Monkey-ing around

We arrived in Ngamo bright and early on the 25^th finding Milo fast asleep, as per usual, in Amboseli. After jotting down some coordinates and other data we proceeded along route 66 searching for any signs of the lionesses. Luckily for us we were met with Kenge sprawled out upon the road, surrounded by four sleepy cubs. With no sign of the other females we presumed Kenge had been designated baby-sitter for the morning and was doing a splendid job.

Soon the January rains began to roll in over Ngamo. AS4 and AS5 bounced into the long grass for shelter and were soon followed by KE3 and KE4.

After a good soaking the rain began to ease up and this sent the cubs into a whirlwind of energy. Kenge looked on as AS5 shimmied some 3m up a nearby tree. KE3 soon could not resist the temptation of little AS5’s tail dangling and proceed to clamber up after him for a good tug. This monkey-ing around continued throughout the morning session until all cubs were adequately tired out.

By the afternoon we were struggling to find the rest of the pride. We trawled through Kruger, Tree Tops and the Valley to no avail when suddenly our researcher spotted a flash of gold racing through the undergrowth of Hwange. We soon caught up with the commotion to find Ashanti holding a baby impala between her jaws. AT1 and Kwali were following closely behind but kept a respectable distance from the hungry mother. Ashanti then settled down under a nearby bush and tucked into her well-earned snack. After a mere 10mins it was as if the impala had not even touch the sides! Ashanti moved off after cleaning up any crumbs and left poor AT1 sniffing somberly at the ground.

On the 27^th we rolled once again along route 66 this time to find Ashanti with her brood accompanied by Phyre and AT1. Whilst the adults and AT1 slept AS4 and AS5 tumbled around with one another before breaking for breakfast. However Ashanti was not at all impressed with her cub’s brazened approach to suckle and repositioned. It wasn’t long before AS5 announced his protests very loudly and incessantly to this. His efforts however proved most successful and Ashanti rolled onto her back offering a meal for the two cubs.

At lunchtime we thought we were in for the ultimate chase and catch scene. Kwali and Kenge were located by water hole 2 vigilant to a large herd of impala. Kenge appeared to flank left around the water hole into the long grass whilst Kwali held fire in the small thicket some 50m from the herd. After TWO HOURS of watching, poised over binoculars it appeared Kenge might have gotten side tracked with other engagements leaving poor Kwali stuck in the thicket. Although a fantastic huntress there was a good 30m of open space for Kwali to somehow pass through without being seen. Eventually Kwali settled down and the herd began to move off further into Serengeti East.

We returned in the afternoon in high hopes of further hunting but Kwali, obviously fed up with hunting in the midday sun went and settled alongside Ashanti and co. Once again AS4 and AS5 provided some comedy gold for our research team climbing more trees and pulling more tails. It is beginning to seem that AS4 is the most confident and boisterous of the two. She decided to launch an all-mighty attack on her brother. These two youngsters will no doubt be causing more chaos for the pride as they grow more and more confident.

A Son for Milo

On Sunday (22^nd January) morning the whole Ngamo pride were all resting together at waterhole 1.  As Ashanti and Nala watched impala grazing through bushes in the distance AS4 and AS5 were playing close by together with KE3 and KE4. Ever since Ashanti began introducing her two young cubs to the pride our Researcher has been avidly trying to determine the sexes of our two newest additions and today it was finally confirmed.  It is not such an easy task to perform as their little rears and tails move around so often but it appears that, after a spell of all female cubs being born in the site, including AS4, Milo finally has a son! AS5 is a beautiful boy and we are sure he will grow up to be every bit as handsome as his dad.

As midday arrived and Ashanti, Kenge, Phyre and AT1 continued to sleep off yesterday’s big meal Kwali, Nala and Narnia still found the energy to watch and stalk impala and zebra that were wandering through Masai Mara, completely unaware of their spectators.  Luckily for the zebra and impala however just watching was about all the girls would be doing today as they soon lost interest in the herd ahead of them and returned to laze with the rest of their pride members, rising occasionally for a quick drink before returning to flop all over each other where they slept until the sun began to set.

Monday (23^rd January) was another lazy day in Ngamo and on entering the site in the morning we found Nala, Narnia, AT1, Phyre, Ashanti and Kwali continuing to rest in Masai Mara not very far from waterhole 1 indicating that they probably had quite a lazy night too.  By mid-morning they finally began to rise and with Ashanti leading the way Phyre, Narnia, Nala, Kwali and AT1 all went for a stroll through Masai Mara towards Serengeti West.  The reason for their procession was soon apparent as they stopped at the old remains of Friday’s zebra carcass and began to chew at the bones for the last scraps they could find.  Meanwhile Kenge, KE3 and KE4 remained at waterhole 1 where they stayed for the rest of the afternoon.  As the day drew to an end Milo, who had so far not been seen today, appeared walking from Serengeti East towards Etosha where Kenge and their cubs were now playing.  It was only a fleeting visit from dad and although he sat with Kenge for just a short while it still gave his cubs enough time to excitedly clamber all over him before he began to lose his patience and he rose once again and walked away into the sun.

On Tuesday (24^th January) it was our younger pride members that kept us entertained as while Milo, Narnia, Phyre, Ashanti, Kwali, Kenge and AT1 all spent their day resting in Etosha,  KE3, KE4, AS4 and AS5 made their own fun playing and chewing on twigs and branches.  It was not too long before AT1 joined in their fun but just as she was beginning to settle into a bit of play fighting with AS4 she opened her mouth and bit softly at the lively cub.  Well at least she thought she bit AS4, to her total surprise she had accidentally bitten Ashanti on the nose!  Realising her mistake she quickly stood up looking quite startled at herself and moved away before Ashanti could react to the young lioness’ playful advances.   By early evening our young cubs were still full of energy and were practicing techniques that will help them hunt in the future.  As they stalked and ankle-tapped each other the four little lions were gaining more and more confidence as they strayed a bit further away from mum chasing each other and rolling through the grass.  Of course it doesn’t matter how much fun they seem to have play-fighting, nothing seems so much fun as climbing a tree and while Ashanti relaxed as the sun began to set on Ngamo AS5 showed off his climbing skills to a very proud mum indeed.

Happy first birthday to AT1

On Thursday (19^th January) morning as we entered the site we found Phyre, AT1, Nala, Narnia and Milo all relaxing on Route 66 in Masai Mara.  It was a peaceful morning until all of a sudden we caught sight of impala and zebra running through Amboseli.  It was the unmistakable scurry that comes with being chased and after a few moments we soon saw the reason for the panic as Ashanti bound behind the herd at full pace.  We too joined the chase but, just as we were getting our hopes up, the herd escaped the clutches of Ashanti and she retreated realising they had gained too much distance for her to keep up.  Just as our excitement levels began to settle we were off again but this time it was Kwali causing the commotion, flanking the herd from the opposite direction.  Kenge was also out for a spot of morning hunting and, hanging back slightly, she watched intently as her sister took her turn to give chase.  Unfortunately, despite Kwali’s best efforts she too was unable to make up the distance and, for at least today, she and the hungry mums would have to do without breakfast.

Friday 20^th January and a very special little lion turned one year old today. Happy birthday AT1!  By now the lions were more than ready for a meal and as the sun began to warm the day Phyre, Kenge, Nala, Narnia together with the birthday girl all took a stroll along Route 66 in search of prey.  Ashanti and Kwali were resting together in Serengeti East and as the girls made their way along the road they all came together and continued their search.  It was not before long that Kwali seemed to pick up on a scent and she walked briskly, visibly switching into hunting mode.  The rest of the girls, seeing Kwali become so alert, also followed and they made their way deeper into Serengeti East.  Phyre soon took the lead and began to run and as she did Nala and Kenge flanked to the left and hid amongst trees, all the while our Researcher unaware of what it was they were hunting.  As they all made their way through Hwange and as they neared the boundary we soon saw the reason for their excitement but alas the lions would have no success again today.  The girls resorted to their second favourite pastime and slept through the afternoon, only stirring as the sun began to set and bringing with it a rather busy period of grooming and licking, reaffirming the strong bond our pride females all have with each other.

On Saturday (21^st January) morning the pride’s wait for a good meal was over as Milo, Phyre and Kenge were in Masai Mara at a zebra kill.  Nala, Narnia, Kwali, Ashanti and AT1 were spotted in the near distance having had their fill and carrying their fat bellies to rest at waterhole 1.  After a quick drink Nala, Narnia and Ashanti made their way towards Etosha, quite possibly for Ashanti to meet up with her cubs who we had seen earlier hiding in the safety of the long grass.  By mid-morning KE3 and KE4 had joined mum and dad at the zebra carcass.  Milo was being his usual greedy self and clutching on to the carcass while resting.  Although even our dominant pride male has a soft side for his offspring and, as he has done previously with AT1, he allowed only KE3 to eat from his claimed meal, growling at Phyre as she got closer to him and his cub.

By the afternoon Kenge, presuming Milo must be ready to give up his hold on the carcass by now, made her way over to eat but as usual Milo was still not willing to share and he and Kenge fought with Milo biting into Kenge’s back as she grabbed hold of the carcass.  The tussle frightened little KE3 and KE4 and they ran away looking on at mum and dad and crying out.   A few minutes later Kenge, realising the last few mouthfuls were not worth the trouble, gave up her hold on the zebra and she returned to her young cubs reassuring them with a mini head rub that all was well as the day came to an end.

These images have been taken by photographic volunteer Carole Deschuymere.  If you would like the opportunity to be in her position to get photos such as these, then visit our volunteer page and click on the link “Wildlife Photography” listed under Antelope Park.

Happy Families

On Monday (16^th January) morning Phyre, Kwali, Nala, Narnia, Ashanti, AT1, Kenge and her cubs were resting in Kruger.  It was breakfast time for KE3 and KE4 who were suckling mum as we arrived.    Phyre lay close by and, with her pregnancy becoming more and more evident, teamed with the fact that she ate very well yesterday, she looked enormous!  It was a very quiet morning for everyone except for KE4 amusing herself by practicing her climbing technique in a nearby tree.  By the afternoon Ashanti had brought her cubs to the pride too and the four young playmates spent the remainder of the day tormenting Phyre and Narnia as they attempted to suckle from the expectant mother and played with Narnia’s tail.  Narnia, not willing to tolerate the fun and games any longer picked herself up and moved away from AS5 who cried at being left without anything to play with.

Most of Tuesday (17^th January) morning was spent patrolling the release site for our elusive pride and after an hour and a half of searching we finally came across Phyre, Kenge and AT1 wandering through Etosha and then settling in Serengeti East, completely unaware of the effort we had gone to trying to find them.  During the rest of the day it was not so difficult to locate the lions as the lazy trio spent the majority of the day sleeping in the same spot.  By the time the sun was beginning to set Kenge rose to her feet and walked a short distance away, seeming to scan the landscape with her nose held high.  Within a few moments two little lions came bounding excitedly towards their mum resulting in lots of head rubs and small cries.

KE3, full of energy, jumped up and attempted to climb a tree before she and her sister settled down to suckle Kenge for their first meal of the day.  Once they had filled their bellies with milk they turned their attention on unsuspecting AT1 who sat near to Phyre looking very grown up.  After playing with a few sticks on the way over to AT1, KE3 and KE4 clambered over the young lioness who was not in the mood for play and she growled and snarled irritated by the two unruly cubs.

Wednesday (18^th January), and after quite a bright start to the morning, the day turned out to be a bit of a wash out, quite literally! As Milo rested on his own in Masai Mara, Phyre, AT1, and Kenge, Ashanti and their cubs started their day in Etosha.  Soon Narnia and Milo joined them and they all rested together for the best part of the day.  Phyre is becoming particularly friendlier these days and is spending a lot more of her time giving out head rubs and grooming sessions.   As she and Ashanti enjoyed a good head rub KE4 couldn’t resist the temptation and she squeezed her way in between the high-ranking females to get in on the action.

As they day drew in so did the clouds and by early evening the heavens opened and down came the rain.  Heavy rain!  The lions, who were quite happily resting, all became full of life and they wandered through the downpour towards Serengeti East. While AS4 and AS5 took shelter from the thunder and lightning under a tree, KE3 and KE4 made the most of the exciting weather and ran and jumped their way along Route 66 with AT1 who was also making the most of the wild weather.  As the rain got heavier our view of the lions became more and more difficult and so we left the pride and headed home early in the hope that the sun would come out tomorrow.

The cubs tuck in

Friday  13^th January certainly was unlucky for some as following yesterday’s uneventful pursuit of impala in Masai Mara, the lions were even more hungry and continuing to hunt without reward.  Phyre, Kwali, AT1, Narnia, Nala and Kenge began the day stalking zebra in Etosha to no avail, and then later, impala that were heading at pace from Kruger towards the lions.   It wasn’t long before we saw the reason the impala were moving so quickly as Milo marched behind them unknowingly driving the impala in the direction of the females.  It could have been a very successful chase if it weren’t for the short grass and sparse shrub cover highlighting the lions’ presence but the impala were soon aware of the danger ahead and changed course.  The lions remained sat down and watched as their potential breakfast passed them by.  By the afternoon the lions’ day had come full circle as, after resting for the most part, they were again watching a herd of both zebra and impala passing through Etosha.  The girls followed the herd into Masai Mara where Narnia took the initiative and began to stalk.  Again, unlucky for Narnia, the zebra ran away followed closely behind by the impala and within seconds they were gone from the advances of one of the pride’s finest hunters.

The pride, perhaps feeling a bit discouraged by the past few days’ near misses, had a day off from hunting and on Saturday (14^th January) Nala, Narnia, Ashanti, Phyre, Kwali, AT1, Kenge and her cubs all spent the day lazing in their usual way.  It had now been 8 days since the pride last ate and particularly Ashanti and Kenge both seemed to be irritable.  Ashanti, who is usually more obliging than Kenge to feed cubs that are not her own, snarled at KE3 and KE4 when they approached her to suckle and Kenge, usually a very patient and attentive mother, also snarled and snapped at her youngsters sending them crying and looking for milk.  The two ever-hungry cubs determined not to go without instead made their way towards non-lactating Phyre, but she too growled and rolled over not allowing the two little mouths to latch on to her.  A slightly confused KE3 even approached resident nanny Kwali to suckle, much to Kwali’s bewilderment!

Sunday (15^th January) finally brought success! On arrival into the site in the morning we found Milo and AT1 in Amboseli both at a long-awaited zebra kill.  Narnia, Phyre, Kwali, Ashanti, Kenge and their respective cubs were also resting close by, each of them with large contented bellies.  As AT1 munched away at her breakfast dad Milo was doing his usual trick of resting his head on the carcass making sure that no-one approached to eat without his permission.  The whole pride remained at the kill site for the whole day and by the afternoon Milo had finally released his hold on the zebra and the small amount of meat left was now being finished off by Kenge together with hers and Ashanti’s cubs.

Kenge had managed to find herself the jaw bones and as she rasped at the last few scraps so did KE3 and KE4, KE3 even managing to get her little head stuck as she forced her way in for meat.   The four young lions had endless fun chewing and clambering over the bones even entering into battles over the same piece with mini sized growls and slaps!  But Narnia soon put a stop to AS4’s fun as, not being satisfied with her full belly, she crept up behind AS4 and forced her off the bone she was happily making the most of.  What a bully Narnia!

Introducing…

 

On 10^th January Phyre, Kwali, Nala, Narnia, Ashanti, AT1, KE, KE3 and KE4 were all resting in Etosha.  Our researcher was disappointed to see Ashanti present again with the group as for the past few days she has been spending a lot of time with the pride, causing concern about the amount of time she is absent from her cubs in their den.  Hopefully she is returning to her den outside of our research hours, or during the night to feed her young.  Kenge, appearing to be a slightly more attentive mother, was resting nearby with KE3 and KE4 and the cubs suckled from Ashanti occasionally giving Kenge a bit of a break.

The pride spent the whole day lazing about except, that is, for KE3 and KE4 who were trying to get AT1 to join in with passing the time as the adults slept.  AT1 looked unsure of what to do as the cubs clambered over her and ran through her legs and she tried to pick up one of the pesky playmates in her mouth before they got away. Clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation, AT1 moved and sat a few metres away from them and let them continue making their own fun.  As the evening arrived the lions slowly started to wake.  Kenge stood up and began walking and slowly, one by one, the others followed.  Milo stayed behind for a few moments with his cubs but then shortly caught up with everyone.

The pride crossed the width of the site travelling though Serengeti East and Hwange before finally stopping in The Valley.  We were intrigued as to the reason for their long walk, perhaps they were hunting or looking for something, but when they finally came to rest it seemed that there was no obvious reason for the procession.  It could be that they were patrolling their territory or perhaps they just simply fancied a nice evening stroll but on this occasion it seems only the lions will know. 

The next day (11th January), following their long walk from the previous day, Phyre, Kwali, Nala, Narnia, AT1, Kenge, KE3&4 and Milo had all returned to Etosha.  At first sighting of the lions we were relieved to see that Ashanti was not present suggesting that she was at her den looking after her cubs but when we caught a glimpse of her in the long grass worry began to set in. But the worry was to be short-lived as right beside her were her two cubs; fit, healthy and suckling mum. 

AS4 and AS5 played alongside KE3 and KE4 even managing to hold their own when Kenge’s cubs, being that little bit bigger, threw their miniature weight around and forced the pride’s newest members into play fighting.  However it seems that Ashanti’s two cubs may not be the newest additions to the Ngamo pride for very long because, as suspected, Phyre is indeed pregnant, estimating that she may give birth in mid-February.  The Ngamo release site is soon to become the Ngamo crèche! 

As the day drew on and Ashanti had returned her cubs to their den, KE3 and KE4 moved on to AT1 for their entertainment.  Playing with AT1’s tail, much to her annoyance, she slapped at KE4….who bravely slapped her back! Meanwhile KE3 practiced her early hunting tactics by ‘stalking’ Kwali when she was not looking.  However KE3 was not as daring as KE4 and when she reached Kwali she merely gave her a friendly head rub. Not to worry, she has plenty of time yet.

By Thursday (12^th January) the lions were beginning to get rather hungry, having last eaten 6 days ago.  After spending the majority of their day resting in Kruger on their favourite anthill, Phyre, Ashanti, Kwali, Kenge, Nala, Narnia, AT1 and Milo all made their way towards waterhole 1.  It wasn’t too long before they were running and we followed quickly behind them to find out the source of the excitement.  It was impala, grazing in Masai Mara.  Unfortunately before the lions could plan their attack something spooked the impala and they ran off in the direction of Serengeti West.  The pride, a bit perplexed at their chance of a meal escaping them continued to sit in Masai Mara which is where we left them for the day, hoping they may be more successful through the night. 

Milo celebrates new year with a feast fit for a king, and his cubs

Friday (30 December) turned out to be quite an action-packed day in Ngamo.  After a very sleepy start with Nala, Narnia, Phyre, Kwali and AT1 all dozing in Masai Mara, we left the lazy lions in search of their fellow pride members.  In Treetops we found them, and what a surprise we got.

Ashanti was sitting with her two cubs playing around her, Milo was sitting on a wildebeest kill and Kenge was sitting alone looking on at Milo, obviously waiting for her opportunity to eat!  The usually grumpy Milo lay beside the carcass growling, fearful of any advances the lionesses may make.  Eventually Milo drifted off to sleep and Kenge seized her opportunity and approached ever so slowly.  Just as she began her breakfast Milo awoke and Kenge hastily attempted to drag the carcass away.  Milo threw his weight down and the stubborn pair sat on the wildebeest, neither one willing to submit, for over 30 minutes.

Ashanti, seeing that she was not going to get the opportunity to eat left  with her cubs, perhaps taking them to safety before returning to fight for her portion.  Kenge finally managed to tear off a leg and ran into bushes to enjoy it peacefully and, as suspected, Ashanti returned  without her cubs for her chance to dine.

Mid morning and MI in his usual fashion was sleeping, holding tightly to the carcass.  Kenge was still nearby, now with KE3 and KE4.  Milo once again began to snack and the curious cubs made their way over to see what dad was doing.  Surprisingly, without any hesitation the pair tucked into the wildebeest.   Their very first taste of meat!

Overzealous KE3 got a little too close to Milo and he swiped at her flipping her head over paws into a somersault.  Stunned by dad’s outburst KE3 and KE4 both ran to mum calling for reassurance.  Not being too put off by Milo’s dominance the brave pair re-approached him but decided this time to eat their first meal slightly further away to avoid any more collisions.  After a while Milo had had his fill and left the carcass to his two young cubs.  KE4 instantly spotted the wildebeest’s horns and, just like dad, began to drag them away.  KE3 could not resist joining in the fun but was met with a quick bop on the nose and a mini growl from angry little KE4.  It seems KE4 has been paying more attention around the adults than we thought!  Intent on finding something else to play with, KE3 amused herself with the mane of the wildebeest that lay amongst the remains.

By late afternoon Phyre, Kwali, Nala, Narnia and AT1 had woken from their sleep and were no longer in Masai Mara. AT1 had found her way to this morning’s wildebeest carcass and was doing her best to find some scraps that had been left on the bones.  Without much success she moved on, anxiously looking for her fellow pride members.  After a few moments of wandering in and out of long grass and shrubs she, and ourselves, heard growling close by.  At one of the furthermost parts of the site in Treetops an impala had just met its end at the claws of Nala, Narnia, Phyre, Kwali and Ashanti.   As the girls all took hold it was Kwali who seized the prize and ran away with the almost intact carcass leaving Nala, Narnia, Phyre and Ashanti with only very small pieces.  The late arriving AT1 unfortunately went without and did her best to lie flat to the ground whilst creeping up behind Ashanti in the hope of gaining something to eat.  Ashanti, aware of AT1’s sneaky intentions, swiped at her forcing her back and continued to eat the small portion she had managed to get for herself.

Saturday (31 December) morning was quite subdued compared to yesterday with Milo resting on his own in Etosha. Phyre, AT1, Nala, Narnia, Kwali, Kenge, KE3 and KE4 were not too far away from him lazing in Serengeti East.  The ever-playful cubs spent their time as usual making their own fun and, while KE4 attempted to chase a bird, KE3 climbed a short way up a tree and sat for a while chewing on the branches.

As the day, and an eventful 2011, drew to an end Ashanti and Kenge tended to their cubs in their respective dens; Milo, Phyre, Kwali, Nala, Narnia and AT1 were resting together, and we left the Ngamo pride wishing them all a very strong and healthy new year with every hope for their continued success in 2012.

Ashanti and her cubs join the pride after a long absence

On Tuesday (27 December) morning we found Nala, Narnia and AT1 all resting in ever-popular Etosha.  Close by, in the shade of a large tree, lay a lioness and her cubs but to our joy the lioness in question was not Kenge, it was Ashanti and her two beautiful and healthy cubs, making a trip out to visit the pride for the very first time! It had been some time since we last saw Ashanti’s cubs, the last time being early December before Ashanti moved her den site to another secret location.   The two young cubs played together, tumbling over one another, all the while staying close to mum.  Ashanti, perhaps feeling that a brief morning visit was just long enough to have her young away from home, returned her cubs to the safety of their den and by midday she had come back to spend some time relaxing with the rest of the pride.

However it was now Kenge’s turn to bring along some new faces and she rested close by to Ashanti, Nala, Narnia, AT1 and Milo while KE3 and KE4 amused themselves with the natural toys they found lying about.  As the clouds rolled in and a thunder storm took hold an enormous thunderclap startled young KE3 and KE4 and they bolted off in different directions to escape the deafening sound, leaving Kenge not knowing which one to chase after first.

Later that day Kenge and her cubs moved on to Masai Mara where Milo was resting.  His peace and quiet was to be short-lived as KE3 and KE4 decided that dad was to be their new play thing.  The youngsters approached Milo, sneaking up behind him and nibbling on his tail.  They even managed to climb onto his back for a few moments, before he would turn quickly causing them to bounce off!  After a while of being used as a springboard Milo decided he had had enough and when he snarled at the two pestering playmates Kenge in turn snarled at Milo, protective of her naturally playful cubs.

On Wednesday (28 December) morning the whole pride, with the exception of the cubs, were resting in Kruger.  Just before midday a herd of impala made an unlucky decision to walk straight into the path of the Ngamo lions.  Phyre and AT1 rested on the path while the other pride members were taking shade in a nearby tree on the corner of Forest Drive. One unfortunate impala headed directly into the bush where a lioness was waiting and she pounced at the antelope missing it by inches.  As all the action happened just as our researcher approached the pride it is difficult to say which of our females made the first move, but we suspect it was Ashanti followed swiftly by Kwali and Kenge.  As the girls gave chase and we attempted to follow them into the dense area of Treetops the unmistakable sound of a feeding frenzy was heard.  Success! It was Kenge and Kwali who managed to get their claws in first and the pair made off into the bushes seizing the majority of the impala.  Narnia and Ashanti grabbed themselves a small portion but unlucky Nala, Phyre, AT1 and Milo were unfortunately left to go hungry.  AT1, not accustomed to missing out while dad is around, tried her very best creeping tactics as Ashanti ate her lunch, only to be swiped on the nose by the annoyed lioness.

Thursday (29 December) was a much more subdued day in Ngamo with Kwali, Kenge and her cubs resting at waterhole 1. As Kwali and Kenge slept off the action from yesterday lively KE3 and KE4 made their own fun, playing with branches and chewing on an old tree stump.

By late afternoon Kwali had moved on from her sister and joined Nala, Narnia, Phyre, and AT1 who were resting in Treetops.  Kwali, the low-ranking lioness who does not often get the best seat in the site, snuggled up to Narnia and Nala where they remained as the sun began to set.

A very Ngamo Christmas

On entering the site on Saturday (24 December) we met Nala, Narnia and Milo all resting together once again in Kruger.  The two loving sisters, even proving it in their sleep; they amusingly slept side by side in mirror image of each other.  It was a morning of very little activity with the only effort being made by Milo as he walked to waterhole 3 for a drink.  By midday Narnia had left her sister and Milo and had met up with Kenge who was taking a well-earned break from her playful cubs.  Meanwhile Ashanti, Kwali, Phyre and AT1 were spending their Christmas Eve in The Valley.

On Sunday (25 December), in the true spirit of Christmas, the whole pride came together and was all resting in Etosha where they remained for most of the morning.  The only thing missing from their Christmas Day was their Christmas dinner and by early evening Ashanti and Narnia had taken it upon themselves to remedy the situation by stalking a large herd, full of variety, with wildebeest, zebra and impala.  Nala soon awoke and joined her sister and Ashanti in the hunt, instinctively flanking to the left.  Kwali also joined in, followed closely by hunter in training, AT1.  AT1 walked alongside Kwali as she too stalked the array of food ahead of them, stopping occasionally to observe the girls at work.   After a lengthy session of stalking we left the lions with their gazes fixed upon their potential festive feast and wished them all a happy Christmas.

Monday (26 December) morning and yesterday’s hunt must have paid off as four fat lions in the form of Kwali, Nala, Narnia and Phyre were lying about in Treetops.   Our researcher was unable to find the carcass of the unfortunate victim but suspect it may well have been a wildebeest one was “missing” in the site today.  Around midday AT1 waddled from waterhole 3 with blood on her face and a huge belly! Ashanti later joined the group having eaten a good meal too but she soon left her pride members to join her cubs who were tucked up safely in their den.  As the sky clouded over and heavy rain set in Kenge, Kwali, Narnia, Nala, Phyre and AT1 all took what shelter they could in the long grass where they spent the rest of the evening sleeping off their dinner.  It seems that the pride, like many of us at this time of year, may have over-indulged a little!

KE3 & KE4 decide that stripes are in season

Tuesday (20 December) morning and what appeared to be a lone Narnia taking a morning stroll soon turned into a game of follow the leader.  As she wandered through Amboseli she came across Nala and AT1 both lying on an anthill.  They rose to their feet and the trio made their way towards the waterhole where Phyre, Kwali and Ashanti were also resting.  They too joined the procession and they all walked together for a while before resting in Etosha.  Meanwhile Kenge and her cubs spent the day lazing and playing in Serengeti East.

On first sighting of the pride on Wednesday (21 December) they all appeared to have enjoyed a good meal with zebra being their food of choice.  Nala, Narnia, Phyre, Kwali and AT1 were all resting in Etosha with pink chins and large contented bellies. Not going without a meal, Kenge and her large belly were also spotted wandering through Serengeti East together with KE3 and KE4, surprisingly quite close to grazing zebra.  KE3 and KE4 instantly took an interest in the unusual striped animals and, showing that they may turn out to be two brave little lions, started to walk towards the zebra who in turn were as interested in the daring cubs.  After watching for a few moments mum Kenge decided that they should perhaps wait a little while longer before taking on zebra and she rose to her feet forcing the zebra to run back for safety.

Thursday (22 December) was somewhat of a quiet day in Ngamo with Phyre, Kwali,  Ashanti and AT1 not being seen all day.  Milo spent his day in Etosha resting alongside Nala and Narnia, an unlikely pair for the boss to be spending his time with.   Kenge and her cubs were not too far away at waterhole 1 and as mum rested KE3 and KE4 amused themselves by playing with a stick.

On Friday (23 December) Phyre, Ashanti, Kwali and AT1 all spent the day resting in the long grass of Treetops.  Milo joined the girls later in the day where he remained until the sun went down.  As they all slept a group of zebra passed by, approximately 60m away.  With a lions scent being one of its best hunting tools it was no surprise that Ashanti and Phyre’s heads raised just as the zebra neared.  Kwali, also picking up on the scent, made no hesitation; and on seeing Ashanti move into a stalk position flanked to the right to begin the ambush.  As Kwali drove the zebra back in the opposite direction Ashanti patiently waited for her chance to pick up the chase.  Unluckily however Ashanti failed to catch the zebra and after watching the herd run on for a short time the lions all returned to their previous positions and went back to sleep.  Although unfortunate that their hunt was in vain it was an exciting end to a very sleepy day in Ngamo.