Why are Tsavo lions maneless?
In the field, Patterson and Kays use surveys to document the locations and activities of lion groups. Once a lion group is located, the team uses playbacks of recorded sounds to bring the lions into view, enabling them to document the number of males, females and young, and the condition of manes on males. They record individual recognition characters of each lion using digital camcorders, compiling a “Who’s who” of lions in Tsavo. In surveys during both dry and wet seasons of 1999, Kays and Patterson determined that maneless males are prevalent in well trafficked areas of Tsavo East. In fact, none of the eight prides they documented was tended by a maned male. In 2001 and beyond, Patterson, Kays, Resident Scientist Sam Kasiki and their collaborators hope to expand their studies of lion ecology to include population structure, hormone levels, parasite loads, food habits, and aggression, both towards other lions and towards people and their livestock. Publications: Vosper, R. 1998. The maneless lions of Tsavo. In the Field 69(6):2-5. Vosper, R. 1998. Museum receives largest man-eating lion on record. In the Field 69(6):6. Patterson, B. D., J.M. Dubach, T.P. Gnoske, S. Weru, E. Mwangi, and R.W. Kays. 1999. Morphologic, genetic, and ecological variation of African lions: the mane story. 79th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists, Seattle WA. Kays, R. 2000. Keeping the peace in Tsavo National Park. In the Field 71(2):2-5. Patterson, B.D. 2001. Prides: the lions of Moremi, by C. Harvey and P. Kat [book review]. Journal of Mammalogy 82(1):248-250. <<back |
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