Noongoile moves on from motherhood

With her cubs now juveniles, and her former mate, NguvuKazi, no more (having died in April), Noongoile has been seen in the company of two males: Laipangwa from Ndutu and Titan Jr, one of the Crater’s Lake Quintet coalition.

Despite hailing from inside the Crater, she’s decided to stay out in the community occupied highlands, preferring the Malanja depression and surrounds, often close to people and being watched and protected carefully by Kayanda, Maanda and Masanja, the three Ilchokuti in this area.

While we manage to keep conflict to a minimum, its tough to keep up with her 24/7 on foot. Last week Noongoile killed a large bull all on her own, and in a separate incident her two juvenile females, who have not gone far, killed a donkey.

Noongoile, her large cubs and cohorts, will test our 3 year trial on paying for the lions presence, and we are hoping that we can ensure that the three villages in the Ngorongoro ward will earn more from their lions than they lose through livestock depredations, and that Noongoile is valued as an asset.