The Hoaruseb Pride

2004 - 2011

Chronology of observations on the Hoaruseb cubs during 2008

October

24 Oct 2008: Back to the Hoaruseb. After consuming the oryx carcasse the lionesses and cubs returned to the Hoaruseb River, where they met up with the male (Xpl-44). Despite being well fed the lionesses still hunted at every opportunity.

20 - 24 Oct 2008: Return from the Khumib.

21 - 22 Oct 2008: Towards the Khumib– Part 2. The Hoaruseb lionesses hunted amongst the broken hills and gravel plains leading up to the Khumib River. During the night of 21 Oct 2008 as they lay on a high ridge, scanning the area for prey, the lights of Wilderness Safaris Skeleton Coast Camp were visible in the distance. Later that night they killed an adult female oryx in a narrow gulley. Both lionesses walked 17 km back to the Hoaruseb to collect the cubs and then returned to the oryx.

20 Oct 2008: Towards the Khumib. For more than 72 hours the lionesses hunted (day and night) in the lower part of the Hoaruseb River, but had nothing to show for their efforts. They stashed the cubs and ventured north towards the Khumib River. This is a new & significant development; for it is an area that neither they, nor their mother (Xpl-10), have previously explored or utilised. Also see GPS collar - Hoaruseb Pride for latest animation.

18 - 21 Oct 2008: Hoaruseb. The Hoaruseb lionesses and cubs were located at the Clay Castles and behavioural observations continued. The lions are in good condition, but wildlife numbers remain low in the River and Xpl-37 & 38 have to work hard to provide enough food for themselves and the cubs. They are constantly on the lookout for prey and hunt throughout the day.

18 - 20 Oct 2008: Continued behavioural observations. Whilst the cubs are happy and playful, the lionesses are struggling to catch enough prey to feed them all.

9 - 10 Oct 2008: Cape fur seal. The lions reached the coast shortly after midnight, after numerous unsuccessful hunts, and continued moving along the beach in a southerly direction. A remarkable event was observed at 04:00; they spotted a Cape fur seal lying on the sand close to the edge of the water. Xpl-38 fanned out to the left and Xpl-37 stalked towards the seal, hugging the edge of the surf. She rushed up and grabbed it. There was quite a commotion (it was difficult to see what was happening in the darkness), but she suddenly let go of the seal and it made for the water. Xpl-38 then rushed into the water and grabbed the seal, but she too backed off suddenly. The seal must have bitten her during their skirmish in the surf (1 – 2 feet of water) because she had bleeding wounds (albeit superficial) on her leg and torso. Both lionesses walked up and down that section of the beach for a while, looking for the seal.

Remarkable co-operative hunting. The two Hoaruseb lionesses hunted actively in the dunes to the north and south of the Hoaruseb River and a number of hunts on springbok and oryx were observed. The Flash animation (below) gives an accurate reconstruction of a hunt on a small group of oryx in the Hoaruseb River. The stalking roles and co-ordinated movements of the two lionesses are represented by the red dots. The duration of the hunt was 42 minutes and the distance covered by Xpl-37 (the lioness on the right wing) was 3.2 km.

If you click on any of the yellow numbers (below) you can view a photo taken at that point.

8 Oct 2008: Hoaruseb cubs. During the past three months (up until this evening) the Hoaruseb cubs have been observed for 1012 hours. Apart from the ecological and behavioural data collected, the time also served as an investment towards future tourism in the Hoaruseb River. Unlike most other lions in the Desert population, which are weary and shy away from vehicles, these cubs are essentially growing up alongside the research vehicle. They are learning to accept and trust vehicles, which will be of great benefit to the tourism ventures in the Hoaruseb area. Move your mouse over the photo to see the cubs play.

8 Oct 2008: Sand dunes. On several occasions (mostly at night) the Hoaruseb lions were observed climbing to the top of a sand dune (estimated 200 feet), walking along the crest of the dune, and then sliding down the slip-face. The cubs, in particular, appeared the have a lot of fun and played on thedunes for hours. Can you spot the lion on the dune (photo far right)? Move your mouse over the photo to see if you were right.

2 - 8 Oct 2008: Images of the cubs playing in the dunes. > Surprise revealed - move your mouse over each photo<

7 Oct 2008: Rock lions. During the early-morning hours on 6 Oct 2008 the Hoaruseb lions moved south, following a small tributary to the Hoaruseb, that meanders through spectacular terrain with huge sand dunes, interlaced with uniquely eroded granite outcrops.

5 -6 Oct 2008: Desert lions. The Hoaruseb lions have continued searching for prey in the lower part of the Hoaruseb River (between 3 and 8 km from the coast). They are moving in extreme habitats (not normally associated with lions) like sand dunes, granite boulders, and over sheer cliffs. More detail and photos will follow – if I can keep up with them.

3 Oct 2008: Lions kill brown hyaena. The Hoaruseb lionesses stashed their cubs in a reed thicket and went hunting. When they returned, a few hours later, a brown hyaena was prowling around the thicket. The lionesses stalked towards the hyaena and after a short chase caught it. The male lion (Xpl-44) ran up and killed the hyaena. From the tracks it looked like there had been an interaction between the hyaena and the cubs, but all three cubs were still alive. The stripes on the forelegs of brown hyaenas are like fingerprints - each individual is different. The hyaena was a female, between 3 and 4years old, and belonged to the Hoaruseb Mouth Clan. I have seen and photographed her on several occasions during the past 2 years.

2 -4 Oct 2008: Hoaruseb lionesses heading for the sea. On return from monitoring the central and southern ephemeral rivers, the Hoaruseb females and their cubs were deep inside the Skeleton Coast Park and heading for the coast. They hunted actively and killed an ostrich shortly after midnight on the 3rd Oct 2008. The male (Xpl-44) joined them at 23h00 on the 4th Oct 2008, and they appeared to be moving westwards.