Calving Season in Southern Serengeti Kusini & NCA Ndutu: Predator Action

[ricmiles]

@iceThank you for the explanation on the lion dynamics, very interesting! Now that you mention they were 5, I might have just assumed he told us they were 4 because we only saw that many. 
 

Out of curiosity, what is the movement of these prides during the off season? If they stay there I expect there to be quite some human wildlife conflict with the maasai herders? 
 

Great to hear you witnessed so many hunts. What cheetahs did you have the chance to watch succeed? Hyenas hunting was a first for me, I’ll get to it sometime this week. I was expecting action, and action is what I got. Couldn’t be more satisfied. 
 

 

Edited March 25 by ricmiles

[ice]

@ricmiles

 

it is extremely rare to see all the five males of that coalition together, considering that they dominate three prides - we only managed to find them at one place once during our last trip.

 

Below you see a picture of a white board put up by the NCA lion researchers at Ndutu Lodge.  As you can see, aside from the nomads (which will leave the area again once the big herds have moved on) around Ndutu you currently (and historically) have / had four prides:

• Big Marsh Pride, dominated by Team Tano
• Masek Pride, dominated by Team Tano
• Thin "Pride" (only one remaining lioness - Laura), dominated by Team Tano
• Twin Hills Pride, dominated by Lopirr and Leremet

whereby the Twin Hills Pride sometime during the last dry season has split into two groups.

 

 

 

The names of the prides indicate where the center of their territories lie: Big Marsh, Lake Masek and Twin Hills (Laura doesn't really have a territory anymore, she usually hangs out in Long Gully, close to the Marshes.) 

 

You are absolutely right to assume that, come dry season, there will be human-lion conflict, however only with the Twin Hills lions; the territories of the other prides do not overlap with the pastures of the Masai. To reduce these conflicts Lopirr, Nadine and Nangida are collared and monitored (Bessy is too, but since Nadine's collar stopped working a few weeks ago, they will soon remove her collar and put it around Nadine's neck).

 

If you are really interested in these dynamics, check out this website: https://kopelion.org (they also have a FB page), but to explain it in short: whenever the local "lion guardians" notice that the Twin Hills lions are moving towards Masai bomas, they both try to push them off and at the same time warn the herders. Nevertheless, the lions still regularly kill cattle, especially at night and the stray ones that didn't find their way back to the bomas. Despite all the educating, when that happens the Masai are still out for revenge which is why the Twin Hills Pride lions are practically impossible to find in the dry season - during dry season daytime they hide extremely deep in the thickets. Also, the lion guardians will physically protect them from the Masai, staying and sleeping close to their hideouts, and yet, every once in a while Masai still find ways to kill lions.

[ice]

by the way: the information on that board is not accurate anymore: both Laura and Cassandra have since lost a cub each. 

[ricmiles]

@iceReally appreciate the explanation. I have read through the Kope Lion website and it made me wonder if it would be feasible to enlarge the 'Corridor of tolerance' by creating community owned conservancies by the local maasai tribes? I know in Kenya this was done successfully in places such as Shompole, Olkiramatian (Lentorre) and even multiple conservancies in the Chyulu's. 

 

I also wonder how isolated Ndutu lions are. I would expect a lot of crossover between prides in the Southern Serengeti and Ndutu as they are bordering? 

 

 

Edited March 26 by ricmiles

[ice]

as explained before, the local lionesses basically stay where they are born, whereas (new) males wander in from all sorts of directions: Kusini, Maswa GR and the Crater, to name a few. During migration time you will also find a lot of nomads, especially on the Plains or in Hidden Valley, because the local lions hardly ever go there. During my stay we spent quite some time with a group of five nomads (four females and one subadult male). It was them who "presented" me my 5th lion kill in the NCA. 

[ricmiles]

@iceSo basically with Ndutu being dominated by such a strong coalition it is unlikely for nomads to settle down in the area with local lionesses and benefit the gene pool.  

[ice]

9 hours ago, ricmiles said:

@iceSo basically with Ndutu being dominated by such a strong coalition it is unlikely for nomads to settle down in the area with local lionesses and benefit the gene pool.  

 

well, I wouldn't say that. In fact, regular visitors like me as well as KopeLion are happy that those five arrived 1 1/2 years ago. Before that, the dominating male coalitions often only lasted a year which led to a lot of infanticide. Now a lot of cubs have survived that critical last dry season. On the other hand, as you can see on the whiteboard, another coalition of five (nomad) male lions have shown up. For now, they only every once in a while enter the territory of Team Tano, but who knows what happens next? 

 

Nevertheless, I wouldn't mind if Team Tano stayed a while longer and thus ensure that their prides grow. 

[ice]

 

these are most likely the very first pictures of those Team Tano males - back in Oct 2022 my guide and I were the ones who first reported them to KopeLion. Note how dry the grass was

 

Edited March 27 by ice

[ricmiles]

@iceWhat an outstanding work to support the future of these lions. Very inspiring. I wish it was possible to gather this level of information for other areas as well. 

 

What is it that brings you back to Ndutu over and over again? 

Edited March 27 by ricmiles

[Atravelynn]

5 hours ago, ricmiles said:

@iceWhat an outstanding work to support the future of these lions. Very inspiring. I wish it was possible to gather this level of information for other areas as well. 

 

What is it that brings you back to Ndutu over and over again? 

@icecan certainly answer for himself but I will mention that I saw people in Ndutu that I had seen before and a couple of us carried on conversations from previous visits.  Sort of like a reunion.  I was told that there were Ndutu regulars who could be seen year after year.  The area is just bursting with new life during green season and there is a vitality and excitement that goes along with that.  Very good time for cheetah cubs and hunting cheetah and cheetah cubs learning to hunt, as you saw.  In fact part of your title hints at the attraction: "Calving Season" & "Predator Action."  I have thought to myself that when the time comes that I cannot travel as extensively as I have had the good fortune to do in the past, I'd just do annual trips to Ndutu in green season, for however long I could manage.

Edited March 28 by Atravelynn

[ice]

9 hours ago, ricmiles said:

What is it that brings you back to Ndutu over and over again? 

 

I am pretty sure that unless you are willing to pay 2.000 USD per person per night and more in a private concession in Botswana (and most likely still will have to share your vehicle with others) nowhere else in Africa you will have better chances of seeing as much as much predator action as around Ndutu, it's as simple as that. For me personally, there are quite a few other reasons, but that is the main one.

Edited March 28 by ice

[soleson]

@ricmiles@ice@AtravelynnIf you could pick one month and one camp to stay in around the Ndutu area, when and where would it be?  I have Kenya (Amboseli, Ol Pejeta, and Mara conservancies) lined up for next fall but am thinking of going back to Tanzania again next time.  I have never been there in the green season and would like to give it a try.  Thanks.

Edited March 28 by soleson

[Atravelynn]

Feb (March is good too with fewer people, more wilde calves already born).  As for camps, choose a camp with vacancy.  This is a popular time to go. Ndutu Lodge seems to be economical but I have never managed that.  I've stayed at Njozi run by the Wild Source 2x and that was good.  The other places I've stayed are not operating now I believe.  At least as important as the camp (IMO) is the ability to stay out all day with packed breakfasts and lunches.  A nice long day in the bush is always good, but I think it is essential in Ndutu in the green season to see hunts, maybe births, and cover ground to go where the interesting activity is.

Edited March 28 by Atravelynn

[ice]

It depends on what you are looking for: calving may start as early as late December and usually peaks in January and February. But as@Atravelynnhas pointed out: wanting to see calving and the biggest herds comes with a price: camps and lodges that are completely out and conditions that may remind you of Masai Mara, especially at cheetah sightings: 20 cars circling and pushing around. More times than not aggressive drivers will make it impossible for cats to hunt. That's why I have chosen March as my preferred month: less cars and more lost calves, both increasing the chances to see a lot predator action. 

[pscrimshaw]

Wow this is absolutely crazy to find. I was in Ndutu during the exact same time at the exact same sightings! So wild to see photos from the opposite angles that I was at! I saw the coalition of males that morning as each came to drink and then jumped across the river. And I was also there when the lion cub was in the tree. Unfortunately I was on the opposite side hoping that the cub would turn and look my way but, when it finally did I got photo bombed by some inconsiderate tourist vehicles. I'm hoping that wasn't you! Anyways such a small world it seems!

 

 

[ricmiles]

@solesonOthers that have travelled multiple times to the area might be more suitable to give advice. However, based on my understanding, it seems like February is when wildebeests actually give birth (Keep in mind it's very hard to time), and it also is when most people go to witness the phenomenon. Therefore, the area is very busy at that time. Logically, going before in January means you get the herds, but no calves and maybe a few births with I assume smaller crowds. In my case, I went in March and I think I got the best deal. Ndutu was slightly busy for my taste but never excessively, and at the same time as the births had already occurred there were an incredible number of calves running around with the herds. I do think that combining Ndutu with Kusini was the right choice. You never know where the herds are going to move the following day and spreading out your stay over a bigger area is good insurance. The landscape is also quite different among the two and I felt they combined very well together. 

Edited April 4 by ricmiles

[ricmiles]

@AtravelynnFollowing this trip I definitely understand where you are coming from. Is there any other safari you feel compares to it in your personal opinion? 

[ricmiles]

@pscrimshaw This is mad! Love your photos and I do remember at least a couple of times when the behaviour around those cubs was appalling. Actually, that is what often pushed me towards the open plains (Along my passion for cheetahs). Were you on one of the two vehicles that said hi to Andrew by any chance? 

[ricmiles]

Day 5:

 

The plan was to look for a particular lion pride Festus had been seeing regularly with 3 very small cubs during the last two weeks. We drove for an hour or so and we reached the location, finding a big male exactly where Festus was expecting to. In the distance we spotted a female lioness, we drove towards her and noticed the grass moving behind her and we figured those must be the 3 cubs. It can be a pleasure to be wrong sometimes, as one by one four different cubs popped out. Festus was quite surprised and concluded this had to be another lioness with a new litter. I don’t remember ever seeing cubs this small. 

 

 

 

[ricmiles]

We followed them until they found some cover in thick bush and went back to the male: 

 

 

After some time with the king we were called by another vehicle from the camp that found two cheetah brothers very close to where we were at and we decided to join (Can I ever say not to cheetahs?)

 

 

I was hoping for some action, but they quickly found cover in the grass and didn’t look like they were going to come out anytime soon. We headed back to camp. 

 

 

[ricmiles]

Our plan for the afternoon drive was quite simple. We headed back to the same area hoping for some action from the cheetah brothers and hopefully some movement from the 4 little cubs. We got neither. However, we found the other lioness with the 3 cubs we were looking for originally in the morning. They looked just slightly older.

 

 

We basically spent the entirety of the day observing two different litters. Both in complete privacy for the whole time. Very special moments we were gifted here. 

Edited April 4 by ricmiles

[ice]

The lionesses you found with the cubs are part of the Masek Pride and the five males are the fathers of the cubs. The two cheetah brothers in turn live around an area called Two Trees and have been in the NCA for appr. 6 months. Back when we first saw them in December, they were still roaming on Makao Plains.

Edited April 6 by ice

[ricmiles]

@ice Are you sure? This was in Kusini. Do they really control such a large piece of land? Has to be a 2hr drive between where we saw this one male, the 2 lionesses and 7 cubs and where we saw 4 out of the 5 males in the marsh, with the 2 females and 2 cubs. 

Edited April 6 by ricmiles

[ice]

1 hour ago, ricmiles said:

@iceThis was in Kusini. Do they really control such a large piece of land? Has to be a 2hr drive between where we saw this one male, the 2 lionesses and 7 cubs and where we saw 4 out of the 5 males in the marsh, with the 2 females and 2 cubs. 

 

no, absolutely not, I thought those pictures were still taken around Ndutu. I didn't really follow the rest of your report, sorry.

[ricmiles]

@iceNo worries! That would have been very impressive to say the least.