An Update on the Mhangeni Pride

This morning the Mhangheni Pride and the Tumbela male lion were found west of Jim’s Dam, close to the airstrip. Although they were resting at first, they eventually ended up getting up and trailing the herd of buffaloes, while two of the Singita vehicles followed them throughout the sighting.

We saw that the Tumbela male did not receive a warm welcome from three Mhangeni lionesses when he walked over to them. They are wary of this unrelated male being around their sub-adult offspring.

After almost an hour we left the sighting of the lions and went to follow up on the herd of buffaloes that were heading towards Pam Pam Dam to drink. After that we went to July Dam for a brief coffee break and then we decided to go back to the lions to see if there had been any further progress on the buffalo hunt.

We found them on the move south west still behind the buffalo. They ended up the herd throughout the day and eventually bringing down a buffalo cow and calf. The Tumbela male joined them feeding on both kills.

Thanks to the lionesses hunting prowess two buffalo carcasses will feed this growing pride and the Tumbela male for a good few days. There’s no such thing as a day off for a lioness, and it’s good to see them doing so well.

Article by Coleman Mnisi