Lions and their cubs doing well!

Eric tells us how well the two beautiful lionesses Selenkay and Elikan are doing:

Despite the sudden demise of their friend Narika, Selenkay and Elikan have been doing just fine. They must have initially been shocked and surprised at the unexplained absence of their sister but they seem to have settled well into life without her. The good news is, there have been no known livestock kills attributed to them for the last 2 months. They have been following the movement of their prey as they move with their four small cubs. A few eland, zebras and wildebeest are available and they have been making use of this wild prey rather than resorting to the Maasai’s precious livestock. Here is beautiful Elikan:

elikan

The only problem they are facing is the fact that the thicket they inhabit and their watering point are separated by a recently built tarmac road. This poses a big problem for the little cubs that also need to be watered. It’s very dangerous for the cubs to cross the road at night with speeding cars unaware of their presence. This is lovely Selenkay:

selenkay lioness

Lomunyak, their father, has been paying them occasional visits, staying with the females for a day or two before returning to his usual territory, but this lion is yet to be properly understood. Even though we know that he is the male of this pride, he prefers to stay solo, sleeping alone, killing on his own, and only paying occasional visits to his females spread across both Mbirikani and Eselenkei group ranches. Here is Lomunyak with Elikan:

Lomunyak and Elikan

Yesterday, we tracked Selenkay, Elikan and their cubs, wanting to check on their well being. We found them at the thicket they have been for the last week, extremely healthy with bulging stomachs! A little search by our team yielded the reason. They had killed a zebra! The cubs were full of life and enjoying themselves! Here is Selenkay:

selenkay and zebra

The only problem for now is the fact that these lions are staying close to human settlements and are sharing the watering point with livestock that pass by them to and from grazing. It is my sincere hope that the recent peaceful climate that brought the return to normality stands the test of time and these lions continue to seek out the wild prey which seems to be their current preference.

8 Comments

  • Sonja says:

    Wow! Elikan is a good-looking lioness, but Selenkay is just gorgeous! I’m glad to know both lionesses have healthy cubs and are keeping healthy on wild prey.

    I agree Lomunyak is an unorthodox character, but that speaks to the individuality of all animals, doesn’t it? He’s certainly a lion of mystery.

    Let’s hope things stay peaceful and healthy. 🙂

  • Anna M says:

    Beautiful pictures and lionesses, so glad they are safe, as for Lomunyak, he must be a confident character… but one look at him and I guess it must be one very brave lion to try and get near his and the girls territory !

  • Sonja says:

    He certainly looks like a formidable opponent against another lion, but I worry what would happen if he were challenged by a coalition of young bucks! I know coalition tendency varies depending on region–are single-male prides common where Lomunyak lives?

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