Archives: 2003 | 2004 | 2009 | 2010

December 2010

MARTHLY PRIDE = 8
3 ADULT FEMALE UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB ADULTS 21 MONTHS
MARHTLY
(2 sightings)

One lioness was seen during the month. She looked heavily pregnant and was seen around the Stwise on both occasions. On the second occasions she was lying on top of a rocky outcrop which looked suspiciously like a den site. We will have to wait for the new year to confirm this but the Marthly pride might be expanding again.
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November 2010

MARTHLY PRIDE = 9
3 ADULT FEMALES UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB ADULT FEMALES 20 MONTHS
1 SUB ADULT MALES 20 MONTHS
(2 sighting)

On the two occasions that this pride were seen it consisted of only four members. The four members been three females and one male. The adult lionesses looked to be in a healthy condition but the sub- adults looked in a dreadful state. The one sub- adult female seems to have inherited the bad luck that one of the adult lionesses had. Apparently she had an encounter with a hyena, which bit half of her tail off. The second sighting came the next day and then after that they were not seen for the rest of the month.
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October 2010

MARTHLY PRIDE = 9
3 ADULT FEMALES UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB ADULT FEMALES 19 MONTHS
1 SUB ADULT MALES 19 MONTHS
(4 sighting)

The pride is under severe pressure from the Manyelethi males and spent the month of October split. The tailless lioness and two sub adult females have ran west with the two remaining adults and the remaining sub adults staying around the sand river. The future doesn’t look bright for the youngsters; they are facing a situation similar to the Eyrefield pride faced 18 months ago. The new males are putting a lot of pressure on the pride and trying to kill off the youngsters. Will they survive? Only time can tell.

September 2010

MARTHLY PRIDE = 9
3 ADULT FEMALES UNKNOWN AGES
4 SUB ADULT FEMALES 18 MONTHS
2 SUB ADULT MALES 18 MONTHS
(1 sighting)
The one sighting of this pride during the month was when two of the adult females were found with the four Manyelethi males. They presumably had lured the males away from the sub adults and were mating with males periodically. The sighting got really interesting however when the Campbell Koppies female and Emsagwen male leopards were found close by. Later the large male leopard from Sparta join the scene. The lions ended up chasing off the leopards and stealing a bush buck kill which one of the females devoured in the tree while the males waiting impatiently at the base. If the Manyelethi males take this pride over expect to see a lot more of them on Mala Mala but will the sub adult all survive?

August 2010 (0 sightings)

There were no sightings of this pride during the month.

July 2010 (1 sighting)

This pride was only seen once this month and it was when they were with the remaining Mlowathi male. They were well fed and roared with the Mlowathi male, however this brought the 4 young males from the KNP and as a result they were chased west into the core of their territory and they lost a sub-adult female in the process. It will be interesting to see if they will accept the 4 new males or just avoid the eastern part of their territory for a while until the fighting over territory and dominance has stopped and they accept whichever coalition wins. Or if they won’t give up their eastern section and stay in the west and link up with the Mlowathi male and his older brothers.

June 2010

•(3 sightings)
It has been a difficult month for this pride that has been caught in between the battle between the Mlowathi males and the 5 new males from the KNP. On two of the occasions they were found in the north western area of Mala Mala were they were hunting buffalo managing to catch one and the Mlowathi male was with them. They were all very well fed and even roared with the Mlowathi male, however right at the end of the month the new males from the KNP caught up with the Mlowathi male and the Marthly pride suffered the death of 4 sub-adults in the crossfire. The next few months are going to be very difficult for this pride unless the Mlowathi male returns with his older Eyrefield brother to regain dominance and his territory, but it will be difficult.

May 2010

• (0 sightings)
There were no sightings of this pride during the month.

April 2010

• Marthly pride 11: (0 sightings)
There were no sightings of this pride during the month.

March 2010

• Marthly pride 11: (2 sightings)
All eight cubs are still alive, obviously thriving with the fact that their fathers are still dominant in the area. The lioness with the stubby tail still has the raw patch where the tail was, which makes us speculate whether the wound will completely close up. Their movements on Mala Mala still confined to Marthly. In the two sightings that we saw them, one was extremely exciting. It was late morning when a herd of buffalo walked close by to the pride, which initiated the lions to stalk and run in; at one stage they had isolated a single buffalo but in the end did not bring it down. As usual they moved off the property the following day.

February 2010

• Marthly pride: (0 sightings)
There were no sightings of the pride during the month.

January 2010

• Marthly pride: (0 sightings)
There were no sightings of the pride during the month.

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