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South African Lion
Panthera leo krugeri
-25.4944, 31.5094
Field Notes
Description:
It is something religious about spotting a Lion in the wild. This fully grown male was defending his woman that was lying down in the grass. (A keen eye can see her ear in photo 4) Dry season gives the lion a perfect camouflage since their colour blend perfectly with the dry surroundings.
Lions can live for 10–15 years in the wild, but males seldom live longer than 10 years, as injuries sustained from continual fighting with rival males greatly reduce their longevity.
This is my 100th spotting and my Noah journey has been much more giving than I expected in the first place. What a great and wonderful bunch of dedicated and enthusiastic ppl that gets together here! Thank you for all the kind words, all ID suggestions and your interest in my photos, even if I have a very simple camera! It is a great feeling to be a member in the PN-team! But after all, it is the nature that counts!
Habitat:
Spotted at open savanna/grassland close to Malelane gate in Kruger National Park. Biome map: http://birding.krugerpark.co.za/best-bir...
Notes:
About 80% of the 1600 lions that habitats Kruger National Park suffer from TB diceace. BovineTuberculosis, was probably introduced to South Africa through domestic cattle brought in by European settlers at the end of the 18th century.
Dewald Keet, the chief veterinarian at Kruger National Park, does worry. He said that bovine tuberculosis is an ever-increasing threat to Kruger lions. But because TB is increasing at a slow rate, people may have the mistaken impression that it has stabilized.
"Nothing is being done to control the disease except research," he said. According to Keet, the prevalence of the disease in lions in the southern half of the park varies between 48 percent and 78 percent.
He explained that lions first contracted the disease when eating infected buffalo carcasses, and the southern region of the park is where TB prevalence is highest in African buffalo. Lions in Kruger are also infecting each other through biting and aerosol transmission, Keet said.
About 25 lions die of TB every year in Kruger, but even more important is the effect of the disease on lion social behavior. Males are weakened by the chronic disease, and this, Keet said, leads to "faster territorial male turnover and consequent infanticide, eviction of entire prides, and a decrease in average longevity." (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/09/0930_050930_lions_tb.ht…)
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