coalition 

noun

a temporary alliance for combined action, especially of political parties forming a government.

In the context of lions and other social big cats, a coalition refers to a group of male individuals who form a cooperative alliance. These males usually come together for mutual benefits, such as increased chances of taking over a territory and a pride of females, better defence against rival males, and improved hunting success.

The three Ndzhenga Males entertained us for a couple of hours one recent morning as they patrolled through the reserve and up onto our airstrip.

In the wild, male lions often form coalitions, particularly when they are brothers or have some close kinship. These alliances help them establish and maintain control over a pride of females within a specific territory. The cooperative efforts of a coalition can enhance their ability to fend off challenges from other males and protect their territory and the associated pride.

The size of a coalition can vary, but it typically consists of two to four closely related individuals. By closely related, this refers to males that are either brothers, littermates, or half brothers that vary in age. By sticking together, they present themselves as a much more formidable force, and as we know out here, it’s a numbers game. Cooperation within a coalition is crucial for their success in the competitive and often challenging environment of the wild.

Being a lone male lion can be very difficult in this relentlessly wild environment. Individually, the Nkuhuma Male and Skorro Male have been battling the land of the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve alone for a while, which puts them at increased risk against coalitions of two, three, or even four males. Many of us have been hoping that either of these two lone males would find a coalition partner, and to my joy, they were seen together for a few consecutive game drives. However, this was very short-lived, and they both went their separate ways.

The Skorro Male

One recent afternoon, we spent the game drive in the company of the powerful Skorro Male. He was resting, and it wasn’t looking like he was going to get up to much soon, so we decided to leave him to go relish the sunset and indulge in a well-deserved sundowner drink.

In driving away, our anticipation soared as we stumbled upon the Nkuhuma Male, not too far away. It had been a while since these two lions had last been seen together, and we couldn’t contain our excitement at the prospect of witnessing their reunion.

The Nkuhuma Male

Guided by the Nkuhuma Male, we watched from a distance as the male approached the clearing where the Skorro Male lay. The air was charged with anticipation.

The Nkuhuma Male paused, his gaze fixed upon the Skorro Male, who remained concealed from our view. A silent exchange ensued, and the Nkuhuma Male, perhaps sensing something we were unaware of, began to retreat slowly. Just as the suspense peaked, the thundering hooves of a wildebeest stampede echoed around us, sparking our imaginations about the Skorro Male’s potential hunting efforts, still out of our view.

However, this was not the case; the Skorro Male was still resting in the same place. The distant chaos caused the Nkuhuma Male to resume his approach, cautiously and reluctantly. Each step was measured, one step at a time, while listening attentively. The anticipation heightened as he closed in on the oblivious Skorro Male. Close enough, he then detected the scent, prompting a soft contact call – a moment of recognition and realisation that the encounter was not a threat.

We waited in silence to see what would happen next. The Nkuhuma Male stood still and waited too. Silence… Then the Skorro Male called back. A symphony of roars ensued, echoing across the crests. The Nkuhuma Male broke into a trot towards the Skorro Male, as though to assert his dominance over him.

The Skorro Male, unsure of the intentions of the older yet equally sized male, retreated into a thicket. A few minutes passed, and the Skorro Male chose to confront the approaching lion. A moment of further suspense as they stood side by side, their intense body language suggesting a potentially aggressive exchange. The tension was eased as the two lions, instead of fighting, walked away to opposite ends of the clearing and settled down to groom themselves.

The drama was far from over. The Plains Camp Males approached from the west, and the Ndzhenga Males closed in from the east. Throughout the night the lions’ calls echoed around camp.

In the morning light, eager to see what had unfolded, the Nkuhuma Male and Skorro Male were discovered hidden together in the middle channel of the Sand River. The trackers read the story of what unfolded during the night and the signs and signals left on the ground in the area. It appeared that these three ‘coalitions’ converged in an area where there were signs of brief interactions, scuffle marks in the ground, lions running, and obviously all the roaring that we could hear. Thankfully, none of the male lions involved sustained any injuries, and all walked away from this conflict unscathed.

What shocked us was that the following evening, both the Nkuhuma Male and Skorro Male were found lying on the granite boulders right in front of camp, calling to all the rival males in the area. Watching them call together side by side made me wonder if this could be the start of a new coalition of males?

It’s always fascinating to witness these moments in the wild, and each interaction contributes to our understanding of lion behaviour, so going forward, we will keep a close eye out for these two male lions and the relationship between them to possibly help us gain further insights into the lion dynamics of Londolozi.