Deceased

Notch

Also known as Kali · The Father of Kings

c. 1999 – 2013

Born in Masai Mara, Kenya

Notch was a dark-maned male lion of Kenya’s Masai Mara and one of the most famous lions ever filmed. As king of the Marsh Pride he starred in the BBC’s Big Cat Week and Big Cat Live, and he and his sons were filmed for Disneynature’s 2011 film African Cats, where he appears as Kali.

Notch took the Marsh Pride from the old male Simba together with a partner, who was killed by three other males in 2005. Notch held on alone, defending the pride until about 2007, when the males Romeo and Clawed drove him out. Instead of fading away, he took his five sub-adult sons, Notch II, Mighty Long, Ron, Caesar and Grimace, and formed a coalition of father and sons, something researchers rarely see.

Under his leadership the Notch coalition took over prides across the Mara, including Fang’s River Pride at Rekero, and by 2012 controlled five prides in the east of the reserve. Notch died in 2013 at about 14. His bloodline still runs through the Mara today: his grandsons formed coalitions of their own.

~9Years of reign

~14Age at death

—Lionesses in his pride

6Males in his coalition

Profile

Identity

Name: Notch
Nicknames: Kali (in the film African Cats)
Origin of the name: Named for the notches in his ears
Sex: Male
Distinguishing features: Large dark mane; notches in his ears
Weight: Information not availableFor reference, adult male lions usually weigh 150–260 kg

Birth & Family

Born: c. 1999Some sources give 2000
Birthplace: Masai Mara, KenyaExact birth site not recorded
Birth pride: Information not available
Father: Information not available
Mother: Information not available
Siblings: Information not available

Reign

Pride king: Yes, king of the Marsh Pride and later leader of the Notch coalition
Prides ruled: Marsh Pride (c. 2004–2007); later the River Pride at Rekero and the Olkiombo, Olkeju Ronkai, Ridge, Paradise and Maji ya Fisi prides with his sons
Pride size: Information not available
Reign: About 9 years (c. 2004 – 2013)Marsh Pride c. 2004–2007, then with his sons
Ruled with: An unnamed partner (killed 2005), then his five sons
Coalition: The Notch Coalition
Home range: Musiara Marsh, then the River Pride territory and the eastern Masai Mara
Territory size: Information not availableClaims of more than 1,000 km² for the coalition are not verified

Death

Died: 2013
Age at death: About 14 years
Cause of death: Information not availableReported to have declined with age; the exact cause has not been documented
Place of death: Information not availableMasai Mara, Kenya; exact place not recorded
Burial: Information not available

Names & Meanings

NotchName

Describes the distinctive notches in his ears, which made him easy to identify.

KaliFilm name

The name given to him in Disneynature’s African Cats (2011). Kali is a Swahili word meaning fierce.

Father of KingsTitle

For the rare father-and-sons coalition he built and the royal line of grandsons that followed.

Family & Lineage

UnknownFatherHis father has not been publicly documented.

UnknownMotherHis mother has not been publicly documented.

KaliNotchc. 1999 – 2013

First coalition partnerPartnerTook the Marsh Pride with Notch and was killed by three males in 2005. His name has not been widely recorded.

SonNotch IIThe last surviving son of the original coalition. Later formed a coalition with his own son, Spear Boy.View record →SonMighty LongDisappeared around 2010.View record →SonRonWent missing in mid-2016; reportedly killed by the Sand River males.View record →SonCaesarReportedly the biggest of the sons. Last seen in August 2017.View record →SonGrimaceThe youngest son. Vanished in rival territory a few months after his father.View record →Believed descendantsThe Four MusketeersGuides believe Scarface and his brothers were fathered by the Notch males; this is not confirmed.View record →

Life Story

c. 1999
Born in the Masai Mara, Kenya.
c. 2004
Took the Marsh Pride from the old male Simba with a partner.
2005
His partner was killed by three males. Notch kept the pride alone and fathered cubs, among them five males.
2006
Ruled the Marsh Pride with four lionesses, filmed for the BBC’s big cat programmes.
c. 2007
Driven out by the males Romeo and Clawed. He took his five sub-adult sons with him and formed the Notch coalition.
2008
Seen with his sons in the BBC’s Big Cat Live.
c. 2010
Took the River Pride at Rekero from the male Fang, as told in Disneynature’s African Cats. His son Mighty Long disappeared around this time.
February 2012
Notch and his sons controlled five prides in the eastern Mara: Olkiombo, Olkeju Ronkai, Ridge, Paradise and Maji ya Fisi.
2013
Died at about 14.
After 2013
Grimace died, Ron in 2016 and Caesar in 2017. Notch II was the last of the original sons. Grandsons such as the Rekero males carried the line on.

Legend & Truth

Fact: a father who led his sons

Coalitions are usually made up of brothers or males of similar age. A father leading his own sons into battle was unusual enough to fascinate researchers and filmmakers.

Notch the lion, Notch the lioness

The Marsh Pride also had a lioness called Notch, an earlier member of the pride. She is a different lion and should not be confused with the pride male.