The Tsalala lioness has been confining her movements almost exclusively to the Sand River. The thickets provide perfect cover in which to hide her cub and hunt, and the game paths that head up- and downstream are currently littered with her tracks.
Often her cub is accompanying her, but now that it’s roughly 6 months old, it can be left for longer and longer periods of time while the mother is hunting.
We have had a number of agonising sightings in which the lioness has returned after being away for over 24 hours and then spent long, long minutes calling for the cub with no response. Our anxiety levels rise, the lioness calls louder and louder, and just when we – and maybe she – think the worst has happened, she gets an answering call from the palm thickets, her ears prick up, and she trots towards where the young female is emerging from hiding. These reunions are always heartwarming to watch, but of course, we worry that one day there will simply be no reunion, and no answering call will come from the thickets.
The cub has one last look back before being led upstream from the Causeway.
The lioness is hunting successfully during daylight hours, focusing her efforts mainly on the bushbuck and nyalas that are to be found in high numbers in the Sand Riverbed, but has been robbed by hyenas a few times in recent weeks as the sun starts to set. She cannot hoist kills into trees, and I imagine finding just a solitary lioness on a kill would be a bonus for the local clan. If the Tsalala female in her solitary lifestyle has adapted her behaviour to hunt more like a leopard, it might be that the hyenas treat her more like a leopard as well.
The Birmingham male with the hanging dreadlock in his mane still ventures upriver every week or so, in a likely attempt maintain his status over this lioness. With him around, still scent-marking and still vocalising, the hope is that other prides and coalitions stay away, increasing the cub’s survival chances.
The most impressive of the Birmingham males is the one who repeatedly visits the Tsalala female.
The further afield the Tsalala female ventures, the more likely things are to go wrong, so I think the best we can do for now is to hope that she remains localised, staying in the same stretch of Sand River that has been so familiar to her since infancy. In a few months time, the rain will arrive, thickening the bush away from the river and providing her with a glut of young impalas and wildebeest to hunt.
She – and more specifically her cub – still has a long and dangerous road to tread, and it’s way too early to make predictions.
Outside chance, though? put your money on the cub, and see how big the payoff is…
Everytime I see a post on social media about the Tsalala female my heart skip a beat. A person gets very involved in their lives and I am hoping they survive. It is great to see they are doing well.
Same response here!
James, I am all in with the Cub and Mom. So far she appears to be doing all the right things. I admit when I see a focus on these beautiful animals and their offspring I fear for them and the dangers they encounter. But also realize nature and fate have command of their course. I am content with this
Fingers crossed, that pride comes over like a Greek Tragedy
It’s nice to see that they are both looking well.
James, We are praying for the cub of course. Having the male around will hopefully provide extra security too!
James, we saw one Birmingham Male we were there in 2018.
This is a wonderful story, I hope she can keep her cub alive🤗
Tough life out there for any cub or pup or calf, particularly with a single parent who is occasionally hunted herself.
Such a fantastic update James and here’s to hoping she centralizes her movements around the Sand River, which seems to be a safe haven for her. Has the Birmingham Male been seen with the lioness and the cub or just patrolling the area?
good luck
I hope and pray that this wonderful lioness is able to slowly build her pride!
Thanks for the update great to see
James…how many of the original Birmingham boys are still left..as I recall there w originally 5 (4?). Jim
Only three left Jim, but one is on his last legs (although he’s been that way for awhile…)
Have a read here: https://blog.londolozi.com/2019/07/30/how-long-will-the-injured-birmingham-male-last/
Good update..haven’t seen this since I started reading your reports only a couple of months ago. Seems like only yesterday the Birminghams came on the scene. We are beginning to put together the details for our next photo trip (month of May 2020) in TZ. All the usual NP’s and hoping for some migration at Grumeti or Mara in late May. Never know. Someday would like to visit Londolozi based on your reports..but hard to beat Serengeti Ndutu, et al., but know your leopard reputation is well deserved, as well as the reputation of the lodge and guide/trackers/team. Again, thanks, J
YEAH!!!!! Fingers crossed they both continue to stay alive. Victoria
I hope that the name Tsalala will live on
We’re all hoping the same…