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Wonderful sighting J.J.
Thanks for sharing.

Stunning J.J.

To reply to Friedrich's questions above (and I haven't quoted the whole post here), contraception is one of the management tools we use, in conjuncton with translocation, to ensure their is a balance in the ecosystems within the Park. We also need to think about the health of each population's genetics which means we do use contraception and translocation for genetic aims too.
We do need to limit the numbers of lions in the main game area (I'm including the Colchester section in this) since lions have an impact on prey species. Spotted hyena also have an impact on prey species and so we monitor their numbers too. So far, we have translocated some hyenas in the past out of the park to control numbers. We have not needed to contracept them yet as their social structure, as well as the effect of the lions on them, has kept their numbers in the acceptable range. Hyenas have a matriarchal society and if the matriarch is deposed/moved, there is fighting within the ranks to establish a new structure, which can also act to control numbers.
There are 17 spotted hyenas in the main game area presently.
Lions will kill or attack hyenas just as hyenas will kill / attack lions because they are competing species in the ecosystem. It all depends on the relative numbers of each predator at a confrontation as to which species will be the most dominant. It is said that 1 adult lion is equal to 3 adult hyenas in terms of dominance.
We will need to continue to manage the two species with contraception and with translocation in the future.

Morning Megan

Thanks for the interesting reply. It makes a lot of sense, especially the inbreeding part. I am also glad that you have relocated some hyenas to keep their numbers down!
I suppose it has been frustrating not to show my school photo club any lions in the past 2 outings (5 days) to Addo, especially since I remember how (relatively) easy it was when the lions had cubs, since they did not move such large distances at a time, and could be spotted more regularly in certain areas.

Obviously you won't answer for a while, but if you read this one day, I am still curious about the warthogs in Addo -- you culled about 400? during the drought 2 years ago, and I can see the effect in the Main game viewing area. Interestingly, in 3 days we really did not see 1 SMALL piglet in this area, but only a few medium sized ones.
In Matyholweni the opposite was true. On Harvey's loop alone we must have seen 50+ pigs, and 75% of them were teeny piglets! They obviously thrive down there, and maybe the open patches next to the road attract them.
Question: The lions are there, most hyeans hang around Main Camp, and the odd lynx or jackal could catch a piglet. Are there enough predators down there to keep their numbers in check?

Thanks again and God bless,

Friedrich von Horsten

Hello,

we saw this lovely lady on June 5 around 11am on the Vulkani loop. Can someone help me with her name ? Just a bit later at the 37/38 juntion there had been 2 young males with their warthog kill, but they had dragged it off by the time we got there and could no longer be seen. Thanks in advance !

Hi kellyee,
Lovely photos! This looks like Aardlam - she is missing the black tip to her tail. Aardlam is one of the original 6 lions that were translocated here from the Kgalagadi.

Thanks so much for your reply Megan, I thought it might be but I wasn't sure if any of her offspring had the same white tail. We really didn't go expecting to see lions so this was really a great surprise. Thanks again !

After the rain last Saturday, Gina and her boys must have took mud baths. Even their faces was full of mud.



Then one of the boys walk through the wet bushes and appear with a cleaner face...

Man, I love that first shot!

Brilliant, J.J.!!!

But are you sure these are Gina's boys?
They look more like proper adults.

Beautiful pictures.....Im badly missing Addo !!

Where are the lions keeping these days?Have'nt had any lion news for a while now.