The Marsh pride- JOY'S story (June 2011)

Joy’s story (June 2011)

While so much has been happening lately with the Marsh pride, there is one individual that stands out as my favourite. That is Joy.

When she had her now sub adult sons in early 2009, she separated herself from the rest of the pride since she was the only with cubs at that time. The main reason was to feed her cubs away from the rest of the pride where competition may not have allowed them to eat enough.

She would always be found on the fringes of the prides home range. As some other cubs were born in her absence, they grew up not seeing her with the rest of the pride, and this was why when she tried coming back in June this year with her now 7 month old cubs, they could not accept her. Her only link to the pride were the 2 males Romeo and clawed (at least one must be the father of the cubs)

I observed her trying to bring her cubs into the pride but none of the other members, except the males would  allow her. I saw her fight a lot with them especially when there was a kill. What was interesting to observe when all this was happening, was that her sub adult male cubs would always come to her aid whenever she had a confrontation with any other pride. The boys have also been assisting her in hunts lately. Towards the end of last month, the boys had left her, obviously to start nomadic life. I saw them once fighting fiercely with hyaenas that wanted to take their kill.

Whne the new males came in to the marsh recently, she has managed to keep her cubs safe. She has now moved further away from the new males and the rest of the pride. Though her cubs may be safe for now, they are still in danger if she encounters any other males outside the marsh territory. she was seen today near double crossing area and that is not far from where notch and gang have been roaming. there are also some nomadic males that transits through the area.

She has also adopted another much younger cubs from another female from the marsh, sienna. She had lost the cub 2 days ago when she moved to her new location, but the rangers yesterday found the cub alone and took it to her and are now united.

NB: the 4 new males are still at eth marsh. While the other 3 are still with Bibi, Scar face this morning was seen with one of white eye’s daughters, with white eye nearby. Clawed and Romeo and the lone female are still on the rocky area of the Ridge, looking a bit better after the rangers fed them 2 days ago.

One of the younsters from the main pride approaches Joy to feed on a wildebeest she killed

Joy runs to fight off the unwanted visitor. she ignored the youngsters' submissive behaviour:

Joy's sub adult son rushes in to mum's rescue and badly fought the intruder

The intruder got a real beating from the two

With the help of her son, they saw the intruder off

Romeo came to investigate  what was happening and the young male obligedly left to avoid confrontation with dad, who may thing he is the trouble maker; but Joy and the young cubs had no problem

The marsh Pride update- The boys are back

False alarm! Just after posting on this blog yesterday that teh 4 males had left the marsh, they appeared again this morning. We found them at Bila shaka lugga (Geoffrey's crossing) this morning feeding on a wildebeest carcass whihc they finished off and proceeded to bushes along the lugga for shade and are now doing what lions do best, leg in the air, and sleep! the four have caught up with Bibi and are taking turns mating with her again!

Joy and the five cubs plus the subadult males are still between silanga and Topi plains. I could not find clawed and Romeo this morning but am still looking around; teh rest of teh pride are in the marsh area.

i will keep you updated.

A picture last week of the 4 new males at the marsh with Bibi

The Marsh Pride update- Things ease off

It appears now that the takeover at the marsh may not happen as soon as we thought. Things seems to have slowed down over the past week and now almost back to normal except for the absence of Romeo an dclawed close to teh females.

The four new males that came into the marsh and mated with Bibi, for almost 2 weeks, have now left the area in teh last 2 days. We could not find them since Wednesday and we think they may have gone back to Olare-Orok conservancy.

This has brought about a sigh of relieve to many from teh worry of Joy lossing her cubs to the new males had they found her. Now though the cubs are safe, at least for now, the two males, Romeo and Clawed bored the brunt of the of the aggression of the new males and are now both nursing their injuries with Clawed being worse off. He seems at least better than a week ago but still seemingly in pain, sleeping in the same place he has been for the past week( though he has a shallow breath) Romeo is still around manager’s crossing(near where Bila shaka) joins the Mara river

Currently Joy with her 4 cubs an d1 of Sienna’s, have been on the lugga between Silanga and Topi plains. She has now been rejoined by her two subadult males who had gone away briefly recently. Tehy aqre now on her side, perhaps having sense larking danger. I have seen the two boys come to her aid to chase away any naughty The rest of the females and subadults had retreated into the long reeds bytb e windmill but today a couple of females, White eye and Sienna moved back to Bila Shaka, i guess to scout around if safe now to call the others.

Now we never know if the four males will come back into the marsh again soon.

Good thing to be a kid! here Joy's cubs plays, totally oblivious of all the dangers that was close to them from the new males. Good news they are safe, for now......

Charm and the subadults walks away after feeding off a wildebeest one morning recently after a fight with Hyaenas

These are the Hyaenas that ganged up and managed to snatch some food from the above members of the marsh pride

The Marsh Pride takeover latest update

Yesterday:

The takeover in progress at the marsh by the 4 new males continues to affect the pride composition and habits of the members. By yesterday, the majority of the members, Sienna, Charm and the 9 subadults had moved to the rocky area on Rhino Ridge overlooking Bila Shaka. Joy and her 4 cubs and the one for Sienna were at the top of Silanga lugga, while Joy was a short distance from them dowstream.

The 4 males were still with Bibi. However, the mating has taken a new trend. Now the males are takign turns to mate with her, unlike in the begining when only one of them kept her, chasing away the others. The one with her yesterday was one male with a noteable scar over his right eye. I and my guests named him ‘scar face’

Today:

By this morning, the gap between all the above is getting smaller. Joy just moved  ashort distance from where she was yesterday and the rest of teh pride took her place. White eye has now joined Bibi and the four males. It seems the boys are slowly wining the pride to their side. I believe with Romeo and clawed now absent, the females may slowly accpet teh new fellows. It will be interesting though, to see what the new males will do with the subadult  males still with Sienna and Charm. The four males with Bibi and white eye were this morning at the junction of Silanga and Bila shaka lugga. They are now all within less than a square kilometre. Clawed has not been seen  fro 3 days now, whihc is a worry in that wiht the rest of the pride away an dhis bad health, he may not be able to eat, and that is not good.

The main pride members rests on Rhino Ridge overlooking Bila Shaka yesterady morning

2 of the young males in the pride whose future in the pride is uncertain with the takeover

Joy and her 4 cubs with one for Sienna sleeping under an Olive tree int eh open

3 of the four new males with Bibi and another male in the back at Bila Shaka near where they killed a buffalo 3 days ago

Bibi and scar face moves away from teh other males as they are the active mating pair at the moment

New males taking over the marsh pride,

The history of the marsh pride in the Masai Mara game reserve is about to be re-written. The pride has been dominated by two males Romeo and clawed.

Four days ago, some 4 young males, thought to be 4yrs and one slightly older moved inot the marsh area from Olare-Orok conservancy. They have been moving around the border of the park and the conservancy. I remember, 2 weeks ago they gave us rough time when they came and moved through our camp for almost 3 nights in a row, forcing us to go to bed early.

These new males whne they arrived at the marsh they almost got up with Joy and the cubs, btu Joy managed to take them to safety. They only settled whne they came across Bibi, one of the females whom they went ahead to mate with. One of the males seem to be dominant to the other 3. When they came in, we knew it was a take over in process. I remember my fellow guide, Simon Chebon comment  ‘’this is a take over already’’

Normally when new males take over another pride, they will kill all small cubs. We got worried imediately these males came into the marsh that they will kill the young cubs. Currently Joy, one of the females at the marsh has 4 young cubs, about 6 months old and has lately been looking after a 3 month old cub belonging to on of the other females. I have been spending the whole day at the marsh since these new males came in, just to watch teh unfolding changes.

Last night these new males fought the resident  males and badly injured clawed, but Romeo managed to take off and was today found up on Rhino Ridge, while clawed lay the whole day below the airstrip with a fatal injury on his spine sustained from the fight. He also got injured on upper and inner thigh. He can now barely move or even roll over due to much pain.

The new males seem to be in no rush now, especially that clawed is helpless and and Romeo has fled. Our hearts goes to Joy and the cubs as we know only well that the ineviatbel will happen if the new males come across them.

I will keep documenting the unfolding tomorrow and sharing here, the new development.

Clawed in great pain from injuries sustained from fight with new males. his injuries are too bad ha can barely move

Clawed lying out in the sun today; he is injured and could not even move to look for shade

One the run: Joy with one of the cubs run away from danger of the new males

Joy taking the cubs to safety when the new males almost killed them 3 days ago

Two of the four new males at the marsh

The dominant male among the 4. He is the one that claimed Bibi and fought off the off the others

Romeo, with white eye next to him and charm plus some of the sub-adults feeding on wildebeest carcass yesterday morning not far from the 4 intruders