Archives: 2003 | 2004

Three adult lions which control both the Windmill and Charleston Prides - Ridge Rocks Males:

It is thought that only one of the Ridge Rocks Males is still alive, this the lion with the growth on his belly.  He was seen a couple of times with some members of the Windmill Pride and then several times on his own.  With his companions gone and his own health apparently not that good, the future doesn't look that rosy for this old lion.  Already some younger male lions have been seen towards the southern and eastern parts of the reserve, area considered Ridge Rocks Male territory.  A young male lion was seen near the middle of December, close to the eastern limits of the Charleston/ Toulon boundary, and then, a week later, two young males (maybe the first one with a companion) were also seen in this same area, almost certainly exploring what has to be a poorly male-lion-controlled region.

November 2003

It's uncertain whether both Ridge Rock Males are still alive.  It may be that the only surviving member of this trio is the one with the growth on his belly.  Although this male lion was seen on his own towards the beginning of the game-report-period, he stayed with first the Charleston Pride and then, for the last nearly two weeks, with the Windmill Pride.  Just prior to him joining up with the Charleston Pride (when he helped them eat a male kudu), he had been looking quite beaten and bedraggled, but, towards months end, after having had several weeks of good food, was appearing a great deal healthier.  Whilst he was with the Windmill Pride, he no doubt bullied his way into some small kills, but also shared two young elephants with them, these having died of natural causes.  It will be interesting to see for just how much longer this male lion can still soldier on.

October 2003

The Ridge Rocks Males may very soon be no more.  One of them died this month, finally succumbing to what was probably bovine tuberculosis.  It is not certain whether both of his companions are still alive or not.  Certainly at least one is and, at the end of the report-period, this lion, also looking emaciated, was seen all alone on two successive days, on NE Toulon.  One of the Ridge Rocks Males was seen accompanying the Charleston Pride near the beginning of this report-period and then, a week after, one, perhaps this same individual, was seen with Windmill Pride.

September 2003

There were no sightings of all three Ridge Rocks Males together and some doubt exists as to whether all three are even alive.  The one Ridge Rocks Male is in really poor condition, this almost certainly the results of the ravages of bovine tuberculosis and one cannot see how it will survive for much longer.  Although he was seen several times with one of his coalition members and with the two Charleston Pride lionesses, it is doubtful that he has the strength to get enough food at small kills.  Towards months end, he was seen, all alone, scavenging from a buffalo carcass which had been killed by the Eyrefield Pride and West Street Males.  Quite surprisingly, these other lions paid scant attention to the emaciated old Ridge Rocks Male, perhaps realising that he was just too far-gone to represent any sort of threat.  Now, when the coalition does fall apart, what will happen?  Will other male lions come in from the east or will the Rollercoaster Males move in from the west?

August 2003

Only one of the Ridge Rocks Males was seen this month and this at the very beginning of the report period when one of them, together with the two Charleston Pride lionesses on NW Charleston, was chased off by the Rollercoaster Males and two Selati Pride females.  This event may have frightened the Ridge Rocks Males away, but, truth is too, with the Windmill Pride probably way to the east of the reserve, it is probably this which kept them out, rather than conflict with other males on a common boundary.

July 2003

The only sighting of more than one member of this coalition of males was when two were seen together; on this occasion they were alone and not with any of the lionesses which they control.  One of the male lions, the one with what appears to be an umbilical hernia and which seems to be the most dominant of the trio, was seen with most of the Windmill Pride lions towards the beginning of the report-period when they were eating a buffalo bull on eastern Flockfield.  Half-way through the month there was almost a repeat of this but on NE Toulon, on the southern bank of the Sand River and to the west of where the Sand meets with the Chellahanga River.  All three of the Ridge Rocks Males are looking emaciated, perhaps the result of bovine tuberculosis; nonetheless, they still seem to find the energy to do what is necessary to remain in power.

June 2003

At least two of the Ridge Rocks Males were seen this month.  There were at least four sightings of one of these males together with members of the Windmill Pride and none of them with the other family of lionesses under their control, the Charleston Pride.  But, since the latter lions were hardly encountered at all during June, it could very well have been that they were with them more often than sightings suggested.  These Ridge Rocks Males appear to be in poor condition, this almost certainly a consequence of some wasting disease such as bovine tuberculosis.

May 2003

All three of the Ridge Rocks Male lions were seen this month, but never at the same time.  There were a couple of sightings of two of the males together, these when they were with lionesses from the Charleston Pride.  One of the Ridge Rocks Males is now very emaciated, perhaps as a result of Bovine Tuberculosis; the other two still appear in quite good health.  The only sighting of one of the Ridge Rocks Males together with the Windmill Pride, the other family of lionesses under their control, was in response to the appearance of a young male lion in the area of where some members of the Windmill Pride were resting.  All lions, young male included, were very fat and had probably been sharing the same meal.  But the Windmill Pride lionesses were certainly not happy with the presence of this young male and the arrival the next day of the Ridge Rocks Male was perhaps not unexpected.  The identity of the young lion, perhaps four or so years of age, was not established, but it was apparently accustomed to vehicles and could well have been from the Windmill Pride originally.  Just why the Ridge Rocks Males seem to be spending more time with the three young lionesses of the Charleston Pride compared with what they spend with the Windmill Pride is not known.  Although it has been thought for some time now that the former may have young cubs and that this would raise the curiosity of their fathers, the Ridge Rocks Males, no youngsters have so far been seen.

April 2003

All three of the Ridge Rocks Males were seen this month, but never all together and mostly accompanying lionesses from either the Charleston or Windmill Prides.  Of these two prides of lionesses, it was with the Charleston Pride that they were seen to spend most of their time.  One of the three Ridge Rocks Males is very emaciated, perhaps as a result of contracting bovine tuberculosis, and is not expected to survive for very much longer.  Already some of the other lions which are familiar with him are starting to show aggression towards him, as if they realise that he will not be around for very much longer and will have nothing to contribute to their survival and so is already a liability to them.  Such is the life of lions where every scrap of food is precious and not to be wasted on unproductive others.

March 2003

There were not many sightings of the Ridge Rocks Males this month and not more than two of them were seen at a time.  There were no encounters of them together the Windmill Pride, although they did seem to pay attention to the Charleston Pride, some of which may have young cubs.  Indications, however, are that they are still firmly in control of the southeastern parts of the reserve.

February 2003

There were no sightings of all three Ridge Rocks Males together and none of any of them not in the company of lionesses. There were sightings of as many as two of the Ridge Rocks Males together with lionesses from the Windmill Pride and with lionesses from the Charleston Pride. Some evidence suggests that at least one of the young lionesses of the Charleston Pride has given birth and this arrival of cubs may attract the attentions of the Ridge Rocks Males, curious of the newcomers. The success of the Windmill Pride in raising cubs is being seriously questioned; by months end only three of the eight babies seen at the beginning of December were still around. One wonders what the Ridge Rocks Males feel about this. Towards months end, the three Rollercoaster Males, the trio which hold the area to the west of the Ridge Rocks Males, killed a buffalo calf deep within Ridge Rocks Males territory. The Rollercoaster Males certainly did not stay long, but the Ridge Rocks Males were not particularly quick to respond to this incursion. Four younger male lions were also seen feeding on a buffalo kill in the Sand River just to the south of the central parts of the Charleston/ Toulon boundary. The identity of these four or five-year-old lions was not established and they did not stay long. Two days later, however, two of the Ridge Rocks Males and three of the Charleston Pride lionesses were found close to Kirkman's Kamp, which was not far from where the four lions had been eating the buffalo, and all were very vocal, roaring for every other lion in the surrounding area to hear. No doubt this was a clear message to deter any potential invaders. The four male lions were not seen again this month.

January 2003

These lions occupy the southeastern and central-southern parts of the reserve. There were no sightings of all of them together and the only sightings were of a single one with members of the Windmill Pride.

December 2002

These lions were seen several times this month, all encounters being on eastern Charleston and eastern Toulon. The Windmill Pride was seen regularly this month and often together with at least one of these male lions. Since the Windmill Pride have small cubs, it is thought that they are attracting much of these lions' attentions. There was only one sighting of all three of these males together, this on southeastern Toulon in an area often used by the Charleston Pride.

November 2002

At least two of these male lions were seen this month, both sightings of a pair of them being on the southeastern parts of the reserve. On the one occasion they came across the Rock Drift Male leopard with the remains of an impala kill in a small tree. The leopard fled and the lions climbed the tree and stole the scraps of the carcass. There was one sighting of one of these male lions with two of the Charleston Pride lionesses on western Charleston, east of the Sand River. This area is considered to be the western limit of their territory, the Rollercoaster Males occupying the areas further west of this and the West Street Males the land to the north. It is thought that these three male lions are probably spending a fair amount of time with the Windmill Pride which probably have small cubs fathered by these males.

October 2002

The three male lions, one with a growth of sorts on its belly, which control the Charleston and Windmill Prides, were seen on only a few occasions this month. However, they still appear to be firmly in control of their territory. On one occasion one of them was seen on the eastern parts of the Charleston/ Toulon Boundary whilst the other two were encountered that evening quite far to the west of this, out on patrol along what really must be their boundary with the three Rollercoaster Males. There were four occasions during October when at least one of these males was seen together with the Charleston Pride lionesses. At the only sighting of the Windmill Pride this month, two of the males were also present.

September 2002

Three adult male lions: These three male lions, which control both the Charleston and Windmill Prides, were not seen often this month. Two of them were found on NE Toulon close to the Sand River and there were two further sightings of one of them with members of the Charleston Pride. Since the Windmill Pride was not seen this month and these males were also scarce, it is assumed that they spent most of September with the Windmill Pride.

August 2002

These three seem to control members of the Windmill Pride as well as the Charleston Pride, hence occupying the central east and southeastern parts of the reserve. One of these males, which has an obvious growth on his belly, tolerates vehicles, but the other two do not. There was only one sighting of all three of these males during August, this at the end of the month when they were seen with one of the Charleston Pride lionesses. It is not known whether she was in season and they were perhaps looking to mate with her. There were several occasions when at least two of these lions were with one or other of the prides which they control. But taking responsibilities of different and competing families of female dominated lions can give rise to dilemmas, as was witnessed this month when the Charleston and Windmill Pride came face to face. At the time, two of the male lions were with the Windmill Pride. The lions were not seen to actually fight, but were certainly aware of each other. Perhaps the presence of the males was enough to keep them apart. A nervous male lion seen this month running into the reeds of the Sand River with the remains of a carcass was not identified, but was in all likelihood one of these three males. Earlier that day and in that area, at least one of the three males was seen with the Charleston Pride and it is almost certain that they had made a kill and that this lion had stolen it. Later on in the month two of them were seen to do this again when out hunting with the Charleston Pride and they killed an impala. But having male lions steal food is probably only a small price to pay for the stability which they invariably bring to the area and the lives of the lionesses and their cubs.

July 2002

Three adult male lions: These were seen with the Charleston Pride and are no doubt the three which have been around this family for the last year-and-a-half or so and are the fathers of their cubs. One of these male lions is quite relaxed in the presence of vehicles whilst the other two are quite apprehensive when approached. Sightings of them together with the Charleston Pride and their cubs occurred on successive days towards the end of July. Indications are that, with the Charleston Pride lionesses having had cubs, the three have been turning their attentions towards the Windmill Pride which usually works the land to the north of the Charleston Pride. But, for the cubs of the Charleston Pride to survive, its good to see that these three are still making an appearance in the area.

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