An interesting sighting of an unknown nomadic male lion took place in the Klaserie on the weekend, which is exciting for the lion fanatics following the lion pride dynamics in the area. Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp are in the well known territory of the Trilogy male lions, and the female lions circulating in the area include the Ross Breakaway lionesses, the Hercules Pride, and the Giraffe Pride lionesses. This reserve is open to the Kruger National Park, which means that all wildlife has the freedom to roam without the obstruction of fences, so it is only natural that from time to time an unfamiliar face pops up.
This lone male lion was seen after dark, as nThambo guide, Luan, found him lying in the middle of the road on his game drive route. He was very skittish and uneasy and immediately moved out of the open and lay low in the bush alongside the road. Giving him some space and a few minutes to calm down, Luan edged closer and got a look at the young male as he radioed Greg from Africa on Foot and told him the news of this unexpected lion sighting. Greg arrived with his guests and both vehicles got to enjoy the sighting, although the shy male was not up for posing for photos!
It is expected that this lone, young male lion would be nervous, as he is deep inside the territory of other lions. This is a normal period of a male lion’s life – to be out on his own searching for his own territory to dominate. After puberty, males are pushed out of the pride and begin a period of life as nomadic lions, moving from place to place. We assume the Trilogy coalition is down to 2 males, instead of the original 3, and with the remaining two males occupied by the Giraffe Pride females (one male mating with a white lioness just last week), it seems this lone lion found a way in.
He is keeping very quiet and not drawing any attention to himself, as he is well aware of the Trilogy scent in the area. We are not sure if we will see him again, but we will certainly be on the look out for his tracks in the area. So far, it looks like he had spent a few days where we had found him, and had even ventured after the scent of the Breakaway lionesses which were seen at a dam nearby…
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