The kill was made around midday; the sound of the two lionesses bringing down the sub-adult giraffe could be heard from Pioneer Camp. Immediately the two Breakaway Sparta Pride Females began to feed. They knew all to well that the Majingilane males were in the area and it was only a matter of time before they arrived on the scene.
By the time we arrived darkness had set in and two Majingilane Coalition Males had stolen the kill. The pecking order was plain to see. As the males gorged themselves with fresh meat so the females snuck closer and closer to what was rightfully theirs, eager to get more food! But as they moved in, so the raw aggression of the males became obvious.
We watched for over an hour as the two females tried time and time again to feed, each time the males would retaliate and charge towards them. At one stage the male even managed to pin down the female holding her hostage for over ten minutes…she could not move without being beaten! To see such bravery was incredible and the sound from the events which unfolded was spectacular. Here you can see just a minute of a saga that lasted all night. Eventually the males were joined by their two brothers…the females were wise enough to move off! At least this time they managed to leave without any obvious injuries which are easily sustained during incidents such as this.
As I watched this I could not help but feel for the females, they had been the ones who had made the kill yet they were ousted by the more powerful males.
Let us know what your take is on the roles and dynamics between male and female lions, particularly when a nomadic pair of lionesses is involved?
Written and Filmed by Adam Bannister
![Kambula Pride Playing On Riverbank (6) [rcb]](https://media.londolozi.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/13085423/Kambula-Pride-playing-on-riverbank-6-RCB-280x178.jpg)
I wish the lionesses would gang up on the males. They are so much more nimble. Great footage by the way.
Thanks Morty, I think a lot of people feel that way. It just seems so unfair at times doesn’t it.?
It does seem so unfair – poor ladies do all the work and get nothing out of it – but nature has its ways. And a well-oiled system it is!
Interesting indeed. I wonder if the dynamics will chnage yet again? If the Majingilane males rule over the Sparta pride and the Tsalala pride, I wonder who they will help if the prides get into a fight??
the females did the smart thing which was eating as fast and as much they could before the big boys entered the picture. that female was really lucky because the big male could have inflicted a bad injury to her so bad that hunting or simply keeping up with her sister on a hunt might not be possible. lionesses do need their counter part for their own good against new males, their enemies the hyenas . if i could talk to the girls, i would recommend the girls to go for another kill instead. game is over.