One of the Charleston males

CRAIG BRIDGETT from Joburg writes: With reference to the letter by Pieter Martins in go! #131 about the lion with the dislodged canine: He is one of two Charleston males that frequent the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve. It’s believed the lion pictured was kicked by a giraffe, and his tooth subsequently dislodged in a fight with another male lion.

MARGAUX LE ROUX from Singita Lebombo Lodge in the Kruger Park writes: The lion with the dislodged tooth is one of the Charleston males. It sustained the injury about two years ago and doesn’t seem to be hindered by it. The Charleston males roam the southern parts of the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, which borders the Kruger Park, and they’re often spotted near Kirkman’s Camp. They even have their own Facebook page called “Charleston male lions”.

PETER WYCHE from Benoni writes: My wife and I recently visited the Kruger Park. While driving along the S1, we saw a lioness and two lions plodding up the road. One of the males had his right tooth hanging out of his mouth. When we got home, we read Pieter’s letter in go! #131. Could this be the same lion?

Quite possibly. The two male Charleston lions were born in the Charleston area of the MalaMala Game Reserve in 2011 and are well known. There are several theories about what happened to the injured lion, including the giraffe-kick and fight theory that Craig writes about above. Others say the injury was sustained during a hunt.