MAY 2008

EYREFIELD PRIDE = 12

1 ADULT FEMALE 14 YEARS 3 MONTH
1 ADULT FEMALE 9 YEARS 8 MONTHS
1 ADULT FEMALE 6 YEARS 7 MONTHS
4 CUBS (3 MALE 1 FEMALE) 1 YEAR
1 MALE CUB 1 YEAR
4 CUBS (1 MALE 3 FEMALE) 11 MONTHS
ARES SIGHTED : MALA MALA, FLOCKFIELD, CHARLESTON (14 sightings)

The Eyrefield pride started the report period well with the three lionesses making two kills and stealing an impala kill from the Manyelethi male leopard. The pride spent a number of day around the west street area and where found a number of times with fresh blood on there face indicating the lions are making small kills. The pride spent most of the time around the banks of the Sand river south of the West street bridge and roared a number of times responding to calls made by the Styx pride to there north. The pride is doing well with keeping all nine cubs alive and in very good condition, as the cubs get older the three lionesses are going to have to make bigger kills to feed all the hungry mouths and hopefully avoid any contact with any male lions if the cubs are going to survive.

April 2008

EYREFIELD PRIDE = 12

1 ADULT FEMALE 14 YEARS 1 MONTH
1 ADULT FEMALE 9 YEARS 6 MONTHS
1 ADULT FEMALE 6 YEARS 5 MONTHS
4 CUBS (3 MALE 1 FEMALE) 10 MONTHS
1 MALE CUB 11 MONTHS
4 CUBS (1 MALE 3 FEMALE) 9 MONTHS
MALA MALA, FLOCKFIELD, CHARLESTON
(10 sightings)

The Eyrefield pride, once the strongest pride on Mala Mala, has been shifted south and west by the stronger Styx pride. Sightings of this pride are lower than in March (16 sightings) however there is as always a silver lining. All nine cubs of the Eyrefield pride are alive and doing very well. They are now almost a year old and making good headway towards being safe from a possible territorial takeover when the old Rollercoaster male gets ousted. They no longer associate with the old male except occasionally on kills where his presence is tolerated.

Eyrefield cubs - Photograph by ranger Dean Wraith

They have been seen on a number of occasions to be teaching the cubs to hunt a lot more frequently. This is resulting in lower hunting success rates, but the cubs are learning fast and should be able to participate in full hunts in a few months time. They have not been seen to kill very much on Mala Mala but are in good condition and are found fat and content in the mornings.

Eyrefield males:
The Eyrefield males were seen only once this report period. They were close to Mlowathi dam and moved north again into Gowrie.

January 2008

EYREFIELD PRIDE = 12

1 ADULT FEMALE                          * 13 YEARS 10 MONTHS
1 ADULT FEMALE                          * 9 YEARS 3 MONTHS
1 ADULT FEMALE                          * 6 YEARS 2 MONTHS
4 CUBS (3 MALE, 1 FEMALE)      * 8 MONTHS 2 WEEKS
1 MALE CUB                                   * 8 MONTHS
4 CUBS (1 MALE, 3 FEMALE)      * 6 MONTHS

Location: MALA MALA, FLOCKFIELD, CHARLSETON
(12 sightings)

The Eyrefield pride had a much slower month in January than they did in December 2007. They were only seen 12 times this report period compared to 28 in the last. However, even though they were seen less they continued to give excellent sightings.

They were found having killed yet another giraffe, a juvenile this time. On another occasion they were seen to hunt and kill an adult male impala in the open area, close to the parking bay of the airstrip. It appears the females are beginning the training of the cubs in the skills of hunting as they were seen to release the impala for the cubs to catch. The little ones were not yet up to the task and the females dispatched the impala.

The Eyrefield pride has not strayed much further east than the Sand River. Most of the sightings have been around the airstrip and the river. There was one occasion where the lionesses came across the females of the Styx pride. There was a brief but aggressive interaction that ended in the Styx pride having the upper hand. The Rollercoaster male was not present at this interaction and one can only wonder at whose side he would have chosen.

Eyrefield cub - Photograph by ranger Keenan Stears