The bush was lovely and fresh this morning after our first main rains of the season, and over the next few days we can really expect to see things greening up.
The wild dogs have moved across the Chiredzi River so I wasn’t able to see them this morning but we’ll be working with the Nyari pride for the next few months now and seriously hoping Manyari will have cubs again soon AND they’ll survive.
I found the lions east of Nyari pan this morning with the remains of a zebra kill. The males moved off when I approached but Manyari and Magwaza had no plans on moving.
I haven’t seen the lions for a few months now, so they were a little nervous of my initial approach. And even Manyari gave me a little growl and rev but soon settled down totally when she saw me up to my usual antics.
With their full tummies and still a little carcass left they will no doubt still be here this evening when we follow after them again on our nightly sojourns.
YAAAAYYYY! What an auspicious start to the day!! Manyari in the morning!!! Nothing against the doggies, you understand, but cats large and small have sung a feline song to my heart for a very, very, long time. See her notch in right ear has now acquired a wee flip, all the better to identify her by. Was easy to see that warning look of eye as she went over to the zebra carcass, but at the same time, you could plainly see that CPU processing, processing memory: “Ah, yes, I may remember you, but you had best beware!” My word, those glorious black-limned eyes…. Twenty feet away. Be still my heart.
Cubs. I almost dare not hope.
Is there not a crossing suitable for a vehicle on the Chiredzi? Am impressed the pups crossed. Odds are probably against it, but it would have been neat to see their first successful hunt!
Love the intro sun rise/set baobab, and the neat millet-type grass seedhead from the other day (am a bit behind in seeing the videos.)
And, you know it Kim, thank you muchly.
b.
I asked this question before but I don’t think I got an answer, or I missed it in which case I apologize for not catching it! I always heard that the males will kill the cubs of other males, just ensuring the survival of their own. But if they kill cubs indiscriminately, how does that ensure survival of the species? I don’t get it!
Nancy,
Males kill cubs of other males, to get the females into heat.
And that can happen when the females do not have any young suckling.
Since they do not want to lose time they resort to killing ‘em.
I don’t understand if any being of any species really cares about the survival of the species at all…including mankind…Subconsciously, the craving for reproducing is simply self-oriented….human population is growing as a result, probably…
likewise for lions, i think, they don’t care about the species statistics at all..
Excellent - its good to see other animal activity apart from predetors making the kill. Kills are fine but there seems to be too much focus on that on the usual documentary channels.
are several crossings on the Chiredzi but need to concentrate on the lions for now.
Thanks for the reply. But these guys are killing cubs that they produced. That’s what I wonder about. Survival of the species is ingrained in all animals. Seems like killing their own cubs several times over isn’t condusive to that survival. I know that even feral cat males will do the same. But I assumed, I guess because I’ve heard it before, that they do this to bring the females into heat, as you say, so that they can mate with the females and there by spread their own genes. Doesn’t work if you kill your own offspring.