Up on a koppie next to the Manyelethi River there is a small cave. It’s hard to see as the road that runs past the koppies passes it to the east, and the cave is on the southern face, hidden from the road by a large-leafed rock fig.
In the winter of 2013 four small cubs were born to the Tailed Tsalala lioness; three males and a female. All four cubs made it to independence; an unusual occurrence in a lion litter. The males have since dispersed as a coalition, moving south in the Sabi Sand Reserve and as far as I know out of the reserve entirely, into the Kruger National Park.
Three of the 2013 litter. The head of the cub on the right looks a tiny bit smaller than the others, so chances are high that it is the current Tsalala female.
The female remained with her mother and aunt, through the turbulent splits caused by the influx of new coalitions, until eventually, after the deaths of the two senior lionesses of the pride, she was left all alone, the sole survivor of a legacy spanning 20 years.
Over the course of last year she was seen in company with one or other of the Birmingham males on multiple occasions, and many was the time we suspected her of being pregnant, but nothing ever came from it. As recently as January, she showed signs of being heavily pregnant, but when no sign of her giving birth was had, we were giving up hope. The lioness kept a low profile and wasn’t seen too often.
And then, yesterday afternoon, Ranger John Mohaud was on a drive emerging from the Manyelethi Riverbed and pulled off an amazing spot of a lion’s head in long grass of one of the Southern Cross koppies:
This would normally be an unlikely place for a lioness to be, but knowing the recent history of the lioness (who John and co. immediately recognised as the Tsalala female), it was immediately assumed that she had a den up in the rocks.
Driving through the bush to get closer (along an old two-track that was last in use when this lioness was being denned here), they were only afforded a brief view before the lion got up and moved into a cave in the rocks, disappearing from view. Squeals of the cubs were heard from inside the den, but no further sign of the female was had.
This was the exact cave that the Tsalala female herself was born in, and now almost 6 years later, history has repeated itself.
Ranger Alex Jordan saw the female a few days ago, and it appeared as though she was heavily pregnant. She was lost heading in the direction of the koppie on which she is now denning, so it is more than likely she was actually on her way to give birth. That puts the cubs at around 3-4 days old. Their eyes will still be closed, and they will hardly even be moving. More than likely we won’t be able to see them for a few weeks still.
A view down from Southern Cross Koppies. Much the same view as the lioness will enjoy from her den.
We have been waiting months for this exact scenario to unfold, so needless to say there is a lot of excitement in the guiding and tracking team. The den is very secure, so it is unlikely the lioness will move the cubs for awhile. We would hope to catch our first sight of the cubs at the end of the month at the earliest, but maybe only into April.
Could this be the start of the turning of a corner for the Tsalala name?
Wonderful sighting. Hope they all make it.
Let’s hope that she can bring them to maturity , but the dice must be loaded against her. Let us hope that I am proved wrong.
I cannot find words to express how joyful this makes me! It makes me want to rush out and buy baby shower stuff! May her own children be as safe and protected as she was six years ago! Life and the Blessings of Life be upon her and her children!
Just beautiful. Looking forward to seeing the new arrivals. Seems she has a good hiding spot. It worked for her Mom. I know you will keep us posted
Reading between the lines, I sense how excited you and the rest of the Londolozi team are in sighting the Tsalala female in her birthplace, just after giving birth herself. Since she is alone, I’m hoping her skill sets will aid her in caring for these little ones, raising them to adulthood just as her mother did with her. Thanks for the great news!!
This is such joyful news and I am incredible proud of her strong determination to survive when the odds have been stacked against her for so long! She hunted, romanced the brothers and now gave birth! Her den is perfect for safety at this point and her instincts to survive and raise her cubs will continue. She is such a winner…..so alone for so long, but making it! “I am woman, hear me roar!” as the song goes…..
By the way, totally off-topic, can somebody please explain to me how the points system works? I see I have a little bird silhouette next to my points – other people have other animals. I understand that I get points for reading the blog, points for posting a comment and points if somebody replies to my comment. But what are the points for? Thank-you.
What sweet news! I hope all continues to go well for her. Will be exciting to see her cubs!
Wonderful news! And beautifully told! I am excited to hear what happens in the future. Thank You.
Sadly, I heard two of the three Tsalala brothers died after an unfortunate accident in KNP :(.
Now, our hopes are with remaining brother and sister. Please prove us all efforts of Tailless lioness was not for nothing.
This news has made my day! I have been rooting for her since she lost her pride, and am now even more so that ever. I hope she and her new cubs continue to thrive.
Love the view down to really put this into perspective. Thanks for the birds (or lion’s eye) view!!!
Absolutely fantastic news. I’m ecstatic! Thank you for the update.
Wow!!! I am over the top with joy, that the Tsalala Lioness may yet be the resurrection of her Pride.. Thank you for the update. Can’t wait to see the newest Tsalalas..
What fabulous news! She will need lots of luck and prayers to raise those little ones by herself, Hope everyone gives her the space she needs!
Hugely exciting news!!!
Good news! Keep us posted please!
Fain Z
Fantastic news! Especially after the tragic news of what might have happened to two of her litter mates just over a month ago. Apparently the two lions that died in the incident when power lines went down in Skukuza during a storm were the Tsalala males. Not 100% confirmed it was them, but before they could begin repairs on the power lines they had to chase a lion away from the area. A Tsalala male has been viewed several times recently in the area alone, so there’s a good chance it was him that got chased away and it was his two brothers that met an unfortunate end. Would be good to have an official confirmation of it, unfortunately I don’t think we ever will.
Anyway, hope this girl can successfully raise these cubs and revive the Tsalala pride. Would be a great story.
What a wonderful read. Let’s hope for a brand new generation of lions from this sole survivor.
That is absolutely fantastic. I remember seeing her in April in the Manyelethi when I wasn’t sure she would survive the week.
Finally!!! That’s so exciting to know that’s she’s given birth!! Hopefully in a few years there may be a new Tsalala Pride!
What a fantastic message from James. Thank you very much for the information. ♥♥♥
So interesting, James! Exciting too. And I haven’t even been to Londolozi! I take off my hat to the Tsalala lioness.
Keep it coming …. Wendy M
Wonderful find! How exciting! It will be hard for this poor lioness, on her own though, to protect those cubs.
This is wonderful news. So excited.
Sooooo Happy Great News
Omg, can’t even stand it. So obsessed with her : )