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Since the Addo Lions have attracted so much attention on this forums, we've decided to post our official identification photos of the lions. This will aid those of you who like to identify the particular lions that you may be lucky enough to see on your visit.

I'll also give regular updates of what's happening in the Addo lion world, from information given by our predator researcher, guides and visitors.

The family tree looks like this at the moment:



Researchers use the whisker spots on the sides of the nose to identify lions. These are the spots (without whiskers) above the line of whiskers. These are fairly difficult to use for identification unless you know what you are looking for, have a good view and/or powerful binoculars/lense.

This is Kamkwa, the oldest female in the Park. She has many scars on her face and her collar's box is whitish:





This is Gina, Kamkwa's daughter. She has a V-shaped notch at the top of her right ear and a few small whsiker spots on the right side of nose heading up towards the eye:





Matt and Amla are now in Kuzuko Contractual area in the north of the Park so would only be seen by visitors staying at Kuzuko Lodge.

This is Ardlam. She has a white tip to her tail:




Ardlam has a male and female cub (as yet unnamed) which are about one year old.


This Nossob who has 4 whisker spots on the left side of his nose:




This is Bitterbal, who has a thin scar under his right eye parallel to his nose. It ends in a spot scar:




This is Tsama. He has a thick scar across the left side of his nose:




Kalahari has the blondest mane (but you could only see this by comparison) and has 4 small spot scars in a square pattern on the right side of his nose:




Kalahari was seen mating with Gina (and keeping Tsama away from her) during the first week of February.

Thanks Megan for this informative insert . Glad you could use the photo of Adlam's cubs I have a few more that I took that day, so let me know if you want to have a look at it. I have one of the male in the road. He has quite a big scar over his rear section of his body.

printing this out and keep it in my camera bag.

Yes, any clear ID photos of the cubs or other lions are welcome for our records. Apologies about not crediting the cubs picture to you - I knew that someone from the fourm had taken the photo but couldn't remember who!

Fascinating, Megan! Thank you so much.

Apology not needed Megan ... Here is the one of the young male

Thanks Megan, much appreciated!

Is there by chance a map or graphic that outlines their respective territories?

let me do a bit of investigation...

I havent seen Ardlam and her cubs (Now big) for months ...also the junior coalition has been giving me the run around as well. Thanks for the ID Pics posted Megan and thanks to Gerrit's pics its great to see how big Ardlam's cubs have grown. However 1 or 2 of the pics of the males look a bit dated so as I was in the Park this morning I took a few of the 4 lions I regularly see namely Gina and Kamqua and the Senior male coalition. The pics are not great but they are good enough for ID al taken this morning

First up was Gina sitting serenely on the side of the road being the true lady she is. If you look carefully you can just see the notch on her ear


Then I noticed Kamqua further up the road which made sense as they are always together

The last time I photographed her she was full of Dung but she was squeaky clean today
Then as it seems to be mating season with the lions at the moment it was no surprise when Bitterbal came out of the bushes and mated with Kamqua. I let them have some privacy as it was right next to me before I took the ID shot of Bitterbal

Then my favorite Addo Lion walked down the road and posed for his ID shot..good old Nossob the Lion who loves the camera!!


I was parked with the lion researcher in our respective vehicles but very soon afterwards the game drive vehicles and an overlander truck and a few rental cars arrived so I left soon afterwards. An hour later when I went home 2 of this foursome could just be seen (If you used your imagination) in the bushes around Marion Barrie waterhole... But these are the up to date pics of 4 of the 9 lions in main Addo

They are not dated pictures, they are recent.

Thank you Megan for all the beautiful lion photographs with the idenification names and markings. It will make our next visit so interesting not only finding the lions, but identifying them. You are a star.!!

Gees, thanks a Mil Megan.

I think Lirritma's idea to print the pics and keep them in the camera bag is a great idea. I'm also gonna do this!

Update on the lions:

Kalahari has been seen mating with Gina again. He has been hanging around with Gina and Kamkwa quite regularly lately. The three of them killed an adult male red hartebeest at the end of the week before last, with Gina making the actual kill before Kamkwa jumped in to help.

Nossob was at Carol's Rest this morning.

Thanks Megan for the update. I AGAIN missed the lions this weekend. I sat at Carols Rest for about two hours yesterday because I heard from the guards at the South gate they were at Ghorah the day before. Also missed the sighting yesterday on the southern road - I searched for them there, but they must have found a spot to stay out of the sun.

Well now I have another reason to come to the park again

Saw a beautiful male lion about two km from the Addo Heights Gate on Friday at about 11.30am. Spent more than an hour there with him- have just returned from 2 weeks in Kruger and never saw anything like him there - a real stunner! Did anyone else on the forum see him - who was he? I have pics, but don't know how to post them. (simple instructions required!)

Ardlam and her cubs were at Carol's Rest last Wed...saw them walking off in the distance towards Gorah Concession. Later from Zuurkop with the Binos I scanned the plains to the right of Carol's Rest and saw a Gorah Cruiser parked next to a clump of bushes 1000 metres from C Rest and saw the lions sitting there...would have missed them at that distance if it was not for the Vehicle. Carol.... the big male around South gate soundslike Nossob as I got a phone call at home that he was there then...PM Dinkybird who will walk you through getting pics on...She's brilliant, very helpful and completely Computer literate Dying to see the pics

Interesting about Kalahari mating again as Bitterbal was mating Kamqua two weeks ago as well...lots of cubs on the way hopefully. After getting Megan's ID pics I realise my sighting in Dec at Hapoor in the rain was in fact Kalahari and Tsama and not the Senior boys...it was just the sheer size of Tsama now that threw me completely but my pics here on my computer clearly show the scar on his nose. Depending on how hard it rains I will be going on Wed or Thurs so will look Carol around Addo Heights again and at Gorah Camp when I drop stuff off