Some serious cold weather is moving in on us from the south, so we were really grateful when the cloud moved in last night and stayed. It’s amazing how much warmer it is when there’s cloud around at night. It sure helps keep in the days heat.
But in the early hours a gentle drizzle came with it, which thankfully we were able to escape by taking refuge under some Acacias.
And the lions? Well Sjambok and Magwaza were still mating and the brother just hung around.
Just after dark the huge herd of buffalo again moved on to Banyini to drink. The brother moved off in their direction and was gone for about an hour.
In the meantime Magwaza and Sjambok had approached the herd and when only about 40m away they mated. Not the best of hunting strategies.
The herd hearing them and picking up their scent advanced on the lions. The lions moved away and the herd proceeded on to the water.
With only a few stragglers remaining behind the lions suddenly gave chase on a lone bull and the brother had now joined in, but they weren’t in with any luck and the rest of the night the lions lay around mating.
The brother moved off later in the evening only to return just before daybreak.
At dawn the cloud cover was in low and the day remained cold, the lions staying in the open mating.
Wildebeest, impala and zebra came by which sparked their attention but they were soon noticed and the game was over.
And still no sign of Manyari. No doubt she’s off killing something huge on her own.
Are we sure Magwaza has cubs? Her mammary glands look very small for a lactating lioness. I know cub mortality is very high-maybe she only has one or two.
Eve
Eve: If you look at her a few days ago you will see her udder is full. It’s very surprising it has dropped so fast. Nobody ever saw her cubs but she kept going back to the same place in the hills and her mammary glands were really swollen. She must have had or still has cubs.