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Rollercoaster Male Lion - Photograph by ranger Bruce Archibald

November 2009

Rollercoaster male (+/- 13 ½ years): (9 sightings)

He was seen with the Eyrefield pride on all nine occasions, he was looking fit and healthy and in great condition. He seems to possess eternal life and just wont give up always somehow managing to make it through each month stronger than the last. With his disappearance last month it was feared he had lost him but this month that couldn’t be further from the truth. An awesome male lion in his day let’s hope he continues to live a happy life with his pride until that day finally comes.

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October 2009

Rollercoaster male (+/- 13 ½ years): (1 sightings)

He went missing half way through last month and fears were that at last he had finally succumbed and past away. But one should never underestimate the survival instincts of a male lion and on the very last day of the report period there he was back with his pride looking fit and healthy, so much so that that night when they went buffalo hunting he was the one leading the charge and he was the one to deliver the kill blow. Long may he live.

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September 2009

Rollercoaster male (+/- 13 years): (10 sightings)

It started off with a bang for the aging Rollercoaster male, he was looking in great condition and still an active albeit it old member of the Eyrefield pride. Then the scrap with the unknown five young males happened and everything changed for him. During the fight he was nowhere to be seen, he left his pride to do all the fighting while he hid in the safety of the river. Then when the pride had another scrap off our property with another pride or group of lions he got separated. He moved around with the two separated lions of the Eyrefield pride for sometime finding a dead buffalo to feed off at Beaumont’s hippo pools, then they to left him and he was all alone. The last half of the report he hasn’t been seen at all and even after the Eyrefield pride regrouped, he still wasn’t present.

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August 2009

Rollercoaster male (+/- 13 years): (6 sightings)

Amazingly he is still hanging around, and doing so in style. Looking better than he has in a long time the Rollercoaster male continues to dominate the Eyrefield pride although probably without much authority. At least thirteen years in age he walks with a slow deliberate pace resting whenever he can but always able to make it to dinner in time for some food. When the Eyrefield pride ran into his former pride the Styx pride he was stuck between a rock and a hard place so like any good male he ran up the rock and roared his heart out. Standing over the battle ground watching both his prides fighting each other the male didn’t commit but provided the perfect music to the show on the ground. Afterwards he joined up with the Eyrefield pride and has stuck with them.

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July 2009

(+/- 12 years): (7 sightings)

Seen on most of the occasions with the Eyrefield pride he continues to not only survive but he’s doing it in style. Seen once on his own he was in good shape and soon found the pride again. At this stage he is not territorial anymore and in as much danger as the females and cubs from the younger Eyrefield males.

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June 2009

(+/- 12 years): (3 sightings)

Seen twice with the pride on the giraffe kill in the Kapen this male looks as strong as ever. Having given up the Styx pride has done wonders for him as he no longer needs to move large distances in order to maintain both prides. Many times in the past we found him alone and skinny trying to find one of the prides and some food, hopefully he continues to dominate the Eyrefield pride and in turn they will continue to provide for him.

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May 2009

(+/- 12 years): (7 sightings)

Surprisingly this old male is in very good condition. This can probably be attributed to the fact that he is spending most of his time with the Eyrefield Pride. The hunting skills of the Pride seem to be doing well for him. Before he had to walk great distances between the Styx Pride and the Eyrefield Pride, which is probably the reason why he was always so emaciated. The limp from his back left leg still hampers him, so he still lags a bit when the Pride is on the move.

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March 2009

(12 sightings)

The old man of the savannas, the Rollercoaster male had a nervous month. Again like the Styx pride he disappeared for several days at a time only to pop up somewhere just as rangers started to wonder if he had been killed. He looked lean the entire month with most of his skeleton showing as he hobbled behind the pride hoping they would kill something for him to steal. Reports from the north suggest he ran into the Eyrefield males and took a beating but when he returned he looked none the worse for wear. It’s only a matter of time before he gets deposed of his title as ruler of Mala Mala.

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Febuary 2009

(17 sightings)

The wily old man of Mala Mala had another close shave with the Eyrefield males but again managed to escape serious injury. The male spent most of the month with the Styx pride knowing they too would be trying to avoid the Eyrefield males. The pride moved great distances during the month and the male often got left behind and so many a night roaring was heard as he tried to locate the females and dinner. He continues to hold onto the territory and seems to be fit enough to keep up but time is running out for him as surely his age will catch up to him.

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January 2008

(22  sightings)

As usual the Rollercoaster male was very active during this period. His territory is very well defined and he sticks religiously to it. He has been spending the majority of his time with the Styx pride, rarely going across to join the Eyrefield pride in the west. This could be because there is pressure that side from the Eyrefield males and he wants to stay out of their way knowing they are stronger than he is without his brother to back him up. As the Styx pride have the same idea as him to stay away from those lions he willl more than likely stick with them until he is totally pushed out.

He continues to be a very lazy lion though, feeding on kills made by the Styx pride and generally not moving very far from where they are.