When a young male reaches adolescence, he will typically split from his birth pride and venture off to conquer his own territory and start his own family. But such was the bond between these three brothers in Ol Pejeta’s Easter Sector Pride that they have remained a unit, and now lead their pride together.
Shona, Sayid and Sirwa seem to peacefully share equal dominance, mating rights and pride protection duties. This remarkable brotherhood coalition is very rare in lion prides- but the results speak for themselves. The Eastern Sector Pride has the highest cub survival rates, and the lowest mortality rates, in the entire conservancy.
Ol Pejeta is home to six lion prides. The largest is the brotherhood’s Eastern Sector Pride with a population of 24. The brothers have successfully defended their family against multiple intrusions from southern sector prides and all three bear the battle scars to prove it. The lionesses of the Eastern Sector Pride are a force to be reckoned with too, with dominant females Sior, Sekela and Pasha collectively raising cubs and leading the hunts.
Male lions are notorious for being aggressive and impatient with cubs. However, our field technician Chris, reports that the three brothers are extremely gentle with their offspring- Chris has never seen them lash out at the cubs.
These extraordinary brothers continue to captivate and amaze us. Protecting and nurturing a pride of 24 is a notable achievement, and a positive sign that Ol Pejeta’s conservation efforts are favourable to lions. These big cats face large scale population declines all over Africa, as their habitat shrinks, and they continue to be persecuted by farmers protecting their livestock.
Find out how you can get involved in their conservation, or book your trip to Ol Pejeta to meet the brothers for yourself.