Whisker Patterns, Lion Mating, and the Missing Cubs
02 Jul 2009
9:29 AM EDT
By admin
Posted in:
Lions of Tarangire, Maasai Steppe
Comments:
13 Comments »
I’m pleased to note that the Tarangire Lion project has some additional help this summer–Rae Wynn-Grant, a master’s candidate at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Here she tells about her experiences in the field so far.
My first two weeks of lion tracking with the Tarangire Lion Project team has been exciting beyond anything I could have imagined as well as hugely enriching to my education in wildlife ecology. Each day after a breakfast of chai and homemade bread, we’ve left camp at sunrise to check on our first pride, spending the entire day – often past sunset – driving both within and outside of Tarangire National Park boundaries looking for these amazing creatures.
This is a picture of main camp -- it's quite comfortable! © AWF
Working with the team, I’ve learned how to identify a lion based on distinct marks on the ears and the pattern of dots above the whisker lines that are unique to each individual. The team has taught me how to estimate a lion’s age from the amount of pink or black skin present on the nose, and I’ve even begun to understand the different migratory patterns of the prides. Every encounter with one of the lion prides is new and different and is always worth the hours of driving off-road, swatting tse-tse flies, and sweating in the hot sun that undoubtedly constitutes a typical day of lion tracking.
This particular morning, our team headed out in the AWF Land Rover with lion tracking gear in tow (large metal antenna and a radio to pick up signals of nearby prides). At what felt like the very beginning of our hunt we picked up a faint signal of the pride Altapiano, a pride that often stays within park boundaries, especially during the dry season when water resources are scarce in other parts of the Maasai Steppe. Tracking them through the bush, we finally found our collared female, Celestine, a mature lioness with a beautiful tan coat of fur and a dark nose, just off of one of the dirt roads that winds through the park. Relaxing under one of Tarangire’s famous Baobab trees, she was joined by a male with a full, dark mane and matching fur on his tail.
This is not Celestine but another collared lioness. I hope to photograph Celestine soon. © AWF
We parked the car a safe distance from the pair and observed their behavior while also using the AWF’s collection of lion identification cards to see if Celestine’s male friend was new to the pride.
While we watched and waited, the pair approached each other, preparing to mate. This was surprising, as Celestine recently gave birth to two cubs within the last two months. In the last few weeks of tracking Celestine and the Altapiano pride, the team had not acquired any visual clues to the whereabouts of the cubs, who normally wouldn’t be far from their mother. This information along with the willingness of Celestine to mate again gave us the sense that perhaps this new male lion had killed her cubs in an act of infanticide.
It wasn’t long before Celestine and her partner became annoyed with our intrusion. Both animals looked our way and growled. We made note of the GPS location, drew a sketch of the whisker pattern of the new male, took some pictures for further identification and respectfully drove off to leave the pair in peace.
Here's Bernard taking notes -- he has been a great mentor. © AWF
The Tarangire Lion Project Team is an excellent group of Tanzanian researchers doing great work that requires diligence, patience, and lots of skill. As a visiting American student, I am honored to be a part of this project and will return to the U.S. with a much broader and richer understanding of general Tanzanian conservation issues, and specifically lion behavior in the Maasai Steppe region of the country. Bernard Kissui and the rest of the team have been absolutely warm and welcoming to me, and I am truly having an unforgettable experience.
July 12th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
sounds incredible rae
what happened to the lion Celestine mated to give birth to missing, presumed dead cubs-curious?
.
hope you and curtis have made an email connection.(did you get that email from me? hope so)
how hot is it in the bush…beginning to really heat up here..humidity about to kick in. is it dry or humid heat you have to sit in while you wait and observe?
your dad is beside himself with pride…you can hear him grinin’ thru the telephone when he speaks of your experience and communiques about your work/research!! (smile)
be safe and healthy
ciao!
love
suji
July 12th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
We’re so proud of your Rae!
smiles and happiness,
Rose
July 12th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
This is awesome. Rae you really made me feel as though I was there which is one of my dream. I know you don’t remember me but your mother and I know each other from your pediatrician’s office. I remember you talking about traveling and seeing the world. I am so proud of you and you should be too. Keep in touch and send me more pictures and blog.
July 12th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Rae,
Awesome job. The work you’re doing with the Tarangire Lion Project Team sounds like an incredible experience. Can’t wait to hear all about it in detail.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Hey there Rae, I’m so glad your Mom forwards your ‘reports’
to me…they are very interesting and informative….keep them
coming……. and enjoy your experiences………………
Margaret
July 13th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Rae,
It looks like you’ve found your calling
)
So happy and proud of you! Stay safe!
~Dani
July 13th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
You’re so amazing! Miss you tons!
Love Domi
July 14th, 2009 at 4:14 am
hey cuz,
you have guts. i’m proud of you. waiting to see all pictures when you return. god bless!
July 19th, 2009 at 1:55 am
Rae,
Good job! I am happy that you get this opportunity to experience the very challenges of conservation. All the signs show that the new male killed the cubs to pave way for him to mate and probably father some new cubs. It’s very likely that other males (intruders) will kill the cubs to prepare the female for mating and so on. What is the impact of infanticide on lion population? Is it a problem?
July 19th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Dear Rae:
Wow, what a fascinating project! The foundation is lucky to have someone of your obvious talent & commitment. Wishing you every success & happiness. Camille
July 25th, 2009 at 11:32 am
incredible…
July 27th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Great entry! I never knew you could identify lions by their whisker patterns, or tell their age by the color and extent of skin above their nose! So — pink skin is younger, and darker nose skin is older? Can lions get sunburned noses? Thanks so much for the story of Celestine — for telling us the name you know her by and the pack she is in. I work in AWF’s DC office, and I am so excited and proud of the work our conservation scientists are doing — it’s so great they get help from knowledgeable and commited people like you. All good wishes, Kate
July 28th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Thanks for your informative entry. How do I get on a project that studies lion patterns? Do you need to be student at a university.
I saw on 60Minutes that farmers are feeding poison to the lions that are killing their cows. Are you encountering this? 60 MINUTES said the poison is now banned in Kenya but not other countries yet.