Mapogo vs Majingilane - June 8th 2010

This post is a collection of the accounts of people who witnessed the battles between the Mapogo and Majingilane males on 8 June 2010, as well as the reports of rangers from the neighboring game reserves. Part 2 happened in northwestern Sabi Sands on the 9th of July 2010: https://bit.ly/2NHNkQC

The End of an Era
By Peter Rundle, Nkorho Bush Lodge

07 June 2010

Our evening game drive ends off north of Nkorho open area sitting with four of the five young male lions, estimated to be roughly 5 - 6 years old. The fifth allegedly still on a buffalo kill north of our cutline, that the young coalition had brought down two evenings prior. Up to this point we had only seen this pride a handful of times and usually only fleetingly. There was something this evening that was different to our previous encounters with the young males. It was almost as if a growing confidence could be sensed amongst the coalition. The events that would follow in the wee hours of the following morning signalled a possible shift in power amongst the lions of the northern Sabi Sands.

At roughly 02h30 on 08 June 2010 the five young lions, for the first time, fully vocalised. Thunderous roars sounded across the open grasslands of the farm Nkorho. By morning and our departure for game drive, all was still. Only their tracks telling their story of a night full of activity, as they had virtually covered every square inch of Nkorho. Due to the presence of so many tracks heading off in so many different directions, we were unable to relocate on the five males. Instead, assuming they had crossed out of our traverse, we started to head in a westerly direction to try and assist on the relocation of two large male lions whose tracks had been picked up many kilometres west of our farm.

The rangers were sure that the tracks they had were for two larger males which could only mean our two Mapogos had come north. As time went by it became more and more apparent that the sudden arrival of the Mapogos was most certainly in answer to the roars of the four younger males earlier that morning; as their tracks showed that the two lions had steadily made their way in an easterly direction headed straight towards Nkorho, and the possible location of the young coalition.

The call came in on the radio that Kinky Tail and Mr T had just been detected and were heading in a north easterly direction across the north western edge of Nkorho open area hot on the heels of two young male lions. Unfortunately, shortly after their detection they crossed our northern cutline and moved out of sight. In the hours that followed partial sightings of the two big males were had as they zigzagged in and out of Nkorho up into a farm by the name of Torchwood then in a southerly direction back and forth between the Kruger National Park and ourselves. Suddenly, as if signalled by something too slight for human senses, the two dominant males cut back into Nkorho in a south westerly direction. The pace increased and there concentration levels peaked. The rigidity of their bodies showed that they had become incredibly focused. Their rate of movement made it impossible for the vehicle tailing them to stick with them as they entered a thick pocket of bush. The vehicle went around to a road running parallel to the one from which the lions had entered the block in the hope of re-establishing contact with the two big males on their exit from the very thick bush. The vehicle had not gone far when it spotted one of what it thought to be the two dominant males.

It was only on approach, and due to the fact that Kinky Tail and Mr T suddenly popped out of the bush to the north of our position, that we realised the male lion lying tucked flat in the tall grass was one of the five younger males - perhaps the one lingering behind due to his late departure from the buffalo kill. At this point Kinky Tail and Mr T had not spotted the younger male but were definitely aware of his presence. Perhaps an earlier contact call, or the detection of the younger male's scent, had brought them within mere metres of the young rival.

Kinky Tail and Mr T made their way onto the road and steadily in a southerly direction. Suddenly the two came to a standstill, sniffed the air and Kinky Tail slowly turned his gaze in the direction of the younger male. The air froze ... silence before the storm. In an explosion of power the two dominant males were out of the blocks and on top of the younger male. The few minutes that followed felt like a lifetime.

The brutality of the encounter overpowered the senses. Thunderous roars and growls not enough to drown out the sound of breaking bone. Although the younger lion gave his all he never stood a chance. By the end of the battle both parties were clearly exhausted, panting profusely.

Kinky Tail and Mr T lay down mere metres from the now disabled younger male as if to catch their breath. Now for the first time the damage caused by this encounter became apparent. It appeared as if the bones which we had clearly heard breaking were both hind legs of the younger male and from his posture, while trying to sit it seemed as if the pelvis was shattered. Massive lacerations and deep puncture wounds across his flanks and abdomen. The presence of blood streaming from his head and neck indicated massive injuries hidden by his not yet fully developed mane.

Kinky Tail and Mr T, although victorious, did not escape unscathed. Puncture wounds on Kinky Tail's left front paw appeared massive roughly the width of an average human beings thumb and who knows quite how deep. He also carried a massive laceration above the left eye. Mr T also sustained reasonable amounts of damage to both front paws and his flanks. The encounter leaving him with a bloodied nose. Upon catching their breath the two Mapogos rose to their feet and approached the younger male, scent marking vigorously and roaring ferociously as if to enforce their dominance on him and the region. Two more brief spats developed in the following hours, but no real contact was made. The job had been done and there was no reward in risking further injury. The two lions spent the remainder of the day lying in the shade while the younger male, now immobilised, faced the fury of the direct African sun.

By early evening infection of the young male's wounds had become apparent by the amount of swelling on his hind quarters. As darkness fell we sat in anticipation for what we all assumed would be a really vocal sighting of the two dominant males. But there was little activity from the two as they hobbled around scent marking, then lay close to each other tending one another's wounds. The roars never came. Instead an uneasy silence gripped the bush around us as if the Mapogos were listening for something. Perhaps the four young males that now remained had not left the area as we had presumed and now that Kinky tail and Mr T carried wounds they would return. This moment never came and eventually, we hesitantly started returning for dinner leaving the two Mapogos draped in darkness and all we could do was wonder.

On approaching the lodge we spotted a shape way ahead on the road eyes reflecting like mirrors. Closer inspection instantly answered all questions, with one young male lying on the road the other three in the longer grass not far away. Could this be happening? Would it happen on Nkorho and would tonight be the night? Now a few hours late returning from drive we had to head for home. We would follow up in the morning, the tracks telling the story of the lions nocturnal activity.

Seated in the boma for dinner the silence was deafening, lost in thought we made our way through starters. Suddenly breaking the silence the four young males roared followed by an instant response from the Mapogos. Spine chilling roars creating a sinking feeling in my stomach, and we flew out of the boma onto the game viewers and round to the front to pick up the guests. As we got onto the open area in front of Nkorho Bush Lodge we got our first visuals. Out of the tree line to the east came Kinky Tail head up short powerful roars announcing his presence with the four young males roaring back in defiance. The following seconds are a blur to me but what I do vividly recall is Kinky Tail increasing his pace until at full speed as if he carried no injuries at all. The four younger males turning and giving way. They flew past the front of our vehicle and down through the drainage line we struggled to keep up at one stage doing easily 60km/ph and being left behind. The lions turned west and ran along the road, the four males ahead and kinky tail right behind. As we dropped through another small drainage line and emerged on the other side, we were down to only three. Two of the younger coalition and Kinky right behind them, suddenly rival lions three and four were back on the road but now behind Kinky tail.

The next few seconds are vague but what is clear is that Kinky Tail ran straight into the two leading lions, which by this time had turned to face him, with such force that he and the lion he hit head on virtually went head over heels. Lion two of the coalition tackled Kinky from behind and shortly there after lions three and four joined the fray. At this point Kinky's growls went from the low thunderous sounds we had become so accustomed to over the years to something higher pitched, something disturbing. He was in pain and I though, "could this really be the end?"

For the next fifteen minutes the four young rivals tactically took Kinky Tail apart, before the arrival of Mr T. Where he had been I am not sure and his arrival was less the heroic, first stumbling through a hole and then approaching the tussle seeming unsure of what was happening as if he expected Kinky tail to be dominating the dispute. It was only once he realised that his brother was the lion losing the confrontation that he suddenly sparked into action immediately removing one of the four young rivals from the rear end of Kinky Tail and rolling him upside down then attacking him savagely. Quite frankly I never thought Mr T had it in him. At this point the possible destruction of one of the younger lions sparked a second into action which ran up to a now separated younger lion and Mr T. The two of them together tackled Mr T and he was now clearly losing the battle, a few seconds later he was free and running for his life with the two young rivals in toe. Off into the distance he ran until out of sight, one young lion in pursuit the other returning to a now doomed Kinky Tail. With the eventual return of the fourth lion there was no mercy for a helpless lamed Kinky Tail, climbing straight back in there as if Kinky Tail was still resisting.

The exact brutality of this encounter could not be captured in words effectively but what I can tell is that by the sound of bones breaking they managed to break three of his four legs, his back in at least two places and there was major structural damage to his head and face. By the collapse of the left side of his face it looked as if they had broken the lower section of the orbital socket and there was a puncture wound in the head about as thick as a grown mans thumb and I'm assuming as deep as the average length of a male lions canine, roughly the length of your thumb. Off in the distance we could hear Mr T roaring. As if signalled the young rivals loosened there grip on a now still Kinky Tail and started moving in the direction of Mr T's roars, signalling their intention with triumphant roars of their own.

We followed for a short while but when they entered a thicker pocket of bush we let them go intending on returning to Kinky tail. Wheeling our way back to the road the sound of the constant roars seemed to be coming closer. As we emerged back on the road the lions were ahead of us making there way back in the direction of Kinky Tail. As we got closer they started to run excitedly towards the downed lion and on arriving at his helpless body tackled him savagely. Kinky Tail still softly growled in defiance, but it was over. Once again in an attempt to avoid all the gory details the following twenty minutes I will only touch on briefly, the just of it being that it took Kinky the above mentioned twenty minutes to die all the time while three of the four were already feeding on his hind quarters, the forth still attacking his head and neck as if in a full on confrontation with a fit opponent, no mercy. Constant urination and vocalisation by the younger lions enforcing their dominance over their downed foe. By the time we left the sighting the young lions had eaten about a third of Kinky Tail and the big lion had taken his last breath. The end of an era. The darkness of night was filled with the constant roar of lions, in the far distance Mr T and closer to home the replies of the four young males.

By morning all that remained was the blood stained earth, flattened grass and tattered remnants of a once magnificent mane. By the tracks left behind the rest carried off by the nocturnal scavengers that had visited the area. Kinky Tail was a lion that will long live in the memories of the rangers of the Sabi Sands. He and the Mapogos arrived with a bang so perhaps its best suited he went out with one. My practical mind understanding the sometimes brutal realities of nature, now for the first time finds it difficult to convince my heavy heart that this is the way it's meant to be. That nature takes its course - something I have explained to my guests on numerous occasions. As time goes by and we adapt to the changes things will return to normal. But like a long lost friend he will be missed."

http://www.nkorho.com/sightings/general/the-end-of-an-era

RIP – Kinky Tail: A dream once… now a nightmare!
By Karin van der Merwe, Nkorho Bush Lodge

Working at Nkorho Bush Lodge for the last 7 years, I am living the dream of millions of people, right over the world! How do you describe living in the bush? …Remote… lonely sometimes… but blessed with so many things you can never find in “ordinary life”. Life is a journey, and living in the bush is like going to a dream destination everyday of your life… maybe not always easy and rosy, but there is always the beauty in something you see, smell or hear, to make up for the difficulties you may experience. Seeing the beauty and wonder of Mother Nature… and on the other side the reality too… the cruel and brutal side of it! So many times I sat thinking by myself… How must it be, seeing male Lions fighting…the power and strength… ? For years I have been wishing to see it one day! This is exactly what I experienced on Tuesday, 8 June 2010! As they say… be careful what you wish sometimes!

I have seen so many great sightings over the years… and also some sad ones. Animals being injured or killed, the sad ending of the life of a big Elephant bull… dying slowly as we could only watch in helplessness… but nothing could prepare me, for what I was about to witness on that specific day!

With great excitement I got the news of Lions walking over our open area early that morning. It was the young males that came into our area recently. They were feeding on a Buffalo kill north of Nkorho the previous day and must have moved onto our property during the night. Hot on their heels were Mr T and Kinky Tail following them to the north away from Nkorho. The message came over the radio about the 2 Mapogo males moving onto Nkorho property again. After spending some time with 2 other vehicles watching them, I was left alone with the Mapogos. They were on a mission, and the words of Greg, a friend and ranger of a neighbouring lodge earlier the morning, went through my mind… “Karin, today we are going to have a war…” They were sniffing, scent marking, walking in circles all the time. They left me guessing and confused from time to time… what are they up to? Losing visual of them and having 2 rangers responding and on their way, I had to try my luck and take another road to try and relocate them. Coming around a bend I suddenly saw a male Lion lying in tall grasses just off the road. My first thought was that it might be one of the Mapogos… seconds later I was proven very wrong! Mr T and Kinky Tail came charging out the bushes in front of me. Then I knew… Greg was spot on… This could only mean trouble! The other male tried to hide by putting his head very low and lay flat … They first ran past my vehicle that was parked a few metres away from the other male, but they came to a sudden halt and turned around. In a flash the young male jumped up and the Mapogos followed him with one thing in mind… to hunt down and destroy… Just as this all started the other vehicles arrived on the scene just in time to see this frightening event unfolding . The battle started with the most terrifying growls and roaring… I could not believe my eyes and ears… the fierce power and fearlessness, the power and will to survive… two against one, but the young male did not give up easily and every now and again he surprised us all by showing his power by fighting back. Unfortunately he was badly injured and could no longer defend himself. Mr T started announcing their triumph by roaring and sending the message over the African Savannah! With bloody faces, new scars and swollen legs and paws their tired bodies needed a rest and they lay down in the shade guarding their victim for the rest of the day…

Just as it got dark, we found the rest of the young coalition lying north of our open area. In stead of 5 Lions, now there were only four. Not sure if they knew exactly what happened to their brother. After watching them for a while, walking down the road we left them as we returned to the lodge… hoping that they move away from the Mapogos, as we really did not want to have another fight… Later on the 4 males started calling… Our greatest fear was about to happen. During dinner time all hell broke loose and they took on one another. Loud roars and growls filled the air… Jumping in the vehicles we followed them and watched the Lions charging over the open area, through the dry riverbed and then chasing down the road. Not far away the 4 males got hold of Kinky Tail … This is where the real war and nightmare started! It was 4 against one, as Mr T was nowhere to be seen… They pinned him down and the fight was getting fierce and gruesome. The sounds of immense power filled the African skies… It cuts like a knife through your body… I was shocked to the bone…how could this be happening?? Suddenly Mr T appeared from the dark, charging into the hot action without any fear, in desperation to try and defend his brother. Proud, powerful and fearless he gave it his everything but they were just too strong and he was hurt. He turned tail and fled to save his own life… the 4 males chasing him down the road for a few hundred metres. Running and roaring he disappeared deep into the darkness…

The 4 males returned then to a badly injured Kinky Tail were they showed him no mercy and finished him off… Sending a message of dominance and power they started roaring, like only the King of the Animal Kingdom can… The roars filling my body with fear, disgust but also respect for this powerful, majestic animal… Roars of triumph and dominance vibrating deep into the night… An era just came to an end… the ruling of the Mapogos, Mr T and Kinky Tail is no more… new blood, new rulers…

Now very uncertain of what the future holds for the Lion population of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve… The life of a legendary Lion came to an end… RIP Kinky Tail. You will be missed… we were so fortunate spending time with you until the last… You died bravely, fighting till the end!

http://www.nkorho.com/sightings/general/kinky-tail-story

A Spectacular Battle

Arathusa Safari Lodge Ranger's Diary, 17 June 2010

Greetings from the very cold African bush.

Despite the unpleasant weather (and having to dress like an Eskimo), safaris in winter time are really and truly a spectacular experience. Game viewing in general has been incredible over the past couple of weeks, but there was one lion sighting in particular that really stood out.

What started out as a really quiet morning, eventually turned into be one of the best drives I’ve ever experienced. We’d heard over the radio that five young male lions were passing through an area in the vicinity of the Kruger National Park boundary, and quite close to another lodge. We were on our way to see if we could spot them when a second update came in, this time saying that the area’s two dominant males (the Mapogos) had been seen in the same area as the young males. We immediately sped up in order to get to where we believed these seven lions could possibly meet up.

One of the five males had somehow been separated from his group, and was lying low to avoid being discovered by the two dominant brothers. When we eventually saw the Mapogos pair, they’d picked up on the youngster’s scent. When they finally spotted him all hell broke loose, and with no escape route in sight things didn’t look good for him. The pair gave chase and tackled him in mid air, but it was only once they tumbled to the ground that things really started looking bad for the young lion. Separated from his pride, he didn’t stand a chance against the older, stronger Mapogo males. After a lot of vicious pawing and biting one of the brothers went for the jugular, while the other attacked his back legs. They broke his back legs and inflicted serious damage to his pelvis as well.

The sound of the fighting, and the roaring that accompanied it, was something to behold. After a while the young male lay helpless, while the Mapogos roared and scent marked all round him as a sign of dominance.

That evening we went back to follow up, as the four younger males had returned to the area to look for their brother. There was a lot of roaring going on between the four youngsters and the two Mapogos. It was only later, once we’d returned to the lodge that we received the very sad news that “Kinky Tail’ – one of the Mapogo brothers – had also been killed. Apparently he’d been cornered by the four youngsters, and consequently gotten into a fight with them that went on for the better part of an hour. Mr. T (his brother) arrived about fifteen minutes in, but by then it was already too late as they’d already ripped “Kinky Tail’ to pieces.

In the end Mr. T managed to escape the posse in one piece. Was he the clever one, or just plain lucky? It makes no difference now, because either way he’s alone. He called for his brother for a couple of days after the fight, but received no reply.

A legend may have been lost, but he’ll never be forgotten!

http://arathusa.co.za/a-spectacular-battle/ 



What Precipitated Kinky Tail's Demise



http://arathusa.co.za/the-mapogo-brothers-take-on-an-intruder/

A Saga For The Ages

By Andrew Bachelor, 12 June 2010

MalaMala Game Reserve Blog

This battle between the Mlowathi males and the 5 young male lions from the Kruger National Park took place over a few days (8 – 11 June). It was a fight for dominance based on revenge, and one that ended (predictably) in bloodshed.

Although the action took place just north of MalaMala, the implications will have far reaching effects. On the night of the 7th the two Mlowathi brothers moved north. At the same time the five young male lions were making their way south after finishing a buffalo kill in the north.

During the early hours of the 8th, the two Mlowathi boys caught up with the five intruders, and started a battle that would last two days. The brothers attacked the Kruger Park lions, who then very quickly took off. The older, darker maned male was caught by the two dominant lions and severely mauled. His leg was broken and spine snapped, and he died from his injuries a short while later. They then roared their dominance out across the frosty morning before finding some shade to rest in.

That evening the rowdy pair was preparing to move west when the four brothers approached them from behind. They had returned to avenge their brother’s death. Caught unawares, the Mlowathi males hightailed it out of the area. But the four young lions proved too fast for them, and before long they’d caught ‘Kinky Tail’ and mauled him to within an inch of his life. They then left him and went after his brother, ‘Mohawk’. He was also caught, but managed to escape before too much harm could be inflicted. He kept running and crossed into MalaMala in the early hours of the 9th.

The four Kruger National Park brothers then returned to where they had left ‘Kinky Tail’, and finished him off. Not satisfied with just killing one of the legendary Mapogo male lions, they then proceeded to eat him too. Although cannibalism is extremely rare among lions, it does happen. Especially in situations where there is a quest for dominance. Once the Kruger brothers had finished feeding on ’Kinky Tail’, they moved south again and crossed into MalaMala on the 9th. During that same afternoon rangers found the remaining Mlowathi male at Mlowathi Dam. He looked fit enough and didn’t appear to have any serious injuries – at least none that could be seen. Having not yet realized what happened to his brother, ‘Mohawk’ roared through the night as he searched for him.

On the 10th he was still in the exact same spot, and continued roaring throughout the day and night, still hoping his brother would hear him. Late in the evening of the 10th, roaring was heard coming from the east in response to each of the remaining Mlowathi brother’s roars. Rangers rushed to find where the roars were coming from, and found three of the younger brothers lying in Ostrich Koppies Road at the junction of Rhino Walk. The fourth brother was spotted in the bush, a little further away. Tensions rose with each passing roar, giving the distinct impression that an all out war might well be imminent.

On the morning of the 11th, the rangers rushed back out to find the two parties and to see what had happened during the night. ‘Mohawk’ was nowhere to be seen, but tracks indicated he had gone north. The four brothers were still lying in the same spot, but had been joined by the lead female of the Styx pride sometime during the night. She was lying off to one side with the most dominant of the four males, and the pair was mating periodically. Just as evening settled in and the three blonde males started to move off, one of them spotted a pangolin and tried in vain to eat it. The male that was mating then began roaring, and soon his three brothers returned and joined in. When rangers left the area all five lions were roaring, and one very nervous pangolin was still rolled in a tight ball.

With the reign of the Mlowathi males coming to such an abrupt end, the lion dynamics have been thrown wide open. For now however, the most pressing concern is the tiny Eyrefield cubs and the new Styx cubs. Only time will tell, but given what’s happened, it doesn’t look good for them.

http://blog.malamala.com/index.php/2010/06/a-saga-for-the-ages/

A Moment of Sadness?

By: Tom Imrie, 10 June 2010

Londolozi Game Reserve Blog

There has been a coup in the Sabi Sands….

If you are one of those avid fans of wildlife that have your finger on the pulse of the big cat comings and goings within the Sabi Sands then you will already know of the recent shift in lion dynamics and the demise of one of the famed Mapogo lions ‘Kinky Tail’.

Good news travels fast but bad news like winter wildfires. The bush telegraph has been buzzing and excitable Rangers and Trackers have been pausing on communal boundary lines to tell the grim tale and make soothsayer like predictions of the roll on effect this might have. You Tube has the film footage, Facebook is a flurry and Twitter…well is twittering.

‘Kinky Tail’ and his famed brother ‘Satan’ are 2 of the notorious coalition of 6 male lions that have roamed the better portion of the SSGR for the last 4 years and monopolised its lionesses and buffalo. Named as Mapogo after a heavy handed security firm in Johannesburg, they have delighted the humans (and probably only the humans) of this wilderness area with their presence. Male lions all come with the territory but this has been a special time for us and we’ve been spoilt with this abundance of power and largesse.

It’s been a long time since all 6 males were together. 4 have made the western sector their home whilst ‘Kinky Tail’ and ‘Satan’ have managed the eastern frontier. Most of the Trackers at Londolozi will tell you that they were over extended, too far from the comfort of numbers and in danger of running into another ‘coalition’ coveting their land and lionesses. As usual their instincts were spot on and the inevitable trouble arrived. The eastern duo have been fighting a running battle with 5 new males from the Kruger who have steadily been advancing into the territory.

A few nights ago ‘Kinky Tail’ and ‘Satan’ cornered and killed one of these usurpers. Undaunted by their loss, the remaining 4 rested up for the day and exacted revenge the following evening by killing and then eating ‘Kinky Tail’. ‘Satan’ apparently arrived late on the scene and received a severe mauling that we are waiting to discover whether or not is fatal. Nevertheless he is on the run and his days are numbered.

The observers of these events have wondered whether the survivor will run back to the apparent safety net of his brothers. It’s unclear however whether or not that coalition is still intact and what sort of welcome he may receive. More than likely he is alone in this battle.

When the dust is settled and these males have worked out the proprietorship of this land, the new landlords will settle into the same destructive course that the Mapogo took. Cubs will be killed and lionesses destroyed in the defence of their litters. New matings will take place and fluffy litters produced. It seems excessive but that is the nature of their existence. Somewhere in the new litters that we will eventually see will be little males carefully being nursed to take up the role of their fathers.

Years from now similar events will take place. The humans will shake their heads and be aghast at the seeming pointlessness of it all. But truthfully, I wonder whether we shouldn’t rather rejoice in being afforded the opportunities to witness firsthand the evolutionary processes at play?

If in the course of reading this you come to the conclusion that the author is not too disturbed by recent event or does not seem overly compassionate you would be mistaken. It’s just that I have watched the coalition destroy the Ximmovanyane Pride and their 7 youngsters as well as eating the Kruger male in 2006 and furthermore dispatching the Tsalala Prides 6 cubs. We have seen the show before and I am guessing the next season has just started

http://blog.londolozi.com/2010/06/10/a-moment-of-sadness/ 

The End Of An Era

By Rob Vamplew (Rob The Ranger Wildlife Videos)

Friday, 16 March 2012

Today saw the end of the reign of the Mapogo coalition as the dominant lions in our area. The four males of the Southern or Selati coalition have reduced the once mighty coalition to a partnership of two old men. This morning a fierce battle took place between the two coalitions, the four young males emerging victorious, fatally wounding the Mapogo Male known variously as Mohawk, Mr.T or SaTan. The two remaining Mapogo fled east all but giving up their territory to the new males. It seems that Mr.T stood his ground as the four younger males approached, giving the two older males a chance to escape, whether this was the intention is debatable but many would like to see it that way, a noble end to perhaps the most notorious anti-hero of the coalition.

It was Mr.T that was known for his aggression towards other lions, and he had a reputation for killing cubs too. Some of his reputation was deserved but mostly he was misunderstood. It is true that he was a killer, but all lions are. The coalition as a whole was responsible for the deaths of many lions in the early years of their takeover but Mr.T seemed to be singled out due to his appearance, his short Mohawk mane and a seemingly broken nose made him look more of a fighter than the others. Over the years his face became a mass of battle scars, but many of those scars were from fighting with other members of the coalition over food and mating rights. For a couple of years the six males split into two groups, one of four and one of two, meeting irregularly in the middle of the territory. Mr.T and his brother Kinky Tail were the two that stayed in the eastern part of the territory and were the first to come across a challenge from new males – the Majingalane coalition. Brutal images of the two Mapogo attacking and fatally wounding an isolated member of the new coalition further enhanced Mr.T’s brutal reputation. Later the same day when the four remaining Majingalanes fought back it was Mr.T that fled leaving his brother to be killed and eaten.

Returning to the west and joining with the four remaining coalition members Mr.T managed to take the coalition into another battle with the Majingalane males, with a disastrous outcome – only four of the five males returned, one with serious injuries and the eastern territory was lost.

During Mr.T’s absence from the west, the other Mapogo males had taken over a new pride – the Ximhungwe pride. A number of cubs had been born into the pride since the takeover but as Mr.T had not been with the other coalition members at the time he did not recognise the cubs as family and instinctively began to wipe them out. This again enhanced his brutal reputation, yet he was only following his instincts in order to ensure that the next generation of the Ximhungwe pride would have the blood of the Mapogo coalition running through their veins, there was no way for him to be sure that the cubs at the time already were of the Mapogo bloodline.

Seemingly content in a smaller portion of their territory the four remaining Mapogo started to build on their dominance of the Ximhungwe pride until one day one of them decided to go for a walk in a north-easterly direction towards their old territory, and never returned.

Down to three, the Mapogo coalition seldom left the western sector of the reserve and Mr.T seemed to settle down in his old age. There was no reason for the Majingalanes to head west, as they were content with their takeover in the east. The three old males seemed to be heading for an easy retirement until the arrival of the four young Southern Males.

At first the new males were wary of the old warriors and were even chased out of the area by them on one occasion. As they became bolder they pushed further west, but still left an unfinished buffalo kill to the vultures and hyenas when they heard the roars of the Mapogos getting closer.

It took a lioness of the Ximhungwe pride to build their confidence, she came into oestrus at a time that the Mapogos were far from the pride on a buffalo kill, hearing the roars of the new males she headed towards them to mate. Finding a female to mate with brought the younger males closer to Mapogo controlled territory and it was not long before there was a confrontation between the two coalitions.

The first confrontation ended with all seven males walking away, but the Mapogo looked like a beaten trio, one had narrowly avoided serious injury and the three took some time to recuperate. The Southern males used the time that the Mapogo were inactive to explore the territory and heal from the minor cuts and scratches they had sustained themselves. Gradually the distance between the two coalitions was reduced and in the early hours of this morning the Southern males laid claim to the west.

The two remaining Mapogo will probably now become nomadic, avoiding the larger coalitions, it is unlikely we will see much of them now.

So it is a sad day as we mourn the passing of a well known lion, yet an exciting day as a new area has begun – The King Is Dead, Long Live The New Kings!

http://rtrwildlifevideos.blogspot.com/2012/03/end-of-era.html

Mapogo coalition –The end of an era: The world famous coalition of 6 males has fallen.

Inyati's Safari Blog

March 31, 2012

These six males are also known as the Eyrefield Males originated from the Eyrefield Pride (also known as the Sparta Pride). After leaving their pride in 2005 they moved deep into the Sabi sand challenging few males taking over their territories. These males began to ruled with an iron fist. In their quest to dominate this area, the Sabi sand Reserve lost approximately 150 lions which included lots of cubs, females and adult males of which many they killed and eaten. They were named Mapogo after a security company that utilizes rather harsh methods in dealing with offenders. Once they had established themselves, the coalition split and two took over the north-eastern sector, whilst the other four settle over the central and Western sector of Sabi Sand game reserve.

They lived many happy years like that, things begun to change dramatically when five new young males moved into eastern corner of the territory where the two( Kinky tail and Mr. T) of Mapogos were occupy. On afternoon June 8th 2010 the two mapogos killed one of the new lion group late known as Majingilane males. And later that night one of the Mapogo, kinky tailed was killed and eaten by the remaining four males of majingelane, in deadly attempt Mr. T failed to rescue his brother and had to run for his life. Upon joining his four brothers in the western sector they set off to face the Majingilane males and that resulted in one male killed and one badly injured. Now they were down to four and few month later one other male disappeared. They trio lived happily in the western sector avoiding majngelane in the eastern sector of the reserve that was until couple of month ago when a group of four males entered mapogo’s territory. The first battle on the morning morning of 23rd February 2012 resulted on a draw; both coalitions eventually moved in different direction, one Mapogo came out severely beaten after an encounter with the 4 Selati males.

The second and last battle that mark the end of mighty Mapogo coalition happen on the morning 16th march 2012, two groups met near our western boundary, Upon confrontation the two Mapogos ran , Mr. T got surrounded brutally and mauled to death. This male was brave warrior; He died as he lived, a true fighter till the end. I fell privileged to have spent over 8 years of my life with these awesome animals. These are magnificent lions that will forever hold a special place in not only my heart, but the hearts of all that set eyes upon them and those that have followed their lives through the eyes of others.

Looking back at the beginning when I first got to know him, Mr. T was never just an ordinary lion, he was full of character, complex and often got completely misunderstood by human race, forgetting that he was a lion being a lion. I will always cherish the time I spent with him and the little I learnt from him about lion world.

The brave elderly lion put up a good fight but eventually the Four Selati males over powers him.

The remaining two Mapogos have run far-east of the reserve and the Selati Males have finally taken over the Mopogo’s territory. 

https://inyatigamelodge.com/2012/03/