Ewaso Lions

Category: Lions | Date: Oct 03 2008 | By: ewasolions

So yes, these are the same males! I was able to identify them by looking at the whisker spot patterns, nose pigmentation and scarring on the photos of both lions. It was a bit hard comparing the photos, but have a look at these below:

West Gate male lion nose (Lpatpata)

Nose of male lion in Samburu (Lpatpata as well!)

Since establishing the fact that these are the same lions, I have chatted to many people trying to paint a picture of the lions movements.

So, after seeing them in West Gate (Real Lions 3), they disappeared from the community area almost immediately. I spent days looking for them in the conservancy but there was no sign of them. A few days later, there was a report that 3 males had killed 10 goats near Kiltamany which is North East of West Gate. Soon after, the manager of a lodge in Kalama Conservancy said he saw 3 males at the lodge waterhole. A couple of days later, the lions were seen in Samburu. So basically, they had made a giant loop around the reserve and entered Samburu from the North.

This was exciting news for me. This is the first time that it has been proven that lions move from community areas into the reserve. When I saw the 3 males in West Gate, it was big news for everyone. There were lions in the community area and they had been seen properly. However, now these very same lions are now in the reserve and have become resident here.

They have been mating with all the resident females and I have been very worried about Nashipai and Nabo’s cubs. However, they have managed to stay alive thanks to some very smart behaviour from the females and now the 2 sisters have come together with their cubs. They have a better chance of protecting them now that they have teamed up.

Uni mating with Loirish

I now have proper identity photos of all 3 males. During their first few days in the reserves, they were incredibly aggressive and would snarl and growl at any car. Mating with the females was a slight distraction for them and they began to get a bit used to cars.

Lguret, one of the new males

I have named the 3 males after getting to know them a bit; Loirish (brave), Lguret (coward) and Lpatpata (bully). Lpatpata once crossed the river and started mating with a female from the Borana Pride in Buffalo Springs. Uni has been mating with all 3 males and keeps going back and forth from one male to another.

It seems like these males have taken over the Koitogor Pride and Baasi, Lope and Supukon have left. The lion dynamics have changed and different things are happening on a daily basis. These are definitely exciting times to be in the reserve.

I’ll keep you posted with more blogs…