Ok,
so the line from 300 might be a little cheesy or perhaps even lost on some of
you but the parallels are rather relevant at the moment. The dynamics of the lion population at Sabi
Sabi has been crying out for change of late.
The epic nature of the Southern Pride’s reign has limited the movements
of the other prides in the area for many years now. They have in fact been responsible for
reducing the neighbouring Charleston pride to just 1 lone female and her 2 sub
adults only last year. In keeping with
the title of the blog, they are the equivalent of the Persians, conquering all
before them, under the guidance of their king, Xerxes. Xerxes was one man, whose confidence and
success in battle was mainly due to the fearsome nature of his loyal 150,000
strong army. In the microcosm that is
Sabi Sabi, the Kruger male has been able to expand and more importantly, hold
his territory thanks to the unstoppable force that is the mighty Southern Super
Pride. A pride of 18 lions is a fearsome
unit and thus far has ruled the southern Sabi Sands with unwavering ferocity.
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| The Kruger male sports a nasty scar on his nose probably sustained during a feeding frenzy |
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| The eyes of the Kruger male miss nothing |
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| The KNP male emerges from the darkness on another territorial patrol |
However,
in recent weeks, the area has seen the arrival of 2 new players. The Sparta males from the east have been
launching forays deeper and deeper into the Southern Pride’s territory. An interesting coalition consisting of 2
unrelated males, one a magnificent male in his prime, the other a young
warrior, fast maturing into a supreme specimen, the Sparta males seem to mean
business. The growing strength and
confidence of the younger male has no doubt sparked this latest activity. He seems to be exerting dominance over his
elder partner and his desire for a territory of his own is obvious. When the pair are on the move, it is always
the younger that takes the lead.
Youthful exuberance and fearlessness seems to be driving the pair to
confrontation, with the elder member being swept up in the occasion.
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| The younger of the Spartans mounts his older associate in a show of dominance |
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| One of the Spartan's attention is attracted by noise in the grass close by |
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| The younger Spartan shows off his fearsome arsenal |
For the lone Kruger male, this invasion could spell disaster
for his reign as experience can only account for so much. After a while, the math becomes
self-explanatory: in a 2 vs. 1 confrontation, the mighty KNP male’s match may
well be met. However, the KNP has not
been king for nearly 2 years without his share of cunning. Since the arrival of the Spartans, he has not
left the side of the pride, safe in the knowledge that even with 2 males
hunting him down, the protection of Mandleve and the other 6 females is
invaluable.
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| Mandleve and her cubs play in the road |
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| Mandleve shrugs off her cubs' affectionate advances |
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| One of the Southern Pride females hurdles a cub as she dismounts a fallen marula tree |
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| The Southern Pride youngsters play on a fallen marula tree |
The Spartans must rely on a divide and conquer strategy to
survive. If they can separate the KNP
male from his battalions, they stand a good chance of taking over the prime
territory of the Southern Pride and the rich breeding opportunity the females
present. During the past weeks, the
Spartans have ventured deep into the pride’s home and have been heard roaring
and scent marking – an unmistakable challenge to the current king. The bold nature of the takeover bid matches
the self-confidence shown by king Leonidas’ small, but elite, fighting force to
hold the Persian hoards at bay against all odds. However, if and when the 2 armies meet, the
spectacle promises to be far more explosive than Hollywood can convey! The Spartans must rely on cunning to succeed
and timing is key. The Southern pride
are masters tacticians however and have continued to avoid the advancing
Spartans. Their ploy of unity has caused
trepidation amongst the Spartans. The
sound of the Kruger male’s battle cry in tandem with 7 adult females and 6,
more than competent, sub-adults has caused the Spartans to retreat for
now. They are still inside the
territorial boundary but seem to buying time to work out their strategy. No victory will be forthcoming against
greater numbers with rash decisions.
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| The younger Spartan's mane is developing fast |
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| The other Spartan gives us a great side profile shot |
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| Ever alert, the older Spartan scans the horizon |
What
promises to play out soon within the battle ground of Sabi Sabi is all out
war. Should the Spartans succeed in
usurping the KNP male, it will bring about a fascinating twist in our
dynamics. The 4 sub adult males will be
chased away for certain and the fate of the 4 cubs, losing the protection of
their father, will be a foregone conclusion.
Or will it? The Southern pride
has proved time and time again that the females are a formidable force even
without the presence of a male. For
those of you that are unaware, the 6 sub adults in the pride are no relation to
the KNP male. When he and his now
deceased brother took control of the area some 2 years ago, they tried in vain
to eradicate the genetics of its former rulers.
The cunning and strength of the females eventually culminated in them
adopting the 6 cubs and raising them as their own. This is highly unusual in the harsh world of
lion population dynamics and proved beyond all doubt that these females are not
to be underestimated. Perhaps the same
thing will happen this time around? After
all, the Spartan army managed to continue to defy the odds despite the loss of
king Leonidas at the hands of the Persians…
Perhaps the pride will split?
Perhaps the KNP male will form a coalition with the 4 sub adult
males? The possibilities in the infinity
choices of nature are fascinating and we wait with baited breath for the
outcome of the mighty battle that is soon sure to rage
