Northern Avocas

The Northern Avocas are a coalition composed of two male lions known as Blondie and Mohawk. Formerly a coalition of three, their third member Dark Mane has since split from the coalition and is currently a solo male.

The coalition currently occupies the Northern/Central parts of the Sabi Sands and is dominant over the Nkuhuma Pride

Early years
The Avoca males were born in 2013 to the Avoca Pride of the Timbavati Game Reserve and were sired by the Avoca/Giraffe Coalition. They have two older cousins who dispersed from the Avoca pride before their younger cousins and went on to become the Southern Avocas. Like their younger cousins, the Southern Avocas also control territory in the Sabi Sands.

Adult years
After dispersing from their natal pride in 2017 the three brothers travelled south into the Manyeleti Game Reserve. In late 2017 the brothers had a confrontation with the two ageing Southern Matimbas in which Ginger Matimba was injured. In early 2018 the brothers began to set up shop in the south of the Manyeleti Game Reserve and were seen in the company of the Talamati Pride.

The brothers began to push further south in mid 2018, entering the Sabi Sands. Fortunately for them, their arrival in the Sabi Sands coincided with the Birmingham boys abandoning their northern territories as they sought out territory and other prides in central Sabi Sands. The brothers took advantage of this vacuum and settled down with the Nkuhuma Pride.

After 3 years of ruling the northern sabi sands, the Avoca males began pushing south against the ageing Birmingham Males, the first interaction occurring in April 2021 when Mohawk found Nhenha with a Kambula female and gave chase, only to be intercepted by a herd of Elephants.

The Avoca males, biding their time, slowly pushed south into territory held by the Birminghams. An interaction between the two coalitions occurred sometime around the first week of June when the two avoca males caught the older Birmingham Male Tinyo and some sort of interaction occurred, he was fortunate enough to escape with no life threatening injuries.

One month later, on July 19th the Avoca males came across the location that two or three Kambula lionesses were using as denning sites, it was here that that the Blonde Avoca was reported to have been seen with a cub in his mouth, it is believed two cubs were killed in this attack.

Offspring sired by the Northern Avocas
There are currently 26 lions suspected to have been sired by the Northern Avoca males.


 * Three males in the Talamati Pride - born in 2019
 * Six females in the Talamati Pride - born in 2019
 * Five males in the Nkuhuma Pride - born in 2019
 * Four females in the Nkuhuma Pride - born in 2019
 * One female in the Ximhunwe Pride (This one is not certain as the Ximhungwe Lioness was also seen the presence of a Matimba male)
 * Seven cubs in the Nkuhuma Pride - born in 2021