born cubs this past month are said to be by the Mapogos. (Report from Ranger Andrew at Mala Mala)

A recent report (Mar 2009) by Elephant Plains stated that the Robson Pride (once thought to have all been entirely killed off by the Mapogos) have returned with 10 month old cubs and the older Mapogo is accompanying them at this time. Hope we find out more on this story soon.

As you can see, the Mapogo Coalition is not the first nor will it be the last large coalition. Being the first large coalition the WE viewers have encountered, it is hard to comprehend that the current lion population can survive with all these killings but they will. The survivors of this onslaught will be the “new” beginning, the “next” generation just as the survivors of past large coalitions were. We don‘t like it and we don‘t have to like it but sadly it is the nature of things.

How have they impacted the lion population in just the couple of years they have been independent? Here are a few reports:

Londolozi reported previously that five prides that have been adversely affected by the Mapogos. They cited these three. Castleton Pride originally 22 and down to 6. Tsalala Pride originally 10 and down to 5. Ximunvanyane Pride originally 10 down to ZERO. We can say confidently, the number of prides adversely affected has risen since the Londolozi report.

Elephant Plains reported early 2008 of receiving a report from Sabi Sands stating almost 40% of the lion population has been killed by the Mapogo Coalition in just the past year. That relates to approximately 50 lions.

Quote from Elephant Plains referencing the Mapogos “Killing buffalo, adult giraffes, even young rhinos and hippos. And lions. And they were not just killing the lions….they were eating them...”

More on their cannibalistic ways. On February 7th 2007, the Mapogos not only brutally killed “Rocky” aka the Serengeti/Kruger male but they ate him. “Rocky” was the dominant male that sired the 6 cubs of the two younger Tsalala pride lionesses. All those cubs have been killed except for one sub adult female that has either been killed since or has joined another pride, the Ximungwe pride. Currently the Tsalala pride falls under the dominance of the Mapogos. In the same report where Singita tells of “Rocky’s” death, they mention the Mapogos being seen eating a dead lioness the previous year.

Hyenas better watch out too! We haven’t seen any reports of them eating Hyenas but they do kill them as shown in this sighting from Exeter.

http://www.wildwatch.com/sightings/predator-vs-predator

One of Elephant Plains 2008 Newsletters had a graphic photo of a Mapogo Male with a Hyena in it’s mouth. Though the Hyena was not killed on the spot, it died from the injuries sustained.

Knowing how much we all love the Nkuhuma pride, we will only post the link to the killing of Blondie by the Mapogo Males. Reported by Arathusa, Dec 14, 2007. (Note: This is a PDF file)

http://www.arathusa.co.za/pdf/diaries/Dec0701.pdf

The Mapogo Males not only kill other males’ cubs but cubs of their own. Ulusaba reported in June 2007 that a split in the coalition had occurred (though this split seems to have only been temporary as today they are seen all together at times but more frequently seen in groups of four and two). During this report period the 5 related Mapogos killed the oldest unrelated Mapogo’s cubs belonging to the Othawa lionesses.

The Mapogos seem to have banded back together as a coalition after the short term split in 2007, Ulusaba reported in March 2008 that the coalition had joined the Sand River pride on one of their occasional visits to see their offspring. They all shared in two wildebeest kills including the FIVE male cubs (was this the beginning of another large coalition before it ended with the tragic shooting of the Sand River pride?). One of the cubs thought it would be fun to slap his sleeping Father on the nose. Boy of boy did he find out that was a mistake. His Father exploded to his feet bearing down on the defenseless cub! Luckily, all the little one got was a good swat to his backside. LOL After some Motherly reassurance, the cub decided his siblings were a better target for that type of play.

Items that may be of Interest: To give you an idea of their strength, here is an awesome video posted by Youtube member mattwood22. Taking down a Buffalo Bull - January 2006. The dark maned one is the “oldest” Mapogo and there is one lioness with them also on this kill. Warning: Graphic!

Eyrefield Males Taking Down a Buffalo Bull Jan 2006

It is only fair to show a softer side of the Mapogos. This article from Exeter/Wildwatch is about a sighting of one of the Mapogo Males (probably the oldest) interacting with his cubs. It includes some great pictures.

http://www.wildwatch.com/sightings/ottawa-pride-cubs-found

Four of the Six Mapogos made another recent visit to Djuma the end of Jan 2009. They had a roaring good time!

January 2009 video by banditt066 shows the second most dominant male with the snipped tail walking over to the roaring male laying down with the MoHawk Styled Mane (believed to be either Mr T or T2).

Mapogos at Djuma Jan 2009 - 1

In this one by Banditt you will see the “Boss” the oldest Mapogo with the broken right canine roaring. Watch for him when the cam scans to the left and onto the solitary male roaring.

Mapogos at Djuma Jan 2009 - 2

We hope this information has been helpful and may shed a new light on these bad boys. Are they BAD? Yes! Are they any worse than other large coalitions? Probably not, with the possible exception of their cannibalistic ways…. they tend to take that to an Extreme!

A few more videos of these magnificent lions:

Here is a great sighting from the Africam cam located at Nkorho Lodge.

Mapogo Male at Nkorho May 5, 2008 - 1

Mapogo Male at Nkorho May 5, 2008 - 2

We’ll conclude with this awesome video from Africam filmed at Elephant Plains :

Lion Kill: Mapogo Pride Kills a Giraffe

Please remember, this information is not set in stone as it is an evolving story and there are conflicting accounts.


Updated February/March 2009

By Aquila and Karen in VA

Aquila and Karen, PheNOMinal work! Thank you!!

This comment has been moved here.

This comment has been moved here.

In the above quote by Aquila, there is uncertainty on the fate of the sub-adult female. I have information on her which I quote below:

"Regarding the Tsalala young female - a young female did join the Ximungwe pride on the 12^th June 2008. I am not sure if this coincides with the time Elephant Plains reported her dead, but it was generally accepted that she came from the Tsalala pride. They were the only pride that had a young female of that age. On the morning of the 12^th , the Ximungwe pride were near Idube, with the young lioness not too far from them and there was some aggression towards her. This kept on for some time, on and off, as she persisted to join the pride. Eventually by the afternoon drive, they were all together and as they say, the rest is history."

Here is an update on the young Sand River male.

Apparently he was in a very bad state recently so was darted and taken to Skukuza for testing on a range of diseases. I don't know the results of these tests but the vet's opinion was that he was not in a bad enough state to be put down so was released back into the Sabi Sands.

One of the females from the Ximungwe pride showed off her cubs today.

Click here

I read this in the Elephant Plains March ranger report and was wondering if anyone here knew anything more about it?

"Sad news unfortunately, is that they also crossed into Vuyatela and killed three lion cubs and one of the Kuhuma females."

Just to add for new members that might not know - the ranger report is talking about the Mapogos.

Thanks Joe.  I hope not.

Hi Joe. That report was from March 2008, not recently.

Whoops!  Thanks Donna!

Oops, sorry about that. I don't know how I wound up in 2008, I thought I was in '09. I'm glad to know that there were no new incidents like that though.

Some disturbing news reported last week on Mala Mala.   Seems they had reports that 8 of the Eyrefield pride were heading back towards Mala Mala from the West.  The other 4 including Solo (the adopted young male and son of BB from the Tsalala pride) were under attack by the Mapogo Coalition/Eyrefield males. 

8 Eyrefield lions, 2 adult lionesses, 3 young males, 3 young females, were found later in the morning near Rattray's camp.  Missing from this group were Solo, an adult lioness and 2 youngsters.   Eventually that evening the pride was said to be moving cautiously back towards the West.

I certainly hope this pride, the Eyrefields, did not lose members to the Mapogos which happened to have originated from this very same pride (2 adult lionesses are their sisters and one may very well be the mother to some of the Mapogos).   :(    Solo, the young Tsalala male, that had been constantly stalked and under attack by the Mapogos when he was still with the Tsalala pride had just recently found refuge with the Eyrefield pride.   I pray he made it through this ordeal.

No reports on the old Roller Coaster male and his whereabouts.   I hope he wasn't with the Eyrefield pride during this confrontation as he is the dominant male for that pride as well as for the Styx pride. 

Update to the saga of the Mapogos versus the Eyrefield Pride, Roller Coaster Male and Solo (the young Tsalala Male).   Latest reports indicate that so far the Roller Coaster Male and Solo seem to have come out of the attacks since April 8th by the Mapogos unscathed.   Sadly, two of the Eyrefield sub adults have been reported killed in these attacks.   The most recent report from previous week found Solo, the Roller Coaster male and 6 of the 7 surviving sub adults together within Mala Mala but missing were the 3 adult lionesses and one female sub adult.   It is not known the reason for the separation but hopefully the missing members will reunite with the rest of the pride and haven't fallen victim to the Mapogos.

The attacks were reported to have taken place in Londolozi.

Information acquired through the MalaMala.com site and/or shared by their head Ranger.

Nkuhuma Pride aka Kuhuma/Koehuma Pride

Information/background on the Nkuhuma Pride has been gathered from various sites (Mala Mala, Djuma, Nkorho, Elephant Plains, Arathusa, Simbambili) and their sightings databases along with helpful Rangers and staff at the various lodges and reserves answering questions sent their way. Special thank you to Chris Stamper, former Guide at Djuma Game Reserve.

Nkuhuma Pride .- Little was known of this pride prior to the last quarter of 2006 when they started frequenting Djuma and Buffelshoek most likely coming into the area from Manyeleti Game Reserve/Kruger National Park. When first viewed, they were very skittish and it was hard to tell how many members there were. In the beginning, reports were of 10 lionesses, one young male and two beautiful adult males. Seems one lioness and the young male disappeared early on possibly moving back into their original territory. This left five adult lionesses approximately 6 to 12 yrs of age and four younger lionesses approximately 4 to 5 yrs of age. The two dominant males were believed to be between 8 - 10 yrs old. The lack of any cubs suggested the two adult males had recently taken over the pride.

The Nkuhuma Name - The pride was first named by the Guides and Trackers of the Djuma Game Reserve. On one of the very first sightings of them, they were seen lying near a Brown Ivory tree close to Jordaans Dam in Buffelshoek and the name Nkuhuma, which means Brown Ivory in Shangaan, was given to them.

They are also sometimes referred to as the Kuhuma pride with Kuhuma meaning “come out”. Elephant Plains lists their name as Koehuma and states it means “eight” in Shangaan. Various other spellings of their name may be found also ie Kahuma, Khuma.

December 8-9th 2006 - 5 of the Nkuhuma lionesses attacked and killed one of the two surviving Sandy Patch lionesses. She was last seen feeding on a zebra kill on the 8th and the next morning the 9th, her lifeless body was found not far from where the Nkuhuma pride was found and the tracks told the sad story. The death of this Sandy Patch lioness ultimately resulted in the death of her young cubs as well.

During the first part of 2007, there was literally a cub boom. At one point, it was believed the numbers swelled to upwards of 20 plus cubs for this pride.

The Nkuhuma Pride were seen regularly in Djuma throughout most of 2007. The two dominant males, were called Blondie and Dozie those that got to know them. They soon became a favorite and much loved pride of lions with visitors.

Another favorite character of this pride is Snaggletooth also known as Wonky Jaw. She apparently had a mishap years ago that left her jaw skewed with her right canine protruding at an odd angle up over her lip. She always looks like she is smiling thus some Rangers call her Smiles.





The relatively peaceful life this pride enjoyed continued until December 9th 2007 when Blondie was killed by members of the Mapogo Coaliton. He and his brother, Dozie, had been South of Djuma in Chitwa Chitwa mating with two Styx lionesses. The six Mapogos were in the area and some were attracted to where the Nkuhuma Males were by the territorial roaring of Blondie and Dozie. Arathusa Rangers found 3 of the Mapogos mobile and roaring when they first reached the sighting on their AM drive. They followed the lead male to where two more were found with one of the females the Nkuhuma males had been mating with the previous day. Later on their AM drive after following four Mapogo males as they followed the Styx female around, the four males and one Styx female were found calmly resting in the shade.

Upon their return in the afternoon, they found two of the four Mapogo males mating with two females while keeping the other two at bay. Other reports had indicated that one of the females had fled North with Dozie only to turn around and head back down South and apparently joining the other Styx lioness.

The Arathusa Rangers reported that later into the afternoon drive they came across the severely injured Nkuhuma Male known as Blondie. Blondie was said to be unable to move. Some reports said he was paralyzed. The four Mapogo males were only 200 meters away from where Blondie laid. The next day when the Arathusa Rangers returned to the sighting , they found the “badly mauled remains of the once proud Kuhuma male”.

After Blondie’s death, the pride consisted of nine lionesses, upwards to possibly 20 plus cubs, and Dozie the surviving Dominant Male.

January 12th 2008 - The next devastating blow to this pride came in the early morning hours before dawn on the 12th when five of the Mapogos stealthily came into Djuma and attacked the Nkuhuma pride while they were on a Giraffe kill on the Djuma side of the Buffelshoek Dam. Dozie the dominant male was not with them. Some reports say the Mapogo males were on the scent trail of the lone Sandy Patch lioness and just happened upon the Nkuhuma pride while others speculate they came into the area seeking out the Nkuhumas in an effort to take the pride over.

The results of this attack were not fully known as the Nkuhuma pride fled apparently in all directions but eventually ended up back in Manyeleti. What was known was the death of at least one male cub whose body was found that morning and speculation was that several other cubs were also killed. Over the next few days, reports were coming in of another Nkuhuma lioness injured and cubs lost/separated from the pride. Two lionesses were seen sneaking back into the area searching for lost cubs but had to flee as the Mapogos were still there. With the confusion during the attack, adults and cubs alike running for their lives in every direction, it will probably never be known what the actual toll on the Nkuhuma pride and their cubs was.

By March 13th 2008, the Nkuhumas again felt safe enough to start frequenting the Djuma area. That false sense of security didn’t last long.

*Guests at Djuma had reported awesome sightings on the 11th and 12th of March of Dozie and 9 possibly 10 lionesses with 13 - 14 cubs in attendance (plus there were reports of another two small cubs still at a den site). The guests also reported seeing five of the Mapogo Males near Galago Camp on the night of the 11th.

On the 13th of March, tragedy again struck the Nkuhuma Pride. The Mapogo males had once again attacked the magnificent Nkuhuma pride. Guests reported seeing two lionesses and a single cub running across the road in front of their game vehicle shortly followed by a single very frenzied Mapogo Male. The Nkuhuma trio managed to escape their pursuer. Unfortunately, one lioness did not. Wildearth videos showed the lifeless body of a beautiful lioness laying not far from the road. Rangers and guests reported upon their arrival, one Mapogo male was not far from the dead lioness with a partially eaten cub in his mouth. A short distance further, another Mapogo with a dead cub. In all, it was thought that at least four cubs were killed along with the brave lioness that tried to protect them. Surely, with 5 large males attacking them there must have been more injuries or even deaths within the pride.

After this attack the Nkuhuma pride and their dominant male, Dozie, fled to the North. Sighting reports for them were few and far between. The dominant male was still being seen occasionally coming into Djuma throughout May 2008 and there were other sightings of him for a few months after. Then he just seemed to have vanished. Possibly he went further North or even into the Kruger National Park. As for the rest of the pride, sightings were mostly of 4 to 6 lionesses at a time together with upwards of 8. The cubs were said to be 6 males and 2 females. Possibly more survived and the pride had just split up as some sightings were reporting 5 - 6 cubs seen, with 4 - 5 lionesses.

Snaggletooth survived the attacks and was reported several times to be with the young Manyeleti Males mating in 2008 and at times was accompanied by another lioness. Video footage from Africam:

Lioness @ NK! 8-26-08 video by Scatron


A Nkuhuma lioness was viewed and photographed by Trappies, who was on Safari in July 2008. She was severely injured and limping. Less than two months later, the same lioness was on the verge of death and literally skin and bones. Trappies also saw and photographed Dozie while on his July visit into the area. Dozie was looking as beautiful as ever.

Various reports of the Nkuhuma lionesses and cubs indicate they started moving into some of the Eastern areas and even venturing South. Towards the end of Aug 2008 they were found on a buff carcass South of Nkorho and just North of Mala Mala. It was during this same time period that Mala Mala reported 4 sub adults (2 males and 2 females) believed to be Nkuhuma youngsters on their property close to their Northern border. It was apparent that the lionesses were not too far off as these youngsters were still dependent on their mothers for survival.

Sadly on Aug 31st, one of the sub adult males was again viewed and it became apparent that he was near blind. He was stumbling into bushes, trees and was calling for the rest of his pride. He was not seen again until Sept 5th when it became clear he was totally blind. More than likely he was the victim of a spitting cobra. Due to the sensitive nature of the situation, the sighting was closed. The youngster was estimated to be 15 mos.

It wasn’t long until this unfortunate youngster ran into the Styx Pride and their cubs. He was viciously attacked on two occasions by the lionesses with the second attack being far worse. The Styx Pride left the youngster severely wounded and the Mala Mala Rangers doubted he would last the night. No further information was reported on this youngster but it is almost with certainty that he did not survive.

September 6 2008 - A pride of lions visited the Nkorho Pan and were seen on Africam's live cam. By the size of the pride and their nervousness, it was assumed to be the Nkuhuma Pride. This was just 4 days after they had a run in with the Styx Pride and Two Mapogo Males in Djuma.

Lion Pride at Nkorho 09/06/08

October 29, 2008 - Mala Mala reported the Brown Ivory Pride (Nkuhuma Pride) being into the Northern area of their Reserve. At this sighting, there were four adult lionesses, two sub adult males, and three approximately 10 month old cubs. These numbers, ages and sexes of the sub adults/cubs conflict with other sightings of this pride after the flight from Djuma and the threat of the Mapogo Coalition. This sighting adds credence to the possibility that more of the Nkuhuma Pride may have survived and are moving around the area in smaller core groups.

Video from Africam.

Manyeleti & Nkuhuma 17Nov08 by Sagresta

So what of the Nkuhuma Pride in 2009? They are still seen in Buffelshoek and surrounding areas and are even venturing back into Djuma more frequently.

January 19th, 26th, 28th, & 29th 2009 - The Nkuhuma Pride was seen in Djuma. The sightings consisted of 9 - 10 total members to include a mix of both adult lionesses and sub adults. Snaggletooth was also present on those sightings.

On the 30th of January, five of the Mapogo Coalition to include the dominant older male were seen also. The Nkuhuma pride fled the area again.

March 2nd 2009, Snaggletooth was seen mating again with the Manyeleti Male inside of Buffelshoek. .

More recent sightings included four lionesses (one being Snaggletooth) and five to six sub adults. Of the sub adults, there were 3 males and the others were females. Two of the male sub adults had left hip injuries with one being severe. One of the female sub adults was also seen with a slight limp. The one youngster with the sever hip injury could barely walk when seen on May 5th and it was thought the leg may be broken but by May 7th he was not in as much pain and was putting more weight on the leg. It looked as if his hip may have been dislocated and if so, one can only wonder what the future may hold for him?

We can only hope the number of members being seen on individual sightings do not reflect the actual count for this pride. Hopefully, they are just moving about in smaller core groups and there are indeed more Nkuhuma lionesses and cubs out there surviving.

Please remember this is a compilation of information gathered from many sources and nothing is set in stone. Corrections/additions will be noted as more information comes forward.

(*Dennis Vohs and party visiting Galago Camp)

Aquila, Thank you for continuing to piece the puzzle(s) together for us . I started watching the cams about the time Blondie was killed. I now understand how attached we become to these beautiful creatures.

Aquila! Thanks so much for the info! It is really really much appreciated! it takes away the confusion that the the Windmills and the Nkumha pride beeing the same pack off lions.

As you all know the windmill pride is my favorite Lion pride

Picture By Andre Batchelor.

They are travellers, they dont like cars , they dont chase leopards opposite to the Styx ladies (If The Styx ladies could , they would kill ALL leopards!) (mapogo blood)?

The Windmill Lionesse's as far as i know have no relations with the Mapogo's ( Lets keep it that way!)

So much info can be found on -->

http://www.malamala.com/MM7/LION_windmill.htm

some Highlights! ( Hope this is allowed) --> Copy and paste from Malamala->

when they were viewed they were seen to be more nervous than our other lion prides. This makes sense as in the parts of Kruger which they are usually found in, does not have much human exposure

the lions of the Windmill Pride do not seem to walk on roads as often as lions from some of the other prides do and this can sometimes make things more challenging to find them. On one occasion this month they were 'found' by some rhino which were being followed and, upon walking through the sleeping lions, chased them for a while. The younger lions of the Windmill Pride showed some sort of interest in the rhino, but most the others simply slunk away, apparently not too pleased at having their slumbers so disturbed

Only five members of the Windmill Pride were seen this month and all sightings were way out of the expected area which this family typically stays in. The group of five was a motley crew - an ancient lioness in a state of emaciation and whose lower canines were mere stumps, an adult lioness, two of the 30-month-old lionesses and one of the young males. A more useless hunting party could hardly be expected - full of enthusiasm but little skill. Or so it seemed.

At the last sighting of the Windmill Pride this month, they were enthusiastically advancing upon a herd of impala (which were actually aware of their presence) when a herd of elephants arrived on the scene, took exception to the lions and chased them away. The lions managed to retreat with some dignity.

the Windmill Pride always moves with extreme caution. They seem to head out with purpose, but then, when something is detected, everything waits. It's as if they know that when a target is in the area, mistakes must be minimised and there should be no haste at all. There is little of the rapid circle and rush tactics employed by some of the other families of lions and consequently much patience will be needed if dedicated action is to be seen from the Windmill Pride.

A young female leopard walked into them. The leopard saw them before they did and, perhaps not knowing just how far she had walked into the scattered lions, she made a panic-stricken run towards a tree, the natural avenue of escape for a leopard. The noise of the leopard crashing through the brush alerted the lions, but when they saw her secure in the tree, they paid her little further attention, even when they walked off for the start of the nights activities, they merely bypassed the tree. It was almost as if they accepted that any attempts to dislodge her (after all, they all compete for the same animals) would simply be energy wasted from a very finite pool. Most pragmatic carnivores - or so it seems.

the Windmill Pride has unique patterns of behaviour. Following them hunting can prove frustrating as their extremely cautious approach as they move through the bush really tests ones patience.

Whilst on the move, the lions encountered three Rhinos which were firstly curious and then somewhat put out by the presence of the lions. The Windmill Pride tried their best to be somewhat nonchalant about the rhinos, but on one or two occasions had to give ground to the giant beasts. The rhinos eventually moved on and the lions continued on their way.

Perhaps the most interesting sighting involving the Windmill Pride was of them coming within less than 100 meters of the Charleston Pride. Both families of lions simply must have been aware of one another, but instead of there being a fight, the two prides lay down looking at one another. The Windmill Pride was probably in the wrong, having been caught trespassing in Charleston Pride territory. Probably as a result of not behaving aggressivelyand also perhaps due to the presence of the adult male lions which control both families of lions, no fighting was seen to occur. The Windmill Pride moved out of the area.

the lions remained in fine condition, probably from regularly killing large animals. At one sighting they were seen resting up, fat and satisfied, close to the skeleton of a freshly killed adult male waterbuck

When the Windmill Pride had rested up and their stomachs were not so swollen, they set off again and almost immediately ran into the four lionesses from the Styx Pride. Having 'hometown' advantage, the Styx Pride dominated and chased off the Windmill Pride.

The Windmill pride at Nkorho webcam->

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ7aUXUocU8
Windmill Lion Pride at Nkorho 1-30-09--05: 20 CAT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q43SQHEgpiA
Windmill Pride At Nk, 21st April 09

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHRPTis7eKg
Windmill Pride and Rhino at Nkorho
29/09 01.05

Picture's --> By karin from NK

Picture's from Penny2 from NK (who had the privilage to be at NK Lodge when the windmill pride visited! ( I am Jealous)

** Edit **

Uploaded more picture's but i deleted them

( I have 70 + picture's on  this pride). LOL

Ice.

You're welcome Donna!   Had a bit of lion action yesterday in Djuma.  A wee bit confusing but seems some of the Mapogos were in the area.  Tracks indicated a fight by at least 3 male lions had occurred.  Tracks of the Styx Pride and their cubs were there in the roadway as well but later they were spotted and accounted for per radio reports.  In the morning, two Mapogos, Kinky Tail and Mr T were found with one Styx pride lioness near the Quarantine area.  Kinky Tail had a severe limp with injury to his right front leg/foot.   The Styx lioness finally made her escape from the boys when they let their guard down for an instance and she took off at a fast pace even though she too was limping.

Reports were coming in that two male lions (Mapogos) were chasing the Manyeleti male.  The chase ended at the Northern border of Buffelshoek when the Mapogos gave up the chase.   It is believed the Manyeleti male was one of the three fighting during the night or early am as the tracks had indicated.

When last seen after dusk, the two Mapogos (Kinky Tail and Mr T) were seen heading out of Djuma and probably back towards Mala Mala.  They were on the trail again of the Styx Pride.  Kinky Tail was walking better but had to take frequent rests.

Seems the Mapogo saga continues.

Thanks Ice!  Great info!

About this: "(If The Styx ladies could , they would kill ALL leopards!) (mapogo blood)?"

The Styx adult lionesses are one of the prides thought not to have fallen under the dominance of the West Street males who sired the Mapogos so I don't believe they come from the same bloodline as do the Mapogos.

Thank you Aquila for this magnificient knowledge again. It is like reading a good detective story with different turns of events. In reality there seems to be one strong dominant pride and others shall live as they can (run or die). Mapogos dark brown hair is the sign of power!

Iceage, as much thanks to you! Your writing is a wonderful add to Aquila´s one. All of us who are eagerly waiting for lions to the waterholes and been following lately the Windmill pride, love to hear your characteization of the pride. It is our benefit that you have lost your heart to Windmills!

You're welcome Katip!  They are like one giant mystery and I love mysteries. LOL

Last week, 3 sub adult males were seen roaming Mala Mala.  They eventually met up with the Windmill pride and sounds of lions fighting were heard.  Afterwards, 5 of the Windmill pride were seen.  One wonders if the 3 young males may be the Windmill male sub adults and possibly have been kicked out of the pride.

Yesterday, 3 young males matching the description of the ones seen in Mala Mala were viewed at dusk moving from Djuma into Buffelshoek.

Wonder who these boys are?  They were said to be relaxed so apparently they are use to viewing vehicles.  If not the Windmill youngsters... possibly the 3 surviving Eyrefield sub adult males?  Some thought possibly the Nkuhuma young males.  Only time will tell if they are lions we are familiar with or new arrivals from out of the area.    Looking forward to further sightings of these young boys.   Hope they stay out of harms way.

oh wow!  i did not know you had the lions and prides identified!  i am a new member to africam.  i briefly saw the cam on the front page.  i am an animal lover and i immediately felt little sad because i could see one of the female lion appeared to be thirsty and tired.   i know it is nature.  i will have alot of questions about the prides if i can post again?  thank you for your time and patience in reading my post!  have good day/evening ~

July 11 2009, a pride off lions visited the waterpool, I asked around and all the answers that came back to me are:

Yeps this was the Styx pride.

http://www.africam.com/wildlife/lionsstyxpridevisitnkthanksnkzoomie