The legacy of Xpl-10
Thursday 27 October 2022
Uniab Delta Leopard & Obab Pride
The leopard capture cage was setup in conjunction with he Ministry of Environment, Tourism & Forestry at the Uniab Delta during Sep 2022. After a month there was no activity and the cage had to be moved to address a human-leopard conflict near Sesfontein. The trap did however attract the attention of the two Obab lionesses on two occasions and one brown hyaena visited the site, but fortunately neither attempted to enter the cage-trap. The remains of the lioness Xpl-105 that died on 18 Aug 2022 at the Koigab river have been utilised by scavengers, but most of the carcass is still intact. The results of the necropsy and cause of death is still under investigation.
The two Obab lionesses (in good condition) & a brown hyaena visited the leopard cage-trap.
Remains of the lioness that died on 18 Aug 2022.
Hoaruseb Lioness
A young adult lioness that moved to the lower Hoaruseb river a few months ago was immobilised and fitted with a new satellite collar. The staff of Shipwreck Lodge are thanked for their assistance and in particular for sharing their observations with the Desert Lion Conservation Trust.
The Hoaruseb lioness shortly before and after being darted.
Darting of the Hoaruseb lioness.
Shipwreck Lodge assisted with the collaring.
Floodplain Pride
During the past month the two Orphan lionesses have covered large sections of the Hoanib Floodplain, the dune-belt and the coastal habitat. During these travels searching for food one of the three small cubs did not survive, but the remaining two cubs are doing well.
Xpl-106 “Alfa” and her two surviving cubs enjoying the coastal hummocks and freshwater springs near Oasis.
Honouring Xpl-10 “The Queen”
The building and articulation of the skeleton of the legendary lioness Xpl-10 “Queen” was both a challenging and emotional experience. It required nearly three weeks of intense and uninterrupted work to identify and understand the functions and positioning of each of the 287 bones.
The skeletal structure and number of bones of the lioness Xpl-10.
Sorting and constructing the various components of Xpl-10’s skeletal bones.
During the articulation process an interesting observation was made that explained a bad injury that the “Queen” Xpl-10 suffered towards the end of 2013. After spending a few weeks in the mountainous habitat, Xpl-10 returned with a bad injury to her right front foot. For several months she limped badly before the injury healed. This was also captured in the Vanishing Kings I wildlife documentary. During the reconstruction of the right front foot it was evident that the right metacarpal No. 5 was fractured and the bone remodelling extended to the phalanges and joints.
Vanishing Kings - Lions of the Namib OFFICIAL TRAILER
Xpl-10 with badly swollen right foot during 2013.
Images of the damage & remodelling of the right metacarpal No. 5, and with comparison to the left foot.
The articulation of the skeleton was finally completed on 18 Oct 2022. It was an incredible experience, and since the skeleton will finally end up in a museum, it felt like the legacy of the “Queen” Xpl-10 was brought back to life.
Final images of the skeleton of Xpl-10.
Articulating the skeleton of an adult lioness - the “Queen” Xpl-10.
