Mugoro Pride...........from destruction to new beginnings?

The lion theme continues to dominate the blog today and whilst sitting with the lions time to update on what we have learned so far with regard to the Mugoro Pride.

As a quick recap the Mugoro pride, located in the Mara Triangle, have had a somewhat chequered past in recent times. Andy and I having never seen the girls (originally 5 lionesses, including 'Killer Bogie' a name we randomly mentioned once due to her markings that has now unfortunately stuck - see photo below) raise any cubs to adult hood in the 2.5+ years or more that we have known them. It is generally considered by many that these females are a 'splinter/satelitte group of the original 'Serena Pride'. This pride having undergone serious 'deconstruction' in recent years, much to do with the fall from power of the old male 'split tooth' (Also known as 'Fang')  and the arrival of Notch and gang.

All looked ready to change last year when the females appeared to be successfully raising 9 cubs (5 females and 4 Males) who had been sired by Notch and Co (one of at least 3 prides that they were holding in the Mara). In September 2010, at the age of approx 9 months all were doing well and feasting on the many wildebeest as they crossed the Mara in the annual migration, hunting school was in force. (see Sept post). Soon after we left it was all to change for the worst. By December, and with the absence of Notch and Co returning to affirm the territory at least 5 of the cubs had been killed by intruding male/s. (we are almost sure these being the four that we had seen in the Mara a few months prior, just a fraction younger than the Notch boys and looking to be 'scouting the area' and reports from the rangers seem to confirm this could be the case...more on that later!)

During our Christmas trip we found the Mugoro pride in a somewhat 'fractured state' and with just 4 cubs left (3 females and 1 male). Our concern was especially for the last remaining male cub, would he too fall victim?. Sadly enough in January he was killed by the same male/s (There is no reliable information that we can get on how many males have been killing cubs).

So we had hoped when we returned on this trip to again find the girls and at least 3 remaining female cubs, who are now approaching being 'sub adults' at the age of approx 15 months (N.B. we had only seen four of the adult females at Xmas).

The good news is that yesterday we found some of them, 3 adult lionesses (including the 'younger bogie girl) and 2 female cubs. Given the prey is sparse at present we were not overly concerned that Killer Bogie (KB) and another cub was not there and could therefore be split due to food availability. However, we wont lie and say that we really wanted to find KB our favourite girl, and a feisty lioness at that, and to also confirm if all three female cubs were still alive. They all looked to have fed recently and relaxed in the long cool grass, seeking shade a short time after we arrived.

So, this morning we continued on a mission to find KB. First thing we found a male lion (called for this blog entry purpose and corresponding photos - Male 1) and at that point could not positively conclude that he was one of the 4 intruding males referred to earlier but we had a feeling he may have been (whisker pattern checks are on the plans for tonight!) He acted quite subdued and circled a small area for sometime before resting in the grass, he had not fed recently as his 'weight index' was quite low, although not to the point that it was of any concern. His posture was not one of a lion that had a huge amount of confidence and was quite nervous in his disposition, remaining extremely vigilant. He bore very few scars of any past fights and looked around 5.5+ years old and a very handsome lion at that!.  So if he was not one of the four new males we concluded he could also possibly be a nomadic lion who was not quite ready for a take over but scouting out a place to hang.

As we watched this guy we noticed far far ahead what looked to be several other lions on and around a mound some distance away and so over we trundled as to see who they were and given the area knew it was likely to be the Mugoro pride. Sure enough as we approached we saw instantly the younger 'bogie' girl and then the two female cubs and other two lionesses revealed themselves, so it was the Muguro girls, those we had seen the day before.  However, this time they were with a male ('Male 2') and it was not a Notch boy. Given their close location to the other male and the fact that he was almost in eye sight of them we felt it was becoming more likely he was on one of the coalition of four male lions. We were still a little curious as to why though he looked a little edgy.

However, still no KB or the other 'third cub' to be found? The posture of this male with the females was a stark contrast to the one we had left, he excuded confidence throughout. We soon noticed he was fixated on the two female cubs, who with a submissive posture were keeping some distance from the male, who quite simply would not stop 'eye balling' them with his head held high. The cubs were separated from the two females and it was quite a tense scene. The cubs looked desperate to reach the lionesses, only 30-40 feet away but every time they moved the male raised his head higher and his stare becoming more threatening, at which point they would freeze in motion. Eventually they made it to the lionesses, over a course of about 5/10 minutes taking the opportunity when the male was distracted by game moving in the distance.

We concluded only one thing that was becoming very obvious, this was highly likely to have been one of the male(s) that had killed the other 5 cubs and this was now the new pride male who was ready to be the guardian and protector of the Mugoro pride, in time siring his own new generation - the ultimate reason to have killed the cubs. This also strengthened the theory that the male 1 nearby was somehow connected as he was so close.

One of the females soon moved the two cubs away as they sensed his displeasure, in time it looks as he will slowly accept them as part of the pride and see them as no threat to his ruling of the pride. We hope his killing spree (or that of his companions?) will now cease.

So having witnessed the complete natural destruction of the Mugoro pride was it now time for the building of a new family and some stability for the Mugoro girls? lets really hope so. This is one pride that Notch and Co have chosen not to visit for over three months now (according to most reports and our own trips) and now its probably for the best that they don't return. Though its terribly sad to have lost so many fit and healthy cubs that were developing so well. However, this is nature and the process of an new incoming male is not all 'sweetness and roses'

Still, where was KB?! We left the Mugoro pride to as the heat grew and happy to see that we could be witnessing new beginnings. As we chatted about it we soon were distracted by an object in the distance that looked remarkably like another lion, and then there were two! Needless to say we had to investigate, as we came closer we could see it was a large adult lioness and a male (Male 3!). One thing came straight to our mind....it was a mating couple and only 2km from our last sighting. Sure enough, they exhibited all the behaviours that they were mating, except at that point the obvious act itself! As we got a better look at them both the words "its Killer Bogey" were voiced in unison and it was really great to see her, so slowly we were finding the cats we have followed for so long.  So who was THIS male? part of a coalition perhaps that Male 2 (and possibly Male 1) belonged to.......and in turn part of the 4 males that have been seen in the area a few times (and who most say were the perpetrators of the cub killings). It would all make perfect sense of course and this is the common process following infanticide, but nothing is ever conclusive until checking ID patterns from the 4 coalition males that we referred to earlier.

Later we found KB and the male again, this time in the cool evening breeze they mated two or three times, perhaps given the infrequency of the matings the 'honeymoon' was coming to an end. What we would love to see is how this all works out in terms of the dynamics of the pride and how many males will now potentially rule the pride and who was the dominant one?  It will be interesting to see how this all pans out and whether we will see more than one male with the females whilst we are here, somehow we think thats going to be very likely!

The only sad piece of the puzzle that we have now also put together, (having found KB with a male and not with another young lioness) is that it looks as if the last female cub we have not yet seen is perhaps 'no longer with us'. So in truth its looks like 9 cubs eventually became 2 and not three as we had hoped.

Below are photos of the three males (the light has played tricks with these 'point and shoot' photos and the manes are actually all reasonably similar in colour)

Male 1

Male 2

Male 3

KB and 'Male 3' mating