uMkhuze’s lions settle in their new home
The pride has stayed together since being released from the boma last month.
THE 4 December 2013 was a momentous occasion for the iSimangaliso Wetland Park when four lions were re-introduced to uMkhuze Game Reserve. One month on and, by all accounts, the small pride is settling in well to its new surroundings.
Evident by parallel movements of the lions’ satellite tracking collars, the pride has stayed together since being released from the boma last month.
On their release, the lions headed in a south-westerly direction, something the monitors considered a good sign as it is the opposite direction from Tembe Elephant Park, from where the lions were translocated.
On the same evening the pride made its first kill, a buffalo.
The lions then took up residence in riverine bush along a drainage line in the lee of the Lebombo Mountains where they stayed for a while.
‘Movements over this period indicate that the homing instinct, commonly witnessed in translocated lions post-release, has been broken and the lions are settling well into uMkhuze section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park,’ reported the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority in its Lion Diaries newsflash.
Shortly after Christmas Day, the lions were seen crossing the main tarred road between Mantuma Camp and eNxwala Vista Point.
Subsequently, the pride has explored much of uMkhuze Game Reserve, including the gravel roads south of kuMasinga Hide, in the vicinity of uNyakaza and iNsumo streams, before heading towards iNsumo Pan.
Latest downloaded data reveals them to be due south of the boma – their temporary home after relocation – near the Lebombo Lookout Tower.
This pattern of ‘random’ large movements followed by prolonged residence in an area is fairly typical of translocated lions as they explore their new surroundings and the location of crucial resources including water, shade and vantage points.
At this early stage, it appears the lions of uMkhuze are settling in well and their reported calm behaviour around vehicles is positive from a tourism point of view.
