For the last year, we’ve watched these two males hover in a bit of a grey area, without any prides to mate with, yet vacant territory with little pressure from surrounding males.
Not quite a formal coalition yet, but they’d clearly moved past two male lions sharing the same space. Admittedly, a strange pairing: one with deep Nkuhuma roots tracing back to 2007. Their early days were defined by cautious interactions, a lion masterclass in “feeling it out.” They tested each other, and slowly, that tentative bond started to stick.
A New Identity
As their movements have become more consistent, so has their partnership. Up until now, we’ve referred to them simply as “the Nkuhuma and Talamati Males”. Accurate, yes, but well clunky. It was a mouthful on the radio and didn’t reflect the reality on the ground. They are no longer two males moving in parallel but rather in unison.
The Nkuhuma and Talamati Males greet one another
From here on, they will be known as the Nkumati Coalition.
It’s more than just a convenient shorthand; it’s a reflection of who they’ve become. They hunt together, patrol together, and react as one. What once felt like a tentative alliance has settled into something far more deliberate.
The Nkuhuma male stands and stares. You can clearly see his battle scars.
Claiming the Gap
This shift in their identity comes at the perfect time. With the Plains Camp Males pushing further north following the Ximungwe (now Bateleur) Pride, a massive power vacuum has opened up in the southern reaches of the western side of the reserve. Predictably, that window didn’t stay open for long. The Nkumati Coalition has moved into this gap, beginning to anchor themselves in the area and, in recent months, securing the mating rights of the Mhangeni Pride.
It’s still early days, but with minimal pressure, resident pride, large herds of buffalo, and some incredible landscape, with lush grasslands from all the rain, the south-western part of the reserve has become a prime territory for this duo.
Building a Legacy
Coalitions aren’t defined by a single takeover, confrontation or bloody fight. They’re shaped with consistency. By repeated decisions to stay and defend, and to expand. The Nkumati Coalition appears to be entering that phase now.
Changing their name isn’t just about making life easier for us on the radio. It marks the moment these two stopped being defined by their past and started being defined by the future they’re building together.
There’s plenty still to unfold here. As they continue to settle into this space alongside the Mungheni Pride, we’ll be watching closely.
Great to have some some-what new males around! Thanks for the update Kegan. Its an instersting pattern that alot of young/new coalitions always seem to have their start in the open southern areas of the reserve (Selatis and KNPs from as far back as 2010s). I wonder what keeps making this area a pseudo no-man’s land, especially since theres abundant prey. Lovely photos as always and happy Monday!