Male
and young lioness mating regularly
January 2013. After the younger of the 2 new lioness' was killed in a snare in
June 2012, the second new lioness left the park and headed towards Angola. She
was captured just before she crossed the border, and a decision was taken to
put Lady Liuwa and the young lioness in a holding boma for several weeks; The
decision proved to have been a wise one, and the two lionesses were released in
October having bonded together well.
The
lioness' bonded well, and Lady was quick to establish her dominance over the
young lioness (who in turn has shown appropriate submission) but has been
tolerant, allowing the youngster to share wildebeest carcasses with her. Apart
from a few growls at meal times, there has thankfully been no real
aggression.
Wandering
males leads to a lion death
On an unfortunate note, the two males (Introduced into Liuwa in 2009) wandered north-west out of the park, with satellite tracking of the one collared male showing that he strayed 40 kilometres into Angola before doing a U-turn and hurrying back to the park. The second male did not return to the park and subsequent reports from local communities indicated that he had been killed in Angola after straying close to a village. The coalition of these two magnificent males was a stirring sight on the Liuwa plain and the loss is tragic.
On an unfortunate note, the two males (Introduced into Liuwa in 2009) wandered north-west out of the park, with satellite tracking of the one collared male showing that he strayed 40 kilometres into Angola before doing a U-turn and hurrying back to the park. The second male did not return to the park and subsequent reports from local communities indicated that he had been killed in Angola after straying close to a village. The coalition of these two magnificent males was a stirring sight on the Liuwa plain and the loss is tragic.
Mating
Happier news ensued as the remaining male teamed up with Lady Liuwa and the young lioness, and the three have been co-existing as a unit ever since. The male and young lioness have been seen mating in November and there are hopes for cubs in 2013.
Happier news ensued as the remaining male teamed up with Lady Liuwa and the young lioness, and the three have been co-existing as a unit ever since. The male and young lioness have been seen mating in November and there are hopes for cubs in 2013.
Liuwa
National Park is managed by African Parks. African
Parks is a non-profit organisation that takes total responsibility for the
rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with
governments and local communities. African Parks currently manages seven parks
in six African countries - Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Republic
of Congo, Rwanda and Zambia. The total area under management covers 4.1 million
hectares, an area as large as The Netherlands.
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