There has been a coup in the Sabi Sands….
If you are one of those avid fans of wildlife that have your finger on the pulse of the big cat comings and goings within the Sabi Sands then you will already know of the recent shift in lion dynamics and the demise of one of the famed Mapogo lions ‘Kinky Tail’.
Late May 2010 - Kinky Tail somewhere in Londolozi
Good news travels fast but bad news like winter wildfires. The bush telegraph has been buzzing and excitable Rangers and Trackers have been pausing on communal boundary lines to tell the grim tale and make soothsayer like predictions of the rollon effect this might have. You Tube has the film footage, Facebook is a flurry and Twitter…well is twittering.
‘Kinky Tail’ and his famed brother ‘Satan’ are 2 of the notorious coalition of 6 male lions that have roamed the better portion of the SSGR for the last 4 years and monopolised its lionesses and buffalo. Named as Mapogo after a heavy handed security firm in Johannesburg, they have delighted the humans (and probably only the humans) of this wilderness area with their presence. Male lions all come with the territory but this has been a special time for us and we’ve been spoilt with this abundance of power and largesse.
It’s been a long time since all 6 males were together. 4 have made the western sector their home whilst ‘Kinky Tail’ and ‘Satan’ have managed the eastern frontier. Most of the Trackers at Londolozi will tell you that they were over extended, too far from the comfort of numbers and in danger of running into another ‘coalition’ coveting their land and lionesses. As usual their instincts were spot on and the inevitable trouble arrived. The eastern duo have been fighting a running battle with 5 new males from the Kruger who have steadily been advancing into the territory.
A few nights ago ‘Kinky Tail’ and ‘Satan’ cornered and killed one of these usurperers. Undaunted by their loss, the remaining 4 rested up for the day and exacted revenge the following evening by killing and then eating ‘Kinky Tail’. ‘Satan’ apparently arrived late on the scene and received a severe mauling that we are waiting to discover whether or not is fatal. Nevertheless he is on the run and his days are numbered.
The observers of these events have wondered whether the survivor will run back to the apparent safety net of his brothers. It’s unclear however whether or not that coalition is still intact and what sort of welcome he may receive. More than likely he is alone in this battle.
When the dust is settled and these males have worked out the proprietership of this land, the new landlords will settle into the same destructive course that the Mapogo took. Cubs will be killed and lionesses destroyed in the defence of their litters. New matings will take place and fluffy litters produced. It seems excessive but that is the nature of their existence. Somewhere in the new litters that we will eventually see will be little males carefully being nursed to take up the role of their fathers.
Years from now similar events will take place. The humans will shake their heads and be aghast at the seeming pointlessness of it all. But truthfully, I wonder whether we shouldn’t rather rejoice in being afforded the opportunities to witness firsthand the evolutionary processes at play?
If in the course of reading this you come to the conclusion that the author is not too disturbed by recent event or does not seem overly compassionate you would be mistaken. It’s just that I have watched the coalition destroy the Ximmovanyane Pride and their 7 youngsters as well as eating the Kruger male in 2006 and furthermore dispatching the Tsalala Prides 6 cubs. We have seen the show before and I am guessing the next season has just started
Written by: Tom Imrie
Photographed by: Adam Bannister
Filmed by: Rich Laburn
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
How very sad. I have literally hundreds of pictures of these 2 male lions from our trip there. They will be missed………While it is sad, this is easier to grip as it is the way of nature and no-humans have interfered. I just read a disturbing article about the hunting of lions in SA during the Cup, that is what makes me furious, breeding these beautiful animals and keeping them in terrible confinement just for sport hunting is just heartbreaking!!!
Best Wishes to all those doing wonderful things at Londolozi!
Poor Kinky Tail. He was beautiful lion. It’s a tough life for the males in the pride.
Great write up once again Tom. Thank you.
Very true statements, only time will tell what plays out next in the lion world of Sabi Sands.
Sad to see Kinky Tail will not be seen any more and also sad to see the one younger male is not going to be around any more either.
Nature is definitely not always going to paint a pretty picture.
Thanks also goes out to Adam and Rich for the photos and video
Beautifully written account Tom! I was in SS last october, and have many photos of these two males. Very sad, but that’s nature!
Can anybody share the video of the battle that took place between Mapogos and Southern Coalition,I think that Satan may actually be heading to the safety of his remaining 4 brothers because its very possible that the coalition is still intact because last month there had been reports that Five members of the mapogo coalition had been seen togetherand it may also be possible that the other 4 mapogos are not aware of the demise of their brother kinky tail and when they become aware of this it may be that all Five Mapogos may actually march eastwards and like old days take revenge by killing members of this new southern coalition we shall have to wait and see what happens,please do keep us updated on the condition and whereabouts of Satan/Mr T.
Beautifully written, Tom. Thank you. Certainly there has been much pause for thought over the events of the last week.
Regarding your ‘footnote’ – From the comfort of my chair, thousands of miles from both the absolute beauty and harsh reality that surrounds you…never would this reader presume that you have anything less than the highest respect for all of nature. No matter how seemingly cruel. Your words offer an insight into a world that so very many of us will never experience.
I look forward to hearing more of this “shift” of which you speak with much anticipation…and apprehension!
Again…Thank You.
Tom,
It was special watching Satan and Kinky Tail 2 weekends ago, hearing that they’re under threat and to read that it’s now actually happened. We have afew beautiful photographs of them, and will treasure those as we do our fond memories of that special trip.
Best regards,
Francois
Question.
You say that Kinky Tail was killed AND eaten. Another blog just says he was killed. From my limited knowledge of lions, they usually don’t eat others. Can you explain? Thanks.
Hi Morty,
It is more than likely that Kinky Tail was partially eaten after he was killed. This is not to say that he was fully eaten much like a lion would an antelope, rather bits of him may have been chewed upon, spat out or even digested. Your understanding of lions is correct as they are not known to eat members of their own species let alone other carnivorous animals, however in the wilderness and in nature there are no absolutes. I know of multiple stories from around Africa of lions killing and eating other cubs, each other and even hyenas. There are stories of leopards eating their own deceased young as well.
The lions that killed Kinky Tail would have probably chewed upon a small portion of his body once he was dead to assert their dominance. Let me know if this sits well with you and if you have any other questions. Thanks for your input.
Rich
Rich,
Thanks for the reply.
There is a video on youtube that I find disturbing, and would like you to comment on. The documentary is on leopards, but in part 3 it shows a female lion who has a broken leg. She roars for her pride and then is viciously and immediately killed by 2 rogue males. Here is the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eW4CymRlnI
(It’s called A Leopards Story)
I am very interested to know why she was attacked so suddenly and without hesitation. Thanks!
As the narrator says, “This behaviour is highly unusual but no less savage. Their killer instinct is so strong, the urge to attack an injured animal so powerful that they seemingly cannot stop.” Rogue male lions are often fighting a battle for their own survival as well as for territory. There are no hard and fast rules in nature, however in this instance the two males were probably testosterone fueled; saw an injured lioness by herself and thus felt the need to react with aggression.
There are no clear cut answers for many of the questions that occur contrary to the textbook. Always remember that ‘typical behaviour’ is just a guideline for understanding the day to day behaviour of each animal. With so many different species there are many different vectors for change in the environment. The end result is that many different things could happen. Whilst these two males killed the lioness, two other males may have left her alone.
Have you spent time recently in the wild observing any cats behaviour?
I haven’t spent any time in the wild observing, but over the years I have been addicted to Big Cat Diary on Animal Planet, as well as watching youtube documentaries. I find lion society so complex and so harsh that I am sometimes just exasperated at what I have seen. I’ve spent hours looking up details on infanticide. I tell myself to forget about the Lions, but the next day I’m on youtube seeing what I can find.
As to the video, I just thought that the narrator did not give any good information, other than to say that boys will be boys. I guess I just saw it as, hey, this lioness is immobile anyway so why would it be a threat? Of course they males didn’t know that.
I think if I had more time and much more money, I would come out to Africa for quite a long time and observe. I appreciate your replies, as I was about to call the Bronx Zoo in New York and ask a cat expert there to comment on that video.
Its good to hear you are so interested in big cats, they are some of the most interesting and fascinating creatures in the natural world.
I wouldn’t get too exasperate with the lion society that you see as it is important to remember that this is how the natural world has functioned for many thousands of years before we came along with our own perceptions. What is exasperating is to see our humanity destroying natural populations in lion species as well as many others throughout Africa and the rest of the world.
Narrators typically read an esoteric script that mixes storytelling with light bits of fact. As wonderful as documentaries are, they can only give but a glimpse into a wildlife system.
Owing to your obvious passion for these animals, I think it is hugely important for yourself to come to South Africa and be able to experience the lion, leopard and cheetah, which you see on the blog, in reality. Spending a few days with these animals will massively broaden your awareness, understanding, passion and interest around them. Where are you currently based?
I’m from Dallas, Texas but now live in a jungle. New York City.
I’m also interested in polar bears, it being the largest land carnivore, and am thinking about a trip sometime to Churchill, Canada in October when they congregate and wait for the ice to form on Hudson Bay so they can go seal hunting. As for South Africa, I would love to come….and also have to remind myself that I might see some things that I would not like to see.
It’s illegal to hunt Lions by the way, correct? There is a woman name Rebecca Francis who has a video on youtube where she shoots a big male. It makes me sick. And I do wish ill for her. She claims it’s legal. What can we do to stop this I’m wondering? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdKPEmGwbgM
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