Upon returning from two weeks leave from Londolozi I was desperate to get out into the bush and find the Tsalala Lion Pride. A pride I hold so close to my heart that many consider me part lion! A few days before I had set off for a short break in the city, we had heard reports from our northern neighbours that one of the 23 month old Tsalala lionesses had been caught and beaten up by one of the members of the Majingilane Coalition. We had been told that the injury was bad and that she had been separated from the rest of the pride. Injured and alone…the wild can be a hard place.
I just wanted to keep the lion followers on the blog up to date and informed. Last night we had all five members of the pride together and they were all doing fine! The sub-adult lioness does indeed have a limp and it looks like her back left hip has been injured/damaged. She was however able to keep up with the pride as they moved. I have seen enough injured lions to know that you simply don’t write them off. Sure they have their cuts, bruises and niggles but nothing that, in my opinion, is life threatening.
The current pride setup is as such:
Original Tailless Female (b.1998)
New Tailless Female (b.2002)
Lioness (b.2002)
Sub-adult lioness (b.Feb 2011)
Sub-adult lioness (b.Feb 2011)
This pride continues to endure through all that nature can throw at it. This was the pride, if you recall, that had two cubs cruelly washed away by the traumatic floods of 2012. Fortunately the recent deluge in the area, has had no negative twist on the family. We all await, however, to see what happens next. All three females could, or rather should, be wanting to start another attempt at motherhood. With the Majingilane males firmly in control, lion dynamics seem to be stabilizing. It appears as if the Breakaway Tsalala Pride have decided to go it alone and take a bash at raising cubs in land adjacent to their place of birth. No sightings of cubs though can confirm this, but observations and reports from rangers suggest that at least one lactating female is spending lots of time alone. Time shall tell…
Written by Adam Bannister
Up close and personal
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
This morning four of the five lions were feasting on a young giraffe that they must have killed last night. The Original Tailless was not with them.
What a relief! Thank you for these good news Adam!
I love BB and all her girls, she did such a brilliant job bringing up the Breakaways into absolutely gorgeous, healthy, wonderful looking lionesses, she also did a fantastic job with Solo. Amazing lioness !
Hallo Adam,
It is a relief to hear that the lionesses are doing well. I hope they will have cubs soon. Have you seen the original tailless female now? (I am a little bit worried).
Adam: you have not heard about those two male lions that a ranger saw a cpl of days ago?
We have not seen them. Im sure it was the Tsalala Young Male and Sparta Male
Thank you for the update. Good news, indeed.
Good news indeed. Tell the girls we’ll see them in 5 weeks & to get ready for their close-ups!
Thank you for the update Adam! However, I do think I need a return visit to Londolozi myself to see this beautiful pride again
Keep us posted!
Wow, that up close and personal shot may be the best I’ve seen yet. Makes me need to go wrestle my house cat. Great report. Thanks.
Great news, thank you for the update Adam
Hi Adam Update so greatly appreciated!!!! So important to know is about the old tailess female. She had a little female cub. NOTHING WAS EVER said as to seeing this cub. You all had her pics up and she was doing so well. Then a mystery came and NOTHING HEARD!!!! PLEASE PLEASE~ Do you KNOW ANYTHING about this cub?? You wrote on this cub back in AUGUST…I still have it as I save news on the TSALALA PRIDE. Is this cub alive???She would be 7 months now..I CAN NOT tell you what it would mean to me to KNOW!!!! THANK-YOU!!!!!!
Hello Suzanne
Sadly that cub just disappeared along with the litter of three cubs from the tailed Tsalala Female. We were all very upset. We don’t know what happened to it as it was looking so healthy.
Thank you for the up date on the Tsalalas and esppecailly BB. She is getting up there in age, and I imagine that every viewing of her is considered a blessing. Hopefully the Tsalalas and the breakaways will have a bountiful healthy 2013.
As always your updates make us smile.
The Tsalalas are my favorite as well! I DO hope they can produce more cubs and continue to prosper!
Thank you for the update!