The Tsalala female has been conspicuous by her absence.
We ran a story on her a couple of weeks ago featuring a big altercation between her and a clan of hyenas over a wildebeest kill.
After that there were only one or two sightings of her over the next few days, and then… nothing.
Reports from our neighbours indicate she has been seen a number of times in the Manyelethi River near the confluence with the Sand River, but the first sighting on Londolozi again occurred 36 hours ago about one kilometre south-east of camp. Tracker Richard Mthabine, on stand-by duty and heading out to help with a mechanical failure in another vehicle, bumped into her on the edge of a dry waterhole, and his reports were not all that positive.
He said that she looked like she had been in a proper scuffle, and her flanks and hindquarters were scarred. Her cub was not with her.
Whether her fight was with hyenas or other lions we can’t say, but the unfortunate reality for her is that she is almost always going to be outnumbered by default.
The Ntsevu pride have been seen a number of times recently on the big clearings just east of camp, south of the Sand River where the Tsalala lionesses used to be encountered frequently, and now with the Styx and Nkuhuma prides making regular appearances in our northern sector, the Tsalala female must surely be feeling the pinch.
Squeezed between bigger prides in all directions, what does she do?
A lot will depend on whether her cub is still alive or not. No sightings of it have been had in the last 10 days, and although this in itself isn’t conclusive, it is certainly cause for concern.
It is not unheard of for solitary lions to integrate into other prides, but I have to say I feel this is unlikely.
The fact remains that this fairytale of a single lioness raising cubs and her story having a happy ending – at least for now – was always a long shot.
The story certainly isn’t over for now, but it may well just have taken a sad turn…
Oh no. This is not good news. I do hope her and the cub is okay.
James, I hope Tsalala lioness, she makes it on the next journey🤗. She is so loved by all!
It is sad to hear this, nature can be very harsh at times. Keeping fingers crossed that her cub is alive and well…… Thank you for keeping us updated.
Hoping for the best but fearing the worst. I know you will keep us posted if she and her cub are sighted. Will revert to the old fashioned, “keeping my fingers crossed”. From all I have read she had been an amazing Leopard against so many odds.
Oh noooo. Such worrisome news. Please keep us updated James. Thanks.
Finger crossed for Tsalala Lioness and her cub……
This story has truly sadden me, I really pray that she and her cub are just fine.
Hopefully she once again will rally, demonstrating her tenacity and strength; her cub, perhaps not so fortunate due to lack of experience. But then, ever the optimist, she and her cub could surprise us all. In a Serengeti savanna episode, a female lion given up for dead, reappeared weeks later, scarred but healthy. I look forward to further sightings and hopefully good news.
I must I have been a regular visitor and reader to your blog, however, I have been visiting the blog many times a day just to have updates on this extra ordinary lioness. It has been remarkable that she has raised her cub uptil now and I am hopeful that the cub will be fine. Plz do post regular updates on her. Or how abt starting a regular thread to post regular updates on each pride in the Londolozi area.
Best wishes
Please keep us updated, James. I am hoping for a miracle for her and all of us
Oh goodness! This is heart wrenching! I can only hope the Mama Tsalala is just laying low,..?? I gather she’s been through a lot, but she so far has been a touch cookie. I realize that lions don’t exactly live “Happily ever after,” in the bush, but Mama Tsalala has lived a legacy for us all to remember about her and her cub. I am going to hold onto hope that you folks will see her again, rested and recovered, trooping the bush in the sunlight that emanates her golden feline energy and strength.
Have all my fingers and toes crossed for a happy outcome. Victoria
After reading just a bit of your post my thought was that she was in a altercation with another lion protecting her cub. Later I read that she’s pretty injured. I have a sinking feeling about her cub. I hope I’m completely wrong. That she’s been able to freely roam and later with her cub uninjured has been remarkable….but can’t go on indefinitely. I’m worried.
This totally saddens me. I hope it is not true. The only thing that could possibly make it ok is if she were to be accepted into a pride but I doubt if that is likely.
Everything was going so well for her and her daughter. The fact she managed to even get her to a year old was remarkable. Such a shame. Please keep us updated James and thanks for this piece. Sad to think the Tsalala Pride itself might no longer be roaming any stretch of Londolozi
This is sad. I hope that the Tsalala lioness is doing well and that her daughter is still alive.
So glad to hear that she was spotted with her cub 😀
La reina Tsalala y princesa están en perfecto estado gracias a dios, que grandes genes hay ahí, ella tiene que seguir con vida, es demasiado valiosa 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
Any updates on her? Thanks.