2011-09-18 – Masai Mara

A very interesting situation developed this morning in the Musiara Marsh. I had reported in previous posts that the coalition of male Lions made of the old male Notch and his five sons has been slowly expanding his control on most of the Northwestern Mara, with the exception of the Musiara Marsh. Today we thought that this might change, as we found one of the males deep in the heart of the Marsh pride of Lions, attempting to mate with one of the oldest females in the pride, White Eye. A young female also joined her as they crept closer and closer to the intruding male with a threatening attitude. At one point the young female took the initiative and went to try to slap the male. He didn’t react, but White Eye immediately rushed in with all her power and aggressiveness to defend the young member of the pride. The very interesting aspect of the situation is that this male and his brother were actually born here in the Musiara Marsh in 2005, from White Eye and the other three old females of the pride, Red, Bibi and Lispy. The trio retreated to the shade to rest until the afternoon. The two Marsh males, Romeo and Clawed, were with the other females not far away, probably unaware of the presence of this intruding male.