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Senegal Bush 3:3 Male

Senegal Bush 3:3 Male

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Barry Bath

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Barry grew up in Johannesburg and knew from a young age that he had a true love for the African bush yet it was only after spending several years in the corporate world in Europe, followed by a two year sabbatical of traveling ...

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38 Comments

on Tree Climbing Lions of Londolozi – The Tsalala Lioness Attempts to Steal a Carcass from Leopard

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Lisa
Senior Digital Ranger

It is a shame that the Tsalala lioness didn’t get anything for her efforts. But like her mother she is a formidable huntress so this small disappointment will be short lived, I’m sure. I’m just so glad that she’s doing well on her own. I’m still praying that she will find some companionship soon. She’s had such a difficult life. She deserves some good fortune. Her mother’s passing still breaks my heart.

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

Hi Lisa, she is indeed a formidable huntress and learnt a lot from her mother. She is doing very well on her own and hopefully she will defy the odds and raise cubs of her own like her predecessors of the Tsalala pride have done before.

Suzanne Gibson
Master Tracker

Thanks Barry, that was scarily close! Could the Senegal Bush male have climbed higher in the tree? – we don’t want a repeat of what happened to the Piva male.
It’s interesting that the Tsalala female seems to like climbing trees. When we came to Founders for our 2nd trip (back in 2011) we followed 2 Tsalala females (plus 1 Majingilane male) . They stopped by a solitary tree in the middle of nowhere and 1 of the females climbed it – very clumsily it has to be said, but entertaining to watch!

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

Hi Suzanne, there wasn’t much extra space on the branch he was on for him to get further out of the way. The Tsalala pride have certainly do have a long history of being tree climbing lions. Sounds like you had an amazing sighting back in 2011!

Tammy Hynes
Explorer

I’m glad she can climb trees it may help her to avoid fights with other lioness

Ian Hall
Master Tracker

Nice to read about her

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

Hi Ian, glad to hear you enjoyed reading about her!

Francesca Doria
Master Tracker

What a contrast between two great predators, the Tsalala female not giving a care of the scared Senegal Bush male. He is such a mighty guy but here he looks small and frightened like a kitten! The hyenas laughters in the background seem to be mocking on both, in fact they got the meal. So glad to see this lovely lady, I hope she will have some company in the future. Who knows if one day leopards will join their forces to fight other predators…

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

Hi Francesca, it’s always amazing to see the interactions of different predators in one sighting and certainly always provides perspective of the size difference between lions and leopards.

Tammy Hynes
Explorer

The tsalala female must be so Loney without even one lioness with her. I feel so sad for her, hopefully her life will get better she deserves it. Can no one there help her in anyway. Maybe she could live with Kevin Richardson and find a small pride there

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

Hi Tammy, we all have hope that she will be able to raise cubs of her own and hope that some of them will be females and that the Tsalala pride can regain some of its previous glory in higher numbers of lionesses.

Tammy Hynes
Explorer

So does your response mean there’s no chance she’d be accepted into another pride even a small one

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

Hi Tammy, it’s very unlikely that another pride will take her into theirs. Lion prides are very aggressive towards each other.

Valmai Vorster
Master Tracker

She must be desperate to climb a tree with a leopard right there, it’s a pity she did not get meat for all her effort and courage. Senegal Bush male was not happy with her trying to steal the last of his kill. But I must say Barry the Tsalala female is looking absolutely fantastic and I do hope she can get into a pride that will except her. She must be so lonely.

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

Hi Valmai, she really is in good condition. This is testament to how well her mother raised her and how capable she is of looking after herself and hopefully one day some of her own cubs too.

Tammy Hynes
Explorer

That’s sad that no prides will except her. She breaks my heart being all alone all the time

Christa Blessing
Master Tracker

Good to hear from this famous and brave Tsalala lioness. Bad luck for her that the carcass fell off the tree and she had to leave empty-mouthed so to say.
For you and your guests it certainly was a great morning.

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

Hi Christa, it was bad luck for her but good luck for the hyenas. Out here in the bush there is always someone that gets lucky. Hopefully it will be her turn next.

Ann Richardson Berg
Digital Tracker

Hello Barry, What an fantastic thing to see! Must have been very exciting! Thank you for sharing!

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

Hi Ann, it certainly was a fantastic thing to witness. I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Denise Vouri
Guest contributor

Oh my Barry, that was a close call for her. Had the Senegal Bush male been more aggressive ( if he had at least half his kill in the tree), all could have turned out badly for Tsalala. She’s gutsy to say the least, just like her mother. I spent a morning with her and her mother last year and completely fell in love with the two of them. The daughter was almost as tall as her mother but she knew her place, dutifully walking a few paces behind as they went in search of shade, and perhaps an opportunity for a meal. I was devastated when the blog reported that the strong, brave Tsalala had lost her life and worried for the survival of her daughter, but like her mother who was left to fend for herself, this young lioness will survive against the odds. Thanks Barry for the images and video!

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

Hi Denise, it was a close call for both of them that’s for sure! They were a hard duo to not fall in love with and I’m glad you had the opportunity to see them together. Here’s hoping on one of your future trips you can see her with some of her own offspring.

Denise Vouri
Guest contributor

Thanks Barry! Hopefully, if all heals well, I’ll return next spring, fall there. As if the shoulder replacement wasn’t enough plus nerve injury to affected arm, I was accidentally pushed by a friend’s SUV into a stone wall, crushing my right leg from knee down! Fractured knee, ripped shin skin and lacerations. Recovery will be arduous but I’m determined to make it back to normal. So, continue to enjoy the wonderful place in which you live and work.

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

So sorry to hear Denise. I wish you a speedy recovery and we look forward to welcoming you back to Londolozi soon!

Chelsea Allard
Master Tracker

I was waiting for this story to show up on the blog! I am so thrilled Tsalala is still holding her own. She is such a beautiful lion and I love following her story. I’m also glad the Senegal Bush Male was also left unharmed.

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

Hi Chelsea, she really is a beautiful lioness and I’m also glad nobody (except the impala) were harmed!

Jeff Rodgers
Digital Tracker

Fascinating. I know of tree climbing Lions, but I’ve never heard of any at Londolozi.

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

Hi Jeff, have a look at another sighting we had of a tree-climbing lioness last year: https://youtu.be/7V3wESwkTeU

Jeff Rodgers
Digital Tracker

That was incredible. Thanks for sharing.

William Paynter
Master Tracker

GreaT post Barry. The wild never ceases to amaze me and never disappoints. Thanks!

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

Hi William, glad you enjoyed it!

Irene Henkes
Digital Tracker

Lovely lioness, the Tsalalas are in my heart! She must be about 3 years old now, just about old enough to have cubs of her own? She looks strong and well fed, hopefully we will see the Tsalalas prosper soon again!

Barry Bath
Guest contributor

Hi Irene, she was born in March 2019 so is almost 3.5 years old. She’s been calling and looking for a mate for the last few weeks so hopefully someday soon we will see her pregnant

Irene Henkes
Digital Tracker

Ah, that is good to hear! Keep us posted, thanks!

Mama Lioness
Senior Digital Ranger

Over all the years that the Tsalala lioness (and her cubs) have tragically been through, it is a blessing to see her still thriving. (Question: is this the original mum, or the of the original thriving cubs now grown from the three?)
To me, she looks like a “strong willed” over grown kitten (smile) testing her skills.

Anita Santoro
Digital Tracker

Amazing how much bigger she is than him!!!

Tricia Ball
Explorer

That was mesmerizing. Can’t wait to come back and see more of the amazing sights on safari at Londolozi.

Tricia Ball
Explorer

That was amazing, Barry. Seeing the pictures, reading your commentary, and it’s almost if I was there. Can’t wait to come back for more incredible game drives.

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