Lion Love

Just we thought things were getting interesting on the lion front, the males from Zimbabwe has to waltz over to Mashatu and through yet another spanner in the works!

Yesterday morning one of the two males from Zim was spotted by disappointment koppie mating with the lioness, who we believed to have cubs in hiding due to the signs showing that she may be lactating. However, if she has indeed given birth to a new litter of cubs this may very well be a display of false oestrous in order to distract the males away from her cubs. Only the revealing of her cubs will confirm this theory.

With love in the air for one of the Zim males (the other following sheepishly behind, but not as lucky), this may mean that they will hang around on Mashatu territory for some time. In turn this means, that the two young males who were beginning to get very comfortable roaming this territory as if they owned it, may be pushed out by their older and bigger rivals from Zim.

The drama continues, but only time will tell who will become the Mashatu residents.

 

Text and Photographs By: Ruth Nussbaum