Series 2 cat spotlight: Magogo

Image above: The mums of the Xudum Pride are busier than ever feeding their growing cubs.

Coming back to the Okavango Delta to film the second series of Big Cats 24/7 had us witnessing change in ways we didn't expect.

mother to my favourite cub, Mathata.

The rains had revitalised the Okavango and returned it back to its oasis beauty, but the biggest change I witnessed was in the dynamics of the lion pride.

Magogo is one of the oldest females in the Xudum pride and mother to my favourite cub, Mathata. Her challenge was now feeding a young male who could consume almost as much meat as herself.

At eighteen months old, Mathata no longer resembled the naughty cub I fell in love with. He was well on his way to becoming a sub-adult male and his appetite had grown along with his size.

Image above: Eighteen month old Mathata is the Xudum Pride's eldest cub, but he still relies on his mum to provide him with food.

For Magogo, it was like feeding a bunch of athletic teenagers.

The bond that these lionesses have is truly unbreakable

She had the mammoth task of both leading the lionesses and imparting knowledge to Mathata and his thirteen cousins. I watched her try to juggle executing a delicate hunt while making sure the cubs did not interfere. Spoiler: the cubs spoiled the hunt!

Her saving grace was that she was not doing this alone; the other lionesses from her crèche were with her. The bond that these lionesses have is truly unbreakable and they can survive almost anything.

Image above: The Xudum Pride rests on a termite mound after dodging intruder male lions.

To add to Magogo’s worries, I noticed that the dominant males, Big Toe and Madumo, were scarcer than the year before, leaving a vacuum in the Xudum pride’s security.

the lionesses were doing this without muscle support

There was a silent whisper in the air that made me uncertain. I saw a noticeable stress on Magogo and the other mothers as they assumed the role of both provider and protector.

The pressure to provide for Mathata and the other cubs forced Magogo to target bigger prey, like buffalo. While it is possible for lionesses to bring down buffalo it increases the chances of injury, and with Big Toe and Madumo now ghosts of the Xudum territory, the lionesses were doing this without muscle support.

Mathata wasn’t yet big enough to help bring down a buffalo so he was no substitute for a fully grown male.

Image above: Wildlife cinematographer Gaokgonwe Seetsele Nthomiwa films the Xudum lion pride's eldest cubs.

With that said, I did witness moments that showed a lot of promise from the cubs.

the cubs' own haphazard hunt attempts started motivating the lionesses...

Although they lacked skill, the cubs' own haphazard hunt attempts started motivating the lionesses to join in with them in their chases. The cubs had become the catalysts of big game hunting.

I thought it was incredible that the lionesses had started supporting the cubs' hearty attempts. It looked like recognition from the Xudum mothers, recognition of the cubs’ efforts and growth. It dawned on me that the cubs were growing mentally and thinking about the entire pride, not just of themselves.

Their scattered hunt attempts began looking more coordinated and with the help of Magogo and the other mums, even started being successful. Truly unbelievable!