Jonathan & Angela Scott’s Blog

We felt very sad that Clawed ended up in this way (killed by herdsmen protecting their livestock) even though it was inevitable that he would almost certainly die a violent death. When I went to see the remains it felt almost sacrilege – there are no dignified burials out on the savanna but none the less……….The size of his skull and his teeth – even what little was left of them – made you realize how much bigger and more powerful a lion is in reality to what you see from a vehicle. I am sure that Clawed would not expect any different – he lived his life with an honesty that has always impressed me about lions (and not just them among the wild creatures) – they do what they do and move on. The threat of violence is an integral part of lion society – as is the exercise of it. But Clawed like Notch was exceptional to have lived so long – and it was a mark of his fortitude and dogged will to live that set him apart. Estimating Notch to be around 12 years of age it will be interesting to see how long he lives. Having the kind of backup he enjoys of 4 strapping companions will surely make a difference – and over and above that he is made of whatever the ‘right stuff’ is that goes in to the genetic pedigree of a alpha male. Long live the King – and salutations to his fallen rival Clawed. Because remember the irony – that it was Clawed, Romeo and their male companion who ousted Notch and killed his companion in 2005 or thereabouts (Pepe can remind of us the facts) – yet Notch lived on with his younger relatives after being ousted from the Marsh Pride and now rules a large swath of the Mara.

4 Muskateers had a battle royal this morning for possession of a male buffalo they killed early in the morning. The buff came back with a vengeance in daylight and cornered one of the males in the Airstrip Lugga – a ten foot deep intermittent water course – and stood over him. But eventually the buff moved on and the lions came back to feast. Earlier we were fascinated to see two rival clans of hyenas squabbling over a dead hippo in the murram pit next to the Governor’s Airstrip – they swam to reach the carcass and swarmed over it in their eagerness to eat. Zawadi moved on from Leopard Gorge some time during the night of 31 Jan. She had moved from the Gorge to try and hunt during the day leaving her daughter – Malaika (meaning Angel in Swahili) – safely back at base. We waited in vain the following morning for the inevitable move that we had been expecting sooner or later. What an amazing time we have enjoyed the past two weeks at the Gorge. Hot as hell these past few days – back to Nairobi tomorrow – then Namibia on the 8th Feb.