The rise of the potential Kings of the South

Recently a variety of young male lion coalitions have been witnessed at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve. The main reason for their attraction to this area is because this area is vacant, no territorial male or coalition exists after the disappearance of the two Charleston males south over the Sabie River. A relatively large territory left vacant in the southern part of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve with a pride of lions comprising of female lions and a few cubs, pretty much heaven for a young coalition, however competition is high.

The two young Avoca males have been seen daily, moving in deeper and deeper into the heart of the vacant territory, and “any day now they will meet up with the Southern Pride.”

Those words, mentioned too soon. The Avoca males have laid out the ground to their potential territorial take over by terminating an individual or two that stand in their way in their attempt to secure their kingdom.

Male lions that are in the process of developing a territory are known to kill cubs of the previous dominant male/s in that area. By doing this, they remove the genes of these males and it also brings the females into oestrus sooner (so preventing lactation and motherly instincts) to start mating with the new dominant males in that area to allow for their genes to run within their newly proclaimed territory.

It’s all a matter of time until we know the outcome, however, the future looks bright for the young Avoca males in the southern part of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve.

Equipment Used

• Camera – Canon 7D mk ii
• Lens and Focal length – Canon-EF100-400mm f-4.5-5.6 L IS USM at 210mm

Settings used to capture this image

• ISO – 2500
• Aperture – f 5,0
• Shutter – 1/500

Editing used on this image

Mid-morning light can be relatively harsh and quite bright, almost taking away the natural colour of the surroundings, but I see this as a good setting to create a black and white image. To enhance the editing of such image, increasing the ISO, lowering the shutter speed, increasing exposure as well as highlights and increasing black allow for the greatest contrast for a black and white photograph that would have been added to the trash due to that harsh natural lighting.