MalaMala - The Wildlife

April 2013

MARHTLY PRIDE: 4
(4 sightings)

Different members of the Marthly pride were seen on four occasions. On the first occasion we believe we saw the eldest lioness with one of the two sub adult females. The two lions approached a pack of seventeen cape hunting dogs that were finishing the remains of a morning kill.

Weeks later, the two Marthly lionesses of ten years and nine months old were found near Bicycle Crossing Hippo Pools with the dark mane Manyelethi male. The three lions were found the following day at Campbell Koppies. It seemed the dark maned Manyelethi male was intent on mating. However, there were no reports of copulation. After the male left later that day, the lionesses killed a male impala on lion loop.

A ranger witnessed the asphyxiation. During a night patrol, rangers came across two lionesses to the east of the firebreak of Gowrie Trust road. The rangers were unable to confirm identification, however it may have been one of the two pairs of lionesses from the Marthly pride.

There were no confirmed recorded sightings of any cubs or other members of the pride during April..

March 2013

MARHTLY PRIDE: 4
(0 sightings)

No sightings for the month of March. It is believed that the two sub adults have gone missing. There is some good news that one of the females has given birth to a new cub.

Febraury 2013

MARHTLY PRIDE: 4
(3 sightings)

All three sightings of this pride consisted of only two adult lionesses. They were found with a zebra kill in the vicinity of Stwise and were seen on three consecutive days feeding from the carcass. The remainder of the pride did not join them at the kill.

January 2013

MARHTLY PRIDE: 4
(2 sightings)

All four of these lions were seen in the northern extremeties of the property. On another occasion we recorded one of the adult females that still has a tail around Elephant Rock. The Marthly pride endured some hardships in 2012. Hopefully they can enjoy a successful 2013.

December 2012

MARHTLY
(2 sightings)

The Marthly pride was viewed on two occasions, once around Elephant Rock and another near the Old Airstrip. Both times a member of the Manyelethi coalition was in attendance. We caught a surprise during Christmas time when two of the lionesses showed up in pursuit of some waterbuck in front of the Main Camp in full view of lookers on viewing from the deck!

November 2012

There were no sightings of this pride in November. Reports suggest that the youngest cub belonging to the old tailless lioness has gone missing and can be presumed dead. This is a tragic loss for the pride and it remains to be seen if she will be able to produce another litter at her age.

September & October 2012

MARTHLY PRIDE = 6
3 ADULT FEMALES
2 SUB ADULT FEMALES
1 CUB

MARTHLY
(September: 1 sighting)
(October: 1 sighting)

Just the one sighting for each month of the Marthly Pride. The sighting in September was of particular interest. A female buffalo had died of natural causes at Picadilly Triangle. The Princess Alice Pans male leopard was the first to find the free meal which he enjoyed before being chased off by the Airstrip male leopard! Then, it was the turn of all four of the Manyelethi males to arrive on the scene and the Airstrip male hung around for a while before he gave up. Three lionesses from the Marthly pride then joined the Manyelethi males and finished the carcass. We have seldom recorded the Marthly pride being seen in this area and it was unusaul that they had ventured this distance. Perhaps they drew confidence with the Manyelethi male’s presence. Another encounter with the Styx pride was on the cards as this region falls within their core territroy, but the Styx pride were futher north and we are there was no confrontation. The last time these prides squabled over a meal, the youngest member of the Styx pride was killed.

August 2012

MARTHLY PRIDE = 6
1 ADULT FEMALE
2 ADULT FEMALES
3 CUBS

MARTHLY
(0 sightings)

July 2012

MARTHLY PRIDE = 12
3 ADULT FEMALES
4 SUB ADULT FEMALES
5 CUBS

MARTHLY
(1 sighting)

It was at Paraffin Drift that we got our only viewing of the Marthly pride this month. Only four members were present at the scene – two of the lionesses, as well as two sub-adults. They all seem to still be in good condition.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 12

3 ADULT FEMALES UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB ADULT FEMALES 3 YEARS 2 MONTH
4 CUBS 1 YEAR 4 MONTHS
1 CUB 1 YEAR

MARTHLY (0 sightings)

There were no sightings during the report period.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 12

3 ADULT FEMALES UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB ADULT FEMALES 3 YEARS 1 MONTH
4 CUBS 1 YEAR 3 MONTHS
1 CUB 11 MONTHS

MARTHLY (0 sightings)

There were no sightings during the report period.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 12

3 ADULT FEMALES UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB ADULT FEMALES 3 YEARS
4 CUBS 1 YEAR 2 MONTHS
1 CUB 10 MONTHS

MARTHLY (0 sightings)

There were no sightings during the report period.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 12

3 ADULT FEMALES UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB ADULT FEMALES 2 YEARS 11 MONTHS
4 CUBS 1 YEAR 1 MONTH
1 CUB 9 MONTHS

MARTHLY (0 sightings)

There were no sightings during the report period.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 12

3 ADULT FEMALE UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB FEMALES 2 YEARS 10 MONTHS
4 CUBS 1 YEAR
1 CUB 8 MONTHS

MARTHLY (0 sightings)

There were no sightings of this pride for the month.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 12

3 ADULT FEMALE UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB FEMALES 2 YEARS 10 MONTHS
4 CUBS 1 YEAR
1 CUBS 8 MONTHS

MARTHLY (1 sighting)

The Marthly pride was seen only once this month. Two days into the New Year they were located around Track to Matumi Rocks, on western Marthly.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 15

3 ADULT FEMALES UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB FEMALES 2 YEARS 9 MONTHS
4 CUBS 11 MONTHS
4 CUBS 7 MONTHS

MARTHLY (0 sightings)

There were no sightings of this pride for the month.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 15

3 ADULT FEMALES UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB FEMALES 2 YEARS 8 MONTHS
4 CUBS 10 MONTHS
4 CUBS 6 MONTHS

MARTHLY (0 sightings)

There were no sightings of this pride for the month.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 15

3 ADULT FEMALES UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB FEMALES 2 YEARS 7 MONTHS
4 CUBS 9 MONTHS
4 CUBS 5 MONTHS

MARTHLY (0 sightings)

There were no sightings of this pride for the month.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 15

3 ADULT FEMALE UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB FEMALES 2 YEARS 6 MONTHS
4 CUBS 8 MONTHS
4 CUBS 4 MONTHS

MARTHLY (0 sightings)

There were no sightings of this pride for the month.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 15

3 ADULT FEMALE UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB FEMALES 2 YEARS 5 MONTHS
4 CUBS 7 MONTHS
4 CUBS 3 MONTHS

MARTHLY (1 sighting)

There was only one sighting of some of the pride members this month. The two separated females were seen with some of the Manyelethi males at Paraffin drift one morning. They looked to be fit and healthy and reports are that the cubs are doing very well too.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 10
3 ADULT FEMALE UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB FEMALES 2 YEARS 4 MONTHS
4 CUBS UNKNOWN AGES
MARTHLY
(2 sightings)

On the very first day of the report period we saw the pride's new cubs (sired by the Manyelethi males). The lioness with no tail and the four sub-adult cubs are still hiding out to our far north and west. Unfortunatelywith the Manyelethi males around the chances of seeing them are very slim. The second sighting we had of the pride was of the two lionesses hunting buffalo in Marthly. Nothing came of that though.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 6
3 ADULT FEMALE UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB FEMALES 2 YEARS 3 MONTHS
MARTHLY
(2 sightings)

There were only two sightings of this pride during the month. It's the first time we've seen them since February, and it's believed they have two sets of cubs. The one sighting was of two lionesses and four of the older cubs, while the second sighting was of one lioness. Both sightings were in the same area around Paraffin Drift. There has been a lot of sign of lion activity in the area with lots of tracks and a carcass of a young adult buffalo, however it was only towards the end of the month that we saw these lions. Perhaps this could herald the start of many more sightings to come.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 6
3 ADULT FEMALE UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB FEMALES 2 YEARS 2 MONTHS
MARHTLY
(0 sightings)
There were no sightings of this pride during the month.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 6
3 ADULT FEMALE UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB FEMALES 2 YEARS 1 MONTH
MARHTLY
(0 sightings)
There were no sightings of this pride during the month.

March 2011

MARTHLY PRIDE = 6
3 ADULT FEMALE UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB FEMALES 2 YEARS
MARHTLY
(0 sightings)

There were no sightings of this pride during the month.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 6
3 ADULT FEMALE UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB FEMALES 23 MONTHS
MARHTLY
(4 sightings)

Lions from the Marthly pride were only seen on four occasions during this report period. All four occasions had a lioness mating with one of the Manyelethi males. At one sighting there were two lionesses but the second one promptly moved south into the Sand River. The one left behind mated with the present Manyelethi male. We remain hopeful that sightings of this pride will increase during the year as they fully accept the Manyelethi male.

MARTHLY PRIDE = 8
3 ADULT FEMALE UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB ADULTS 21 MONTHS
MARHTLY

(8 sightings)
There was one single sighting of one of the Marthly lionesses with two small cubs in the rocky area south of Stwise. It was very far off and an approach was deemed impossible as the terrain is very tough there. The sighting was at the beginning of the report period and for the remainder of the month there was no further sign of them. One of the other lionesses in the pride was seen mating with the Manyelethi males on several occasions. Otherwise the surviving cubs from the Mlowathi males tenure were not seen during the report period.

MalaMala Game Reserve, PO Box 55514, Northlands, 2116, South Africa.
Telephone: + 27 11 442 2267 or 0861 SAFARI.
Facsimile: + 27 11 442 2318
e-Mail: reservations@malamala.com

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