The Lamai Pride

We have been following the adventures of this pride for over a year now. Last year 13 cubs were born to four or five females, which surprised us – so many cubs for one pride at a similar time is unusual. We were very excited and have enjoyed watching the little ones grow up. Another surprise was 11 of the cubs survived the year and are now naughty teenagers strutting around Lamai, their turf, like princes and princesses. Lamai is a veritable paradise for them, with plenty of food all year round and varying terrain, which offers suitable/beneficial hunting grounds. We often watch them from the lodge as they lounge around on rocky outcrops in the distance as they spot suitable delicacies for dinner. At night we hear them calling to each other, which also serves to warn the local hyena clan on the western side of our kopje to stay clear and not to disturb them as they start hunting. It’s quite usual to fall asleep amongst thunderous roars echoing into the night as they wrestle dinner to the ground.

The pride is now around 20 strong and would be more, however a couple of young males and a few females have broken off to form another pride to the south of us. This year we have seen four more newly born cubs and look forward to watching them fit into the family dynamic. It’s a privilege to witness the growth and success of the Lamai pride and we look forward to introducing you to them in the future. See y’all soon.