It is safe to say that when a few of the rangers found six male lions feeding on the same wildebeest carcass one morning, they were flabbergasted! The only coalition of six that we know of is the Nkuhlu Males from the south. So for them to be all the way up on the main access road into the lodge would be rather odd. There was certainly some animosity in the air amongst the lions but the rangers could not discern whether this was due to the testosterone-fueled males all trying to get their fair share or was it due to this wildebeest being the convergence of two separate coalitions who were divided between a grudging match and feeding?
So at the outset of the afternoon game drive, we head straight there to iron out the kinks and work out just which lions were found. Upon arriving at the remnants of the wildebeest carcass, the lions are nowhere to be seen. Tracks lead me straight down the road to find the Ntsevu Breakaway Pride resting with incredibly full bellies. So if they were on the carcass, then who were the other males?
Not long after, Nick found one of the Black Dam Males a few hundred metres away. Helping us piece it all together. As we try and get across to see the Black Dam Male we are interrupted by a herd of elephants and enjoy the antics of a playful youngster zooming around in the green grass.
Enjoy this Virtual Safari…
To view the YouTube link, click here.
To Subscribe to our YouTube Channel, click here.
I love the way lions flop when they lay down, makes me smile every time
The Ntsevu Breakaways are still in splendid condition, aren’t they? And it’s nice to see that their sister is still with them. Their bellies are indeed incredibly full. So they certainly had their share.
I think it’s also great that there have been good rains again. Everything is still so wonderful green.
Thanks, Sean, for the great video!
They are in such good condition. Thanks so much, Christa.
Wonderful video today, thank you Sean.
Thank you so much, William.
The Ntsevu Breakaway pride is certainly formidable, especially the one male that seems to be the leader, all displaying the Birmingham lineage. I see their sister is still with them and wonder if she will leave to join either the Kambulas(if they will accept her) or the remaining Ntsevu females. I would think eventually her brothers will force her out….. watching lions with full bellies trying to find a comfortable position is always a bit humorous, as they plop first here, and then there, etc.
Viewing a herd of elephants, especially with a young playful calf is always enjoyable, so thank you for those moments Sean.
They are indeed a formidable group of lions and this is only going to escalate from here. Yes, their sister is still with them, it is going to be very interesting to see what happens in the future. In theory she won’t stay with the males and it is unlikely that she will be accepted by any other pride of lions. However, they may accept her if she is super persistent.
Hi Sean, these lions have such filled bellies, it looks as if it is going to pop any moment. Beautiful lions all of them and the sister is also there, good to see them all looking well and marks of fighting with the other males. Gorgeous little elephant calf, so brave when there is mom and other big elephants around.
It did look as though they were about to pop.
So Fascinating the habits of a full bellied Lion. The virtual safari whets your taste for the real thing.
A full bellied lion is bound to spend the majority of the day lounging around doing very little.
Incredibile video! It seems that the more predators roam around, the more chances there are that they may gather around a prey… male lions from different coalitions are a scoop! The little “Dumbo” with the elephants is absolutely amazing, too cute!
Thank you, Francesca. I guess so, particularly with lions. As if they hear other lions feeding on a carcass, the males will undoubtably go running in to investigate.
Road blocked by lions in food coma!!! OMG that one’s belly was SO full! Never seen such a full belly! It is interesting how you can tell the different leopards apart so easily but lions don’t give you much to tell apart. The littlest ellie was too adorable! Glad you didn’t attempt to get stuck again 🙂
I know, right! Their bellies were so full. So i guess with leopards their general appearance doesn’t change too much and the spots help a lot. Young lions growing up tend to change a fair amount and the lack of distinct spots makes it challenging. If we see the lions often then it is relatively easy to ID them, but when it goes a little while between sightings then it is more tricky.
Haha, yip, didn’t want to risk it again.