December 2008
SELATI PRIDE = 15
1 ADULT FEMALES 8 YEARS 1 MONTH
2 ADULT FEMALES 6 YEARS
2 ADULT FEMALES 5 YEARS 10 MONTHS
2 CUBS 11 MONTHS
5 CUBS 8 MONTHS
3 CUBS 6 MONTHS
TOULON, CHARLESTON
(13 sightings)
The Selati pride had a solid month with them being seen mostly around the sand river close to Kirkmans camp. Some interesting news for this pride was about the female with the presumed broken leg. One of the adult females has been walking on three legs for some months now, her hind right leg was presumed to be broken as she could put no weight on it and the muscles had wasted away. This month however she proved us all wrong and was seen walking with her injured leg. Although she still has a big limp and the muscles are yet to return she can now put pressure on the leg and fully extend the limb. Either the bone broke and now has mended in a new position or she had an extremely bad muscle tear and lost the muscle due to the injury. The cubs similar in age to the Styx cubs are all still alive and looking healthy. The pride made two spectacular kills this month. The first was at the Kirkmans swimming pool where they killed an adult male waterbuck. The following day having finished the waterbuck they moved into the river and as they were resting digesting the meal when another adult male waterbuck walked into the pride and he too was brought down and devoured.
November 2008
SELATI PRIDE = 21
2 ADULT FEMALES 8 YEARS
2 ADULT FEMALES 5 YEARS 11 MONTHS
3 ADULT FEMALES 5 YEARS 9 MONTHS
2 MALE CUBS 2 YEARS 1 MONTH
2 FEMALE CUBS 2 YEARS 1 MONTH
2 CUBS 8 MONTHS
5 CUBS 7 MONTHS
3 CUBS 5 MONTHS
TOULON, CHARLESTON
( 6 sightings)
Continuing their domination over the South, the rise and rise of the Selati pride seems to be unstoppable and one can only hope that their success as a pride continues. Somewhat scarcer this month than the last, most of the sightings this month was of them close to the Kingston break, the Golf Course Males almost always in attendance.
October 2008
SELATI PRIDE = 21
2 ADULT FEMALES 7 YEARS 11 MONTHS
2 ADULT FEMALES 5 YEARS 10 MONTHS
3 ADULT FEMALES 5 YEARS 8 MONTHS
2 MALE CUBS 2 YEARS
2 FEMALE CUBS 2 YEARS
2 CUBS 7 MONTHS
5 CUBS 6 MONTHS
3 CUBS 4 MONTHS
TOULON, CHARLESTON
(14 sightings)
It seems as if the fragmentation of this pride has now become permanent. Currently there are only seven adult females at the most viewed with this pride. Five females are normally viewed along with ten cubs. Worryingly, one of the older females is still sporting a serious limp on her hind left leg. The injury appears to be a broken bone in her upper femur/hip area and the muscles around the injury have completely wasted away. Spending the vast majority of their time on Mala Mala between the golf course (Toulon) and Beaumont’s hippo pools, these lions have been viewed frequently this month with the two Golf course males often in attendance. Found eating a severely emaciated buffalo at KK crossing KNP rangers took the lungs out of the buffalo and tested it for TB much to the disappointment it was discovered the buffalo was riddled with TB and the lions had finished the carcass before we could get rid of it. These lions also managed to kill two Nyala at Calabash crossing at the same time and spectacularly caught an adult female kudu in the reeds North of KK crossing.
September 2008
SELATI PRIDE = 19
2 ADULT FEMALES 7 YEARS 9 MONTHS
2 ADULT FEMALES 5 YEARS 8 MONTHS
3 ADULT FEMALES 5 YEARS 7 MONTHS
1 SUB ADULT MALE 5 YEARS 6 MONTHS
1 SUB ADULT MALE 5 YEARS 5 MONTHS
2 MALE CUBS 1 YEARS 11 MONTHS
2 FEMALE CUBS 1 YEARS 11 MONTHS
6 CUBS 11 MONTHS
1 CUB 5 MONTHS
TOULON, CHARLESTON
(10 sightings)
This pride continues to be seen regularly as they did in the previous report period. The cubs are doing very well. They are growing fast and soon they will begin learning the art of the hunt from their mothers. The Golf Course males continue to be very protective over their heirs.
August 2008
7 ADULT FEMALES (between 5 and 7 years old)
2 SUB ADULT MALE (between 5 and 6 years old)
2 MALE CUBS 1 YEARS 9 MONTHS
2 FEMALE CUBS 1 YEARS 9 MONTHS
6 CUBS 10 MONTHS
1 CUB 4 MONTHS
TOULON, CHARLESTON - (6 sightings)
This pride continues to be seen regularly as they did in the previous
report period. The cubs are doing very well, but were unfortunately only
seen on three occasions. The Charleston Pride continues to put pressure
on the this prides territory, and it is only a matter of time before these
two prides have further contact, as the landscape dries and the prides
are forced to compete for the last remaining water resources.
July 2008
SELATI PRIDE = 19
2 ADULT FEMALES 7 YEARS 7 MONTHS
2 ADULT FEMALES 5 YEARS 6 MONTHS
3 ADULT FEMALES 5 YEARS 5 MONTHS
1 SUB ADULT MALE 5 YEARS 4 MONTHS
1 SUB ADULT MALE 5 YEARS 3 MONTHS
2 MALE CUBS 1 YEARS 9 MONTHS
2 FEMALE CUBS 1 YEARS 9 MONTHS
6 CUBS 9 MONTHS
1 CUB 3 MONTHS
TOULON, CHARLESTON (5 sightings)
The Selati pride has not been viewed very much all together as a pride
this month but more as individuals and lionesses and cubs. The sightings
have dropped in numbers from last month but more of the group has been
seen together which is a good sign. This has not stopped them from continuing
to be a strong force in the south and records show that all members of
this pride have been viewed at least once this month. Another thing which
we are happy about is the arrival of another young cub which has not been
viewed to date. Due to how relaxed the other cubs are around vehicles
has caused this new young cub to become very relaxed and it is already
being viewed by 2 vehicles at a time. The only unfortunate thing about
the arrival of this cub is that all the other cubs are about 6 months
older than it so getting food at kills might prove to be a bit difficult
but hopefully the mother will help it and try as much as possible to not
let the other cub have it as their play-toy.
Selati male - Photographs by ranger Bruce Hedges
MAY 2008
SELATI PRIDE = 19
2 ADULT FEMALES 7 YEARS 6 MONTHS
2 ADULT FEMALES 5 YEARS 5 MONTHS
3 ADULT FEMALES 5 YEARS 4 MONTHS
1 SUB ADULT MALE 5 YEARS 3 MONTHS
1 SUB ADULT MALE 5 YEARS 2 MONTHS
2 MALE CUBS 1 YEARS 7 MONTHS
2 FEMALE CUBS 1 YEARS 8 MONTHS
6 CUBS 8 MONTHS
AREA SIGHTED : TOULON, CHARLESTON ( 1 Sightings)
There was only one confirmed sighting of the Selati pride during the
report period, only three lionesses and six cubs where seen the lions
appear to be in good condition, one may think with the Golf coarse males
now spending most of there time with members of the Charleston pride that
the Selati pride must be feeling some pressure from them as the Charleston
pride move more west with the male lions into the edge of their territory.
April 2008
SELATI PRIDE = 13
2 ADULT FEMALES 7 YEARS 4 MONTHS
2 ADULT FEMALES 5 YEARS 5 MONTHS
3 ADULT FEMALES 5 YEARS 2 MONTH
1 SUB ADULT MALE 5 YEARS 2 MONTH
1 SUB ADULT MALE 4 YEARS 11 MONTHS
2 MALE CUBS 1 YEARS 5 MONTHS
2 FEMALE CUBS 1 YEARS 5 MONTHS
6 CUBS 6 MONTHS
TOULON, CHARLESTON
(5 Sightings)
The good news about the Selati pride is that their 6 cubs are growing
well and getting strong. These cubs are approximately 6 months old. They
are infrequently seen but when seen are very relaxed with vehicles and
take very little notice of the vehicles when they moved around them. The
pride is spending a lot of its time to the west of the property on Kingston.
The Golf Course males are still strong in the area and are really setting
themselves up as the dominant males in the area. There have been no interactions
between them and the new males known as the KNP males. These two young
males are still associating with the Selati pride almost exclusively.
January 2008
SELATI PRIDE = 13
2 ADULT FEMALES * 7 YEARS 3 MONTHS
2 ADULT FEMALES * 5 YEARS 2 MONTHS
3 ADULT FEMALES * 4 YEARS 11 MONTHS
1 SUB ADULT MALE * 4 YEARS 11 MONTHS
1 SUB ADULT MALE * 4 YEARS 8 MONTHS
2 MALE CUBS * 1 YEARS 2 MONTHS
2 FEMALE CUBS * 1 YEARS 2 MONTHS
Location: TOULON, CHARLESTON
(9 Sightings)
The Selati pride was not seen very much this report period, and was not seen all together. There were only nine sightings of individuals - the first part of the report period was of the Selati lioness mating with the Golf Course males. Thereafter the one group of the three Selati lionesses and the two Golf Course males was only seen on a three occasions at the end of the report period. Only two of the lionesses of the other group were seen. One wonders what this split in the pride will do. Perhaps the two will separate permanently and become distinctive prides or perhaps they will join again in the future. Only time will tell.
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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