NYAMAKUNZE - The Killer Of Londolozi Named Big Black

Lions of Africa: Nyamakunze the Big Black male (1970´s - 1980´s)*

..Note: Great tales of Big Black´s antics (a very aggressive and darkly-maned lion) are still told around the fires to this day. He remains a true Legend.
Elmon Mhlongo, a tracker here for the past 45 years, remembers a particularly hair-raising encounter he shared with Lex Hes;
Lex first arrived at Londolozi in 1976 with a craving for adventure and a great love of the natural environment. Using battered old Land Rovers, Lex and the other rangers would take their guests out to view game that included lion, buffalo and hyena. To find these animals, rangers would make use of the skills of local Shangaan trackers (a vital part of game drive that continues to this day), whose skill in tracking animals is beyond belief.
Whilst driving a group of guests who wanted to see lions, Elmon Mhlongo raised his hand from a customised seat on the bonnet of the Land Rover, signalling that he had seen lion tracks in the road. The tracks were made by a large male lion referred to as Big Black, who roamed Londolozi during the late seventies and early eighties, and who was notoriously aggressive. With this in mind, Lex and Elmon instructed their guests to remain seated in the Land Rover whilst they tracked cautiously on foot.
Elmon recalls a cold bead of sweat running down his nose as he followed the lion’s tracks, which headed into a thicket. As Lex and Elmon rounded the thicket, Big Black, who had been watching them the entire time from the depths of the thicket, had now stood up and walked behind Lex and Elmon, essentially tracking them. Watching in horror from the Land Rover, one of the guests shouted out to get Elmon’s attention. As Elmon and Lex turned around, Big Black charged at them, producing growls that made the earth tremble. Lex and Elmon stood their ground and Big Black stopped a few meters from their feet, growling and lashing his tail from side to side. Not well known for their Olympic high jumping skills, Elmon and Lex had no way to get back to the Land Rover and called out to their guests to drive the vehicle toward them. Their calls were not answered as at this point the guests had buried themselves under the seats in panic. Knowing that they had no other choice, Lex and Elmon stood their ground for some very dragged-out minutes (which must have felt like a lifetime), before the lion moved off. Upon returning to the Land Rover Lex asked the guests why they had not driven towards them. Their only response was that they thought that once the lion had finished Lex and Elmon, he would return to the vehicle and finish off the six of them.

*All vids & pics are copyright of its original authors (rangers, field guides, photographers, tourists): A big thank you for the great effort and sharing these exciting moments with all of us!