It was the infamous Shobele male that took everyone by surprise again this month as he suddenly made an appearance. He is looking a bit frail and he has lost a lot of body weight during the last few weeks. Sadly this magnificent animal, once one of the most powerful coalitions ever to roam Timbavati, has reached the end of his career. His dominance holds the record of more that 8 years with his brothers. His day-to-day movements have become a guessing game as he disappears for days on end with no signs of him at all.
One day he surprised everyone when he was discovered feeding on a dead buffalo that he stole from a new coalition of 3 males. The young coalition of 3 males pirated the carcass from the Shobele 5 sub-adults, which the Shobele youngsters found first. Fortunately the Shobele youngsters had had time to feed before they were chased off the carcass by the young 3 male lions. The young team of 3 then fed for a few hours before the Shobele male arrived. This is where it gets interesting. Everyone thought that the young coalition would certainly chase or even kill the Shobele male. Well, it certainly did not happen. The guides watched the stand off on the first evening. The 3 young males remained passive and submissive at every single movement the Shobele male made watching him intently. At one stage, one of the 3 young males threatened him with low growl but this attempt was not even noticed by the larger Shobele male. As old as he is, he still is deeply respected by other young male lions. The Shobele male ate for an hour and slept next to the carcass preventing the young males from feeding for a day. This old man is still as intimidating as he was several years ago, a true legend.
These Sightings have been Viewed at Kings Camp
