Below is the latest from the lions at Duba Plains in Botswana.
As usual, the Tsaro Pride has continued to provide the majority of the lion sightings this month. They still consist of nine adult females, a juvenile female cub and the sub-adult male ('Junior'). The poor breeding success rate continues with about 8 cubs killed in the last two to three months. 'Silver Eye', the lioness generally thought to be responsible for much of this mortality, lost her own litter recently. The pride continues to be in three different divisions at the moment, although these distinct groupings do regularly join up to hunt and feed. They have also hunted successfully on their own however, although one of the females is carrying an injury to the back leg that was caused by a buffalo. She ('Junior's' mother) recovered quickly however and two days later was seen actively involved in a successful hunt. 'Junior' has already started to be harassed a bit by his fathers the ageing 'Duba Boys'. This typical inter-male aggression has been witnessed a lot at feeding points.
We have long debated the likelihood of the Duba Boys being supplanted as the territorial males of the area, and it now seems as though this inevitability is not far off. Since the beginning of the month the single Skimmer Male, that for the past few months has been making increasing incursions into the area, has actually made his intentions very clear. Over the past two weeks this male has attacked the Duba Boys one after the other, leaving both of them with severe injuries. The first one was attacked around the first week of the month, resulting in bad injuries around the eye that has now been swollen since then. The condition of this male has dropped quite dramatically and for three weeks now could be described as being in bad physiological condition with his whole body showing signs of age and decline: the pelvic bones are more pronounced, most of the body seems more angular and less robust, even the tail is looking emaciated and in general his whole body really appears shrunken. The second male appears to have been attacked just a day or so ago. This male has been looking far better than his coalition partner but on this occasion he had also apparently been involved in a fight and had severe injuries mainly on the leg which appeared to be fractured, he was badly limping as well.
The Skimmer Male - also seen with minor bruises and gashes to the face - has not wasted his time and has been seen on several occasions (always pretty relaxed considering he is in the core of the territory of the Duba Boys) mating with one of the Tsaro Pride lionesses. Apparently he is now mating with a second lioness that had been mating with the Duba Boy a day before the fight. The following morning he was seen with this lioness having obviously fought over the mating rights with the second Duba Boy. In contrast to the relaxed attitude of the Skimmer Male, the two Duba boys have been lying low and have been pretty elusive. We are all looking forward to see the outcome?