A Shared Heritage and Destiny: The Ridge and Marsh Prides
March 4th, 2013
We have been watching the happenings in the Marsh Pride since 1977 courtesy of our own observations and a lot of help from our friends in the guiding community at the various camps and lodges in the northern Mara. Despite annual loses due to conflict with Masai livestock owners the Marsh Pride has managed to remain pretty constant in the way it operates and the extent of its territory that historically extends beyond the Reserve boundary to the north and east. The Mara River forms the western boundary of the pride – though this does not stop pride members from crossing at times – sometimes due to food considerations with pride members trespassing into the Kichwa Tembo (KT) Pride territory to hunt (this does not happen so often) or when pride males from the Marsh Pride are exiled at the time of a takeover by new males – or because they simply want to try and expand their realm of influence and mate with more females. This happens more often in the dry season when the Mara River is at its lowest – and due to more frequent dryer spells this option is there for those who want to risk conflict with the resident lions – or absence of them – in the KT area.
The Marsh traditionally is thought of as the dry season hot spot for the Marsh Pride – somewhere they know will deliver plenty of food when the wildebeest and zebras in residence from June/July to Oct.Nov. While the Bila Shaka Lugga (formerly known as the Miti Mbili (two trees of 1977 – long since fallen) is traditionally the birth place of the Pride – an increasingly dwindling source of cover for lionesses to hide their newborn cubs for the first 8 weeks among the croton thickets and acacia bushes in the drainage line or intermittent watercourse. The Pride tends to avoid the marshy waterlogged areas in the rainy season – particularly the Long Rains of end of March to end of May/June. And this is when they often move out of the Reserve into Masailand and risk the wrath of the herdsmen by taking livestock when times are tough – or when cattle wander unattended in to the Reserve.
The Marsh Pride usually averages around 4 to 6 lionesses and 2 males. There are times when the Pride is doing well and raising lots of cubs that a surplus of females builds up – young adult females who cannot be recruited in to their natal Pride due to there not being sufficient space for more adults and their cubs – when there is not sufficient safe places for more lionesses to breed or to find food year round to feed the Pride. That is when these groups of young 2-3 year old females leave as their own cohort to try and establish themselves in a new territory – or more often try to eek out a living on the edge of their natal range. This is how the small prides along Rhino Ridge originate – either as outcasts from the Marsh Pride – or from the Paradise Pride or sometimes further afield. The lionesses on Rhino Ridge and along Gray’s Lugga to the east are one such group. And if they are successful groups such as these are mated by their own Pride Males – or by Pride Males from adjacent prides. And successful prides push the limits of their territory and try to squeeze their neighbors so as to expand their territory. And one possible reason for successful Prides to do this is to allow for dispersal of their females offspring – better that your neighbours are former ‘friends/relatives’ kind of theory so as to lessen the degree of hostility. The ownership and defense of lion territories from the females point of view is a life long – long running – battle – and is all about strength in numbers. If there is a scrap you want back up from as many friends as possible.
Right now the Marsh Pride are doing well – 11 cubs at last count (We will be at Governors end of this month) with Bibi both the oldest and newest mother. But when I was there in early Feb one of the group of younger females on the periphery of the Marsh looked very pregnant so she may soon have cubs – or maybe has them hidden away by now. Having 4 adult males with the Marsh Pride for any length of time is unusual. It happens at times that bands of nomads – sometimes up to 9 of them we have recorded in the past – come through the area, hang around for a while and then usually a coalition of adult 2 or 3 males of 4-5 years old takes over from the resident Pride males who have become weakened by age or loses – as happened with Notch and then Clawed and Romeo. But for a pride of 4 -6 lionesses such as the Marsh Pride having 4 males just simply does not usually last – they would normally quite soon split in to 2 and 2 once they had established themselves in an area and mated with females. The Marsh and Bila Shaka are seasonal in their food supply – so it has never been a pride of 30-40 lions such as you used to get in the Talek area and perhaps still do around Keekorok – areas with a greater density of year round resident prey and which may have up to a dozen lionesses – sometimes more – and who specialise in killing buffalo.
The fact that our 4 Musketeers – the 4 Marsh Pride males – mated with both the Marsh Pride and the Pride’s younger female relatives who formed the Ridge Pride and Gray’s Lugga Pride (same thing?? for a while at least) – but then regrouped most recently with the Marsh Pride as their primary focus left the Ridge Pride dangerously exposed at times to new males coming through and attacking their cubs – cubs sired by the 4 Muskateers. That is what happened in early February when I was in the Mara and witnessed the Ridge Pride females kill a cow buffalo – and then as they feasted found themselves bushwacked – attacked – by three young nomadic males intent on stealing the Ridge Pride females kill – and attacking their cubs.
More shortly on that disaster!
18 comments on “A Shared Heritage and Destiny: The Ridge and Marsh Prides”
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Great report Jonathan, just this week-end I have been drawing a very detalled map of the northern and western Mara – from the Isuria Escarpment in the West, to the Natiakitiak and Olare Orok rivers in the east; from the Mara – Olkeju Ronkai confluence in the South, to Leopard Gorge in the North, my main objetive is to sketch the territories of the main pides: Kichwa Tembo, Mgoro and Serena (aka Benjamin’s Lugga Pride) on the Triangle, close to the Mara River, from the Sabaringo Lugga to the Oseyia Hills and the Benjamin’s Lugga; Marsh (aka Bila Shaka), Paradise, Naiwashi (aka Rekero) and Ronkai on the oposite side of the Mara River, from Musiara Marsh to the Burrungat Plains; Naiboirsoit (aka Topi Plains Pride) and Ol Kiombo on the Talek-Olare Orok-Ntiakitiak fork inside the reserve; Gorge (aka Acacia) and Olare Orok (aka Lion Hill) on the southern hall of Mara North Conservancy. And just there, on Rhino Ridge, there four females, the Breakaway Sisters, called Spring, Winter, Autumn and Summer by the Mara Lion Project team, the lionesses that left the Marsh Pride on 2010 with old Lispy.
Waiting anxiously the second part of the story.
Pepe Puy
In the last Annual Report of the Mara Lion Project Sara Blackburn and the team reported around 130 adult and subadult lions living in the 881 square kilometers of the northern conservancies (Olchorro Oirowa, Lemek, Mara North, Motogori, Olare Orok, Naboisho and Ol Kinyei). There are at least 12 prides: Saruni, Lemek, Aitong (aka Kicheche), Mara River, Gorge, Olare Orok, Enkoyeni, Moniko, Motogori, Enesikiria, Enolerai and Ol Seki. The Marsh and Naiboirsoit prides use too the área from time to time, but are not included in the count.
Pepe Puy
I’ve read that there are now enough resident buffalo in the Marsh’s territory for them to succeed as buffalo hunters. Their pride males excell at this and the Breakaway girls are already taking them. So perhaps the pride may find the 3-4 yr olds useful if they take up that occupation. And a pride with that many lionesses may well keep 4 males faithful. If the young ones move away, they are likely to split the males or take them altogether, as all of the core Marsh females have offspring now. These are young males just finding their strength. And a coalition of four can choose as long as it stays out of the south.
I can hardly wait to hear the outcome of that lion conflict, but I also fear to read it!. It is always hard to come to terms with the natural role of infanticide in lion society.They live in a harsh world, but then so do we, only we don’t always realize…
In august 2012 we saw one of the 4 Musketeers mating with a marsh lioness (that is the honeymooning lion couple that appears in the “Sabertooth” video form the previous post!), I wonder if that mating has resulted in any cubs…
Thanks for this exciting chronicle Jonathan and Angie!
Hi everyone,
Great reading above….thanks to everyone. I’m always so glad to read a name I’m familiar with…..Bibi. I’m wondering what has happened to Snap, Crackle and Pop….although I know one of them lost their life to a lion. I’ve not read anything about them in a long time. I don’t like infanticide either, but, it happens. I’m just glad I’m not there to witness it.
Pleasant day/evening everyone,
Kris
Always enjoy your informative and very interesting reports.
The legacy of Big Cat Diary/Week lives on.
Do you think the BBC would ever fund a renewal of the series?
If not, I would support a independent grassroots funding move to try to get it back on the air, just let me know where to send the check.
Dom
I enjoyed Reading this report. Getting an update on the Marsh Pride lions is almost as good as watching Big Cat Diary (almost!)
Dom, great idea about getting BCD back on the air. Count me in as a supporter of the movement!
Sue
About bringing BCD back on the air: as you know, in a few months we will be launching a crowdfunding initiative in order to be able to complete the Sabertooth film. I think that this will also be an interesting experiment regarding the possibility of funding other projects with the help of fan contribution. The amount of succes that crowdfunding platforms like “Kickstarter” are getting is a sign that people out there are ready to support projects that they like, rather than just waiting for the big corporations to make all the decisions for us. A crowdfunded BCD would be quite a thing! But I think it would be helpful to give it an original twist or two while keeping all the original excitement! Just thoughts, anyway…
nice updates , where is Joy ?
Hi everyone,
Mauricio,
Thanks for your thoughts on the funding subject , a crowdfunded BCD would indeed be quite the thing.
Keep us informed about your funding initiatives for the upcoming “Sabertooth” project.
I am glad to support causes or projects that I believe in.
Or as we say on this side of the pond, I put my money where my mouth is.
take care
Dom
Hahahaha! That is a good saying, Dom! To put one’s money where one’s mouth is… that is something we should all do, I for one must confess myself guilty of not always doing it!
Cheers,
Mauricio.
Mauricio,
In a earlier thread you mentioned that you lost you beloved Kali, after 14 years.
Sorry to hear this, I understand when you say you haven’t got another cat. It’s like losing a family member who is irreplacable.
Since last Thanksgiving, I have lost 3 or my indoor cats to medical conditions.
My Queen, Jasmine, a Calico was a 1 and a half old stray that I adopted in early 2003. For two weeks before she let me catch her she would come to my front window and look up at me then run off when I went outside. With food and coaxing she finally let me pick her up. Found out when I took her to the vet she had already been spayed. So she was either abandoned or lost when she turned up at my front window looking for her former home.
Early in 2012, she almost died from a massive infection, which I nursed her back to health from. She was doing fine until the day before Thanksgiving, when I woke up and found her back legs paralysed. She was struggling to get up. I picked her up and tried to get her to the Vet to see if she could be saved. She died when I was holding her in the Vet’s office.
It seems multiple boodclots, first paralysed her. Then she developed a pulmonary embolism from a clot to the blood supply to the lungs.
The next day on Thanksgiving. I was with my human family physically but my mind was on Jasmine.
Forgive the ramblings,
but my point here is that thinking about Jasmine, {Patches and Scampi, the other two cats that also died} the only comfort was knowing that when they needed my help, I took care of them. I also know that there are other cats, dogs etc that need good homes.
You would be suprised how big your heart can get when you give unselfishly to help others. I’m sure you know.
Since Jan, I have adopted two kittens, Toto, a 6 month old male being one and Scamp, who I named after Scampi, a 7 year old female who died from a heart condition Jan 3 of this year.
Scamp, a 7 month old male looks a lot like Scampi as a kitten, so I don’t think Scampi would mind me using a form of her name.
I’m always reminded of spirit of Tamu, who after losing a cub she tried to save from that Rogue male, realized she had to do everything she could to find and save the rest of her family.
Where there’s hope, there is life.
Dom
Thnak you Dom for sharing the moving stroy of your pet cats. Sharing our life with these animals is a very special thing. When I lived with my parents we had many pets but few of them ended their days with us, so when as an adult I got Kali (a friend gave her to me when she was a kitten) I made myself a promise never to abandon her. And as you say, I find comfort in the thought that she always had me. We experience these animals and we learn to love them, it is just another manifestation of love, as real as the one we feel for our human families and friends.
I find it very important how Jonathan has also shown us the big cats of Africa as individuals. Scientists are often afraid of the dangers of “antropomorphising” the animals, but I think that lack of empathy is a more real danger.
Take care,
Mauricio.
Hi everyone!
Okidoki Dom, that’s a good idea about helping to fund putting Big Cat Diary BACK on tv. I wish I was a Rockefeller, for I’d gladly donate a couple million dollars for that. Since I’m not, I’d certainly do what I could presently to help in such a worthy, and wonderful effort…..Jonathan, any thoughts!!??
Dom, you sound like me with your kitties. Nora, my oldest female calico, I think had a blood clot but she expired by the time my sister and I got her up to the vet….which fortunately is up the street a few blocks, but it was afterhours on a Sunday. I’d take in more, but have to watch the checkbook (smile). As I’m typing this, Adele (aka Deli-belle) is lying beside the keyboard watching my fingers race! Hahahahha
Tamu was/is wonderful. When she went after that lion who attacked her cubs, Simon nearly jumped out of his skin! It’s hard NOT to do anything to help……but I understand what Jonathan, Simon and Saba mean when they say, “can’t interfere”.
Pleasant day/evening everyone,
Kris
The Breakaway females have 7 cubs right now. All are fine after the attack from the 3 nomad males (there were actually 5 nomad males, but 2 were younger and stayed back). The girls put up quite the fight and the boys wanted nothing to do with their fury once they got their meal.
The main Marsh Pride has 11 cubs from 5 of the 8 adult females. There are still 3 adults (all part of the 5 girls that are just about 3 1/2 years old now) who do not have cubs yet.
Joy is still off on her own. She has mated with all 4 of the Musketeers, but hasn’t rejoined the pride yet. She has spent most of her time right near the marsh / Bila Shaka area.
LadyKitty, two of the three Honey’s Boys (Snap, Crackle, and Pop) are regularly reported on by Great Plains Conservations and their Mara Plains Camp.
Great report , 24 lions including Joy with adult lionesses from three generations is a wonderful clue of the amazing success of the age set of Bibi. At least three of the five Marsh Girls were daughters of White Eye, perhaps even four, the other one, the youngest, is Charm’s daughter. Really the success of White Eye, Red, Bibi and Lispy as mothers is alluring: three cohorts of their daughters live right now around the Marsh Pride territory, the three Graces (Charm’s, Beauty and Joy), the four Breakaway Sisters and four of the Marsh Girls, and two cohorts of their sons have lorded over the years a good number of the northern Mara prides; the four Notch’s Boys (Paradise, Serena, Mgoro, Naiwashi, Ol Kiombo, Ronkai and Maji ya Fisi) and the four brothers of the Breakaway Sisters (Kichwa Tembo). So the blood of White Eye, Red, Bibi and Lispy is well spread all over the northern Mara.
The two Honey’s Boys as you said are still amazing male cheetahs, surly they are the fathers of the two Narasha cubs.
Pepe Puy
Yeah, we saw and filmed the 2 remaining Honey’s Boys last August and they looked just fine, but there was another coalition of 3 male cheetahs in the area and they seemed to be “in command”, they tried to snatch a zebra foal from under the nose of its mother and then they dispatched a group of hyenas that came attracted by all the action. A really impressive trio – but one without a nickname as far as I know!
This trio you speak about Mauricio has to be the Naboisho Boys, sons of a female that used to roam through Naboisho Conservancy and was killed by lions a couple of years ago. Their territory was and is to the east of the Honey’s Boys realm. They are still young males, but with a bright future.
Pepe Puy