WINDMILL PRIDE = 8
6 ADULT FEMALES
1 SUB ADULT FEMALE                               * 25 MONTHS
1 CUB                                                             * 14 MONTHS

Location: SE CHARLESTON/ NE TOULON

The Windmill Pride split into two units, just as they did this time last year, with the 2-year-old lioness moving off with two adults and the cub staying with the remaining four.  There hasn't been a sighting of the seventh lioness for over two months now and perhaps its wise to consider her dead.

The group of three lions were seen moving into the Kruger National Park and the other five stayed around the southern Charleston/ Northern Toulon area and were twice seen with the remaining Ridge Rocks Male.

Just why they have decided to part ways isn't certain, but it may have to do with the abundance of young animals at this time of year.  Young animals are easier to catch, requiring fewer hunters and also, because they are smaller, less rewarding for the hunters.  So rather than have an unnecessary high number of hunters fighting over a small kill, have fewer hunters, making the same number of kills but each being better rewarded.

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November 2003

WINDMILL PRIDE = 9
7 ADULT FEMALES
1 SUB ADULT FEMALE                               * 24 MONTHS
1 CUB                                                             * 13 MONTHS

Location: SE CHARLESTON/ NE TOULON

Compared to several recent months, there were many sightings of the Windmill Pride during November.  However, all sightings were one adult lioness short.  In May this year, when the one lioness died from wounds probably caused by a buffaloes horn, it was pure chance that the body was discovered - so perhaps the worst has happened and the Windmill Pride is indeed a family one lioness fewer.

Over the last half of the month, when the lions spent most of their time around the general area of the confluence of the Chellahanga and Sand Rivers, they were accompanied by perhaps the sole surviving Ridge Rocks Male.  This particular area has good supplies of water and acts as a real magnate for animals and the lions prospered.

Rounding off the Windmill Prides month was a feast of elephant meat after they first discovered the carcass of an approximately five-year-old elephant and then, when this was finished, the body of a very small baby elephant which had been trapped in a mud-hole nearby.

With the Ridge Rocks Males perhaps not a really potent force any more, one wonders what the next half-year or so holds for the Windmill Pride.  Will other male lions come in and take over, mate with the lionesses and produce cubs, or will the whole process be drawn out, taking many months to finally sort itself out.  With drought conditions providing easy food, resources are high and now is a good time to have cubs.  But for the single Ridge Rocks Male to be part of this would, one expects, be effort wasted and it can almost be hoped that the sooner he gets replaced, the better the prospects will be for the lionesses.

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October 2003

WINDMILL PRIDE = 9
7 ADULT FEMALES
1 SUB ADULT FEMALE                                * 23 MONTHS
1 CUB                                                             * 12 MONTHS

Location: SE CHARLESTON/ NE TOULON

The single sighting of the Windmill Pride this month was of 8 lions (cub included), accompanied by one of the Rollercoaster Males, hunting from NE Toulon towards SE Charleston, close to the border with the Kruger National Park.  Sightings over the last few months suggest that these lions have been spending much time to the east of these southern, central parts of Mala Mala.

The missing lioness may simply have been absent due to the presence of the Ridge Rocks Male - this has been a feature of this pride over the past year; one of the lionesses always moves away when the dominant males arrive.

But, with the Ridge Rocks Males not looking strong, one wonders what the future holds for the Windmill Pride.

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September 2003

WINDMILL PRIDE = 9
7 ADULT FEMALES
1 SUB ADULT FEMALE                                * 22 MONTHS
1 CUBS                                                             * 11 MONTHS

Location: SE CHARLESTON/ NE TOULON

There were only two sightings of the Windmill Pride this month, both in the same area of SE Charleston, close to the Sand River.  All indications are that they are staying mostly in the Kruger National Park, perhaps plundering some isolated drinking spot, and occasionally venturing into Mala Mala.  One wonders whether this change of behaviour has anything to do with the weakening of the Ridge Rocks Males and the Rollercoaster Males' foray deep into their territory last month.  The Rollercoaster Males came in from the west and if the Windmill Pride was to avoid them, they would, if other lion dynamics permitted, have to go east.

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August 2003

WINDMILL PRIDE = 9
7 ADULT FEMALES
1 SUB ADULT FEMALE                                * 21 MONTHS
1 CUBS                                                             * 10 MONTHS

Location: SE CHARLESTON/ NE TOULON

The Windmill Pride was seen only once this month, this in the first week of August when all 9 members were found at the Sand River near the eastern parts of the Charleston/ Toulon Boundary.  From there they were seen heading north and east, towards the Kruger National Park.  It is assumed that they have found some productive piece of land in this area where game is being forced to concentrate, this courtesy of the very dry conditions.

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July 2003

WINDMILL PRIDE = 9
7 ADULT FEMALES
1 SUB ADULT FEMALE                                * 20 MONTHS
1 CUBS                                                             * 9 MONTHS

Location: SE FLOCKFIELD/ EASTERN CHARLESTON/ NE TOULON

The Windmill Pride appeared to spend most of the their time on eastern Flockfield and Charleston and were seen with the carcasses of two adult buffalo bulls this month.  On both occasions one of the Ridge Rocks Males was also with them.

In spite of the above, on both occasions, not all females were seen together at these large kills.  At the first buffalo carcass, one of the lionesses was missing and when the second one was found, two were missing.  One of the lionesses, it seems, appears rather apprehensive of the Ridge Rocks Males and it could have been the presence of the male at the buffalo carcasses which caused this one to stay away.

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June 2003

WINDMILL PRIDE = 9
7 ADULT FEMALES
1 SUB ADULT FEMALE                                * 19 MONTHS
1 CUBS                                                             * 8 MONTHS

Location: CENTRAL & EASTERN CHARLESTON/ NE TOULON

Although all members of the Windmill Pride were seen this month, there were no sightings of all of them together and they stayed separated in the two groups, one of four lionesses and the young cub, the other comprising 3 adult lionesses and the one-and-a-half-year-old.  Indications are that the latter group operated towards the northeast of the Windmill Prides' range, whilst the others worked further south towards the areas of eastern Charleston.

There were several sightings of one of the Ridge Rocks Males together with the larger Windmill Pride lioness grouping.  Although the lionesses of the Windmill Pride all seem to be in good condition and are evidently getting enough to eat, the same cannot be said for the Ridge Rocks Males.  These three lions, although alive and probably eating well, are nearly skeletal, probably wasting away from bovine tuberculosis.  Goodness knows what will happen if and when the Ridge Rocks Males go.

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May 2003

WINDMILL PRIDE = 10
8 ADULT FEMALES
1 SUB ADULT FEMALE                               * 18 MONTHS
1 CUBS                                                             * 7 MONTHS

Location: CENTRAL & SOUTH EASTERN CHARLESTON/ NE TOULON

Towards the beginning of the May report-period, most of the Windmill Pride lionesses joined up with as many as 9 of the expected 10 members being seen together on two occasions.  It is not known which of the lionesses chose not to participate in this get-together.

But this did not last long and within a few days they had started to drift apart and soon the only members of the Windmill Pride being seen was the group of five lionesses and the young cub.  The other four had drifted off, presumably eastwards into the Kruger National Park.  This grouping of six (five lionesses and the young cub) and four (three lionesses and the sub-adult) has of course been how the Windmill Pride has spent much of the year so far.

Tragedy, however, struck the lionesses of the 'group of six' later on in May when one of the lionesses was found dead.  She had been found lying in the Chellahanga River, looking decidedly unwell.  An hour later she was dead.  The state veterinarian in the Kruger National Park examined the body and found that the cause of death was a massive infection in her rectum, probably from a wound sustained by an animal's horn, presumably a buffalo.  Such are the hazards a lion faces.

The only sighting of one of the Ridge Rocks Males with members of the Windmill Pride this month happened the day after the Windmill Pride had been seen with a young male lion watching them.  Goodness knows where this approximately four-year-old male lion came from, but the lionesses were certainly not happy to see him.  All lions, including the young male, were well fed, suggesting that they had been feeding on the same kill.  But, with the feeding over, the lionesses wanted the young male gone and were certainly not shy about indicating their desire.  It was probably the arrival of the Ridge Rocks Male which put pay to any ideas the young male might have had of "latching" onto the females.  Could the young male have been one of the young males of the Windmill Pride last seen perhaps a year ago?

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April 2003

WINDMILL PRIDE = 10
8 ADULT FEMALES
1 SUB ADULT FEMALE                               * 17 MONTHS
1 CUB                                                                * 1 MONTH

Location: CENTRAL & SOUTH EASTERN CHARLESTON/ NE TOULON

There were good sightings of the Windmill Pride during April, all towards the southeastern parts of Charleston.

Towards the beginning of the month the pride stayed apart, as they have for most of the year, with five of the lionesses and the young cub working separately from the three lionesses and the sub adult lioness.

Then, towards the end of April, the lionesses appeared to join forces and there were several sightings of 7 adult lionesses, the sub adult and the young cub.  It is not known why the 8th lioness decided to drift off from these.  It may have been the one which joined the smaller group a couple of months ago and now that they are all integrated, she may feel just that little bit uneasy.  When she did join up with the smaller group, it was not an immediately welcome addition and there was some initial aggression towards her.

Compared to other months, the Ridge Rocks Males were not as attentive towards the Windmill Pride. All lions seemed to be in fine condition and appeared to be getting plenty to eat.

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March 2003

WINDMILL PRIDE = 13
8 ADULT FEMALES
1 SUB ADULT FEMALE * 16 MONTHS
2 CUBS * 5 MONTHS

Location: NE FLOCKFIELD/ EASTERN CHARLESTON

The Windmill Pride was not seen much this month and in fact only some of the members were encountered.  Nevertheless, what was seen of them was most significant. At the very beginning of the game-report period the part of the pride which has the five lionesses at its core were seen stalking and killing an adult male Sable Antelope. This Sable was probably the same very relaxed bull which has been seen on the reserve over the last few years.  It is known that he has had several narrow escapes in that time and so ultimately being caught by lions was perhaps inevitable.  On the plus side, the lions really needed the meal.  They were lean and devoured the carcass with great speed, completely eating the quarter-ton-plus antelope overnight.

This group of five lionesses has been looking after the young cubs of the pride, letting the other four members comprising three adult lionesses and a sub adult, go elsewhere and not be tied down by the special demands of the very young cubs. But the small cubs have not done well.  As many as eight tiny cubs were seen in early December, but by the beginning of March only two remained and by mid-march there was only one left. Perhaps the deaths of the cubs has been due to inexperience; several of the lionesses of the Windmill Pride appear quite young and so may not have the necessary know-how when it comes to raising cubs.  Perhaps it has also been the difficult conditions which lions seem to be facing at the moment, where food appears to be plentiful if it is big animals which are being hunted, but not so plentiful when it comes to the smaller creatures such as impala.  The hunting of large and highly mobile animals such as zebra and buffaloes can be rewarding but also consumes much energy, this often expended in distance travelled.  For young cubs to always keep up with the hunt or be taken to carcasses which may be many kilometres apart would, one might imagine, be draining on their tiny bodies. So perhaps this has been a reason why so many of the youngsters have died.  Let it be hoped though, that the efforts of the lionesses can be pooled for the single cub which still remains and help ensure its future.

Sightings of the Windmill Pride were mostly towards the very north of what is considered their 'normal' range and there were no sightings of any of them together with the Ridge Rocks Males, the male lions which currently dominate over them.

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February 2003

WINDMILL PRIDE = 13
8 ADULT FEMALES
1 SUB ADULT FEMALE * 15 MONTHS
2 CUBS * 3 MONTHS
2 CUBS * 4 MONTHS

Location: CHARLESTON (except NW parts) & N TOULON

The Windmill Pride had both loss and gain this month. Towards the beginning of February, one of the young cubs was found dead in a shallow waterhole, perhaps having drowned in it. So, by months end, only 3 of the original 8 cubs first seen at the beginning of December were still alive.

The two groups of the Windmill Pride seen to form last month persisted through February, the unit of five lionesses staying with the small cubs and then the other three, including the sub-adult female, working apart from them. And it was with these other three that the Windmill Pride gained; they were joined by another adult lioness.

This lioness was young and bore several scars on her body and when she first appeared, was treated with some hostility by the oldest of the lionesses of the trio. But, by persisting and behaving with humility, she quickly gained the acceptance of the other two adults and the 15-month-old. It is thought that this other lioness has always been a member of the Windmill Pride, but probably left the others when the Windmill Pride broke up a year or so ago.

At one time the Windmill Pride was a huge family of lions, including something like 9 adult lionesses and four young lionesses. Then, a year or more ago, they started to separate into two factions, one which included most of the younger lionesses moving north and east, the other staying in what may be called the traditional homeland of the Windmill Pride. The fate of the smaller faction that headed north and east is not known, but this 'newly-acquired' lioness may well have been part of that group and, for some or other reason, has decided to return to the original territory and the group of lions which stayed in that area.

Although there were many sightings of the Windmill Pride this month, several of these including male lions from the Ridge Rocks coalition, there was little action witnessed. Days during February were hot and dry and there were several bright moonlit nights and the lions of the Windmill Pride spent much of their time lying around doing nothing, conserving their energy for those occasions when conditions would be most favourable for hunting.

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January 2003

WINDMILL PRIDE = 12

7 ADULT FEMALES
1 SUB ADULT FEMALE * 14 MONTHS
2 CUBS * 2 MONTHS
2 CUBS * 3 MONTHS

Location: CENTRAL & SE CHARLESTON/ N TOULON (east and north of the Sand River)

The Windmill Pride delivered some fine viewing this month and, certainly in the southern parts of Mala Mala, provided the bulk of lion sightings. Indications are that only four of the 8 small cubs, seen towards the beginning of December, are still alive. All four of the surviving babies were seen when five of the lionesses and one of the Ridge Rocks Males were found on a freshly killed adult female buffalo carcass. Two of the Windmill Pride cubs are certainly too young to eat meat, so goodness knows why they were taken to the kill.

The Windmill Pride appears to have separated into two units, the one comprising five lionesses and the small cubs, the other including two of the adult lionesses and the 14-month-old lioness. When the group of five was feasting off the female buffalo kill in the northeastern parts of their territory, the group of three, which includes the very old Windmill Pride lioness with teeth which appear to be almost worn out, had just spent two or three days eating an adult male kudu. Just prior to these two large kills, all seven lionesses and the 14-month-old were seen together.

Sightings of the Windmill Pride during January suggested that they were making somewhat more use of the western parts of their territory than has been the case in previous months. With the Charleston Pride further to the south and seemingly intent on staying there, one wonders just how entrenched the Windmill Pride will become in this central-southern part of Mala Mala. It also remains to be seen whether they are in the area due to the absence of the Charleston Pride or whether they have actually chased the Charleston Pride from this area.

One of the Ridge Rocks Male lions was seen several times with the lionesses of the Windmill Pride during January.