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You thought this is in the wrong section of the forum, didn't you??? Well let me explain.......

My name is Nossob, and that's where I used to live. Then one evening I found some lovely meat lying in the desert, unattended and all. I was drawn to it by the sounds of an animal dying, so when I got there and found the animal already dead, I didn't give it a second thought and started feeding.

Then all of a sudden, I heard an exploding sound and got a serious sting in my bum!! I jumped up and swore a few times at this bloody wasp that nailed me. Then I became quite sleepy...

I recall very little after that, except a few bright lights and human voices and car noises, but it is all very vague to me.

I woke up the next morning, and noticed it is decidedly cooler than what I am used to, and the bush is a LOT denser than what I remembered it to be.

I walked around and soon found a friend. His name is Bitterbal. He is from Bitterpan in KTP. I asked him how he got here and he told me a story very similar to my own. He said he asked around and that we are now in a place called Addo. I asked him how he got his name and he told me that he is from Bitterpan but he accidentally killed his own cubs one day, thinking they were someone else's. So the name just stuck for some reason....

So Bitterbal and myself decided to hang out together in this new Addo place. We are now the dominant males around here, and life is pretty good. At first the buffalo were so stupid that they didn't even try to defend each other like they usually do when we chase them. Apparently they haven't seen Lions till we got here.
Unfortunately, they had a strategy meeting, and figured out how other Buffs defend themselves and they have been using that tactic ever since, so we kill less of them now, and more of the other game. There are quite a few warthogs around, so we are getting their numbers down to restore some balance, but we don't only take warthogs, we alternate kills.

The guy that took this photo of me had some yellow ribbon on his car, I was wondering what that was all about. We saw him three times, twice on a night drive when Bitterbal and myself were just sleeping and not in the mood to put up a show, once again on a night drive when I was hunting by myself and the last time when he took this photo. We were lying around a waterhole for the whole day and he was there in the morning and came back later in the afternoon. Him and the woman he was with were very cuddly with each other as if they are on honeymoon or something.

Anyway, so he took this photo when we decided to cross the road and find something to eat because I didn't kill anything the day before. He was quite lucky to get this photo, as he took it as I lay down. I was lying down only for ten seconds and then I got up and disappeared from view.

Anyway, so now you know me and my story. So here is my mugshot. Come visit me anytime ok???

Thank you Loams for posting this absolutely great story!
I just love to read it.And thanx for the pic of this great looking Lion!
(And I have to admit, in the beginning I was a bit confused to read the name of Nossob here in the Frontier Parks section of the Forum )

While beeing in KTP we visited Kamqua Picnic Spot.
In Addo there is a lioness called Kamkwa (we saw her on our Trip to Addo May 2005).

Here is a pic of her:


(Sorry it's not that good,but I took it through the window of the car!)

Now I wonder how Bitterbal does look like.
Does anyone has a pic of him?

Katy

OK, now I'm bragging!! I really didn't expect to see a lion at Addo, but we sure did. I will get the pics posted as soon as I can. The lion we saw, a male was in an open field near Carol's rest,then got up and walked right past our car. Awesome!! He had quite a bad cut under his left eye. We also got some amazing elephant shots.

Sorry, but this is the best pic I have of him. But as promised....
I wonder if Jannie from KTP knows these two.....

BitterBal:

(posting pic on behalf of GavinW):

Nossob:


More pics, including the ellies, here.

Wow, that's a great pic of Nossob. Its amazing how his mane has developed into that full black variety if you compare it to the scraggly mane he had when he arrived in 2003 (of course he was much younger then).

What waterhole was this?

You are right Salva. Nothing comes close to the majesty and confidence a Lion exudes in his prime....

My pic was taken in December (26th I think) at Domkrag. Nossob and him (Bitterbal) was around there the whole day. I took some great video of them hunting Zebra and Warthogs, but they failed miserably.

To see how these young guys have grown up since they arrived in Addo, have a look at this video clip that lam took two years ago. Just a little laddie swotting at flies !

All the lions are still doing well and have grown into magnificent animals as you can see by all the great photos that have been posted.

Nossob and Bitterbal have taken the role of the dominant male coalition, with Nossob being the most dominant of the two, due to his age. They occupy most of the central territory of the main game area of the park. Nossob is also the father of the three cubs, now almost a year old, and is quite a tolerant guy when they feel like playing.

Tsama and Kalahari, being the subordinate male coalition, occupy the periferal territory in the park.

The two lionesses seem to spend time with the males when they feel like it, but otherwise are quite independent.

Lovely video

Now without going so far as to call you a Liar, are you sure that's Bitterbal (or Nossob)?? If I compare the Lion in the video, with the Lion in it's present state, it's hard to imagine they could grow so much in two years??

Happy to be corrected

Ja Loams, I'm not sure either, but I didn't intend to suggest that this was Nossob or Bitterbal but simply how the young males (if my mind serves me correctly they were all quite young) have grown up. Maybe Megan can suggest which oakie we're looking at in the video.

This is "Kalahari" the Blonde Addo Male..Bitterbal and Nossob are Black maned

Sorry PB, you are wrong. The Lion in my pic is Bitterbal, there is absolutely no doubt. We found them (Nossob and Bitterbal) at Domkrag during the night drive and they were identified as thus. They were there the next morning still, and it was confirmed to me by an HR lady on the scene to be Nossob and Bitterbal. That is also where the picture was taken.

Kalahari is a lone male, Nossob and Bitterbal are a coalition. The Lion in my pic was with Nossob. The Lion in your pic is also Nossob I suspect but I cant be sure.