October Newsletter

09 November 2009

Click to enlarge
Leopards Mating
Photo: Dylan Brandt
The vibrations from the sound ripple through our inner core, our souls bowing down in submissiveness in recognition of his almighty power . . . and fury. He runs, stiff legged, head held in regal pose, his full black mane billowing around him. We watch in awe from the relative safety of our vehicle as he roars his displeasure yet again. The full impact of his wrath aimed solely towards the new comers.

Over the past week or so I have been lucky enough to witness a turf war, and what seems to soon be, a lion pride take over. Our Lwakahle Lion Pride was originally made up of 18 lions. This impressive pride had two brothers as its guardians. Sadly, one of the brothers died of natural causes a month ago, leaving the pride at an enormous loss.

We may not always understand the ways of Mother Nature, and at times they seem it to be incredibly harsh and cruel, but in Mother Nature’s infinite wisdom, she always finds a balance. Soon after the death of our male, a fluff-ball was found amongst the large predatory bodies of the pride. We had a new cub!

The remaining brother continued his work as guardian and proclaimed his territory with his bone-chilling roars to those who were listening . . . and they were.

A coalition of five male lions were listening to the roar of the lonely brother, and realised that they had the upper hand. They ventured onto Lukimbi to investigate further, and were found. A game of cat and mouse ensued.

The brother always kept a few steps ahead of them, roaring his displeasure, but they never stopped their pursuit. We watched them trail after each other, their ominous bodies silhouetted by the first crescent of the moon creating an atmosphere of mystery and heightening the thick air of tension that fell upon the bush.

The outcome of the battle is still not clear, and the verdict on a guardian for the Lwakahle Lion Pride is still out. It’s as if Mother Nature herself has called for a reprieve and as a compromise has delivered some sought after, and treasured, life giving rain.

So we sit back and wait. Absorbing the beauty of the golden light after the rain. Breathing in the smell of damp earth, our ambrosia. Listening to the calls of the birds as they embrace the elixir of life. Subconsciously keening for the still nights to be shattered by the call of an old friend. . .or someone else.

We look forward to and are apprehensive about what lies in store for the Lwakahle Pride’s future. Will the lone brother continue to be the guardian, and will we watch the successful ‘cub-hood’ of our new fluff-ball? Or will a violent battle occur where many lives will be sacrificed in order to successfully instil the new guardians?

This month has been memorable in many ways, but no matter how the stories of this wild place unfold, Mother nature knows best.

A pride take-over is similar to a legend. It’s often read about, or seen on a professional nature documentary, but very rarely experienced in person. If you would like to follow the events of the turf-war, visit our Facebook Group page (www.facebook.com). Look up Lukimbi Safari Lodge and read what myself and other rangers are privileged enough to witness.

Lisa Thomas
Ranger




Click to enlarge
Pride Take Over
Photo: Dylan Brandt
Click to enlarge
Ground Hornbill
Photo: Louis Marais

Previous | Next | Top