Deceased

Silver Eye

Also known as The Silver-Eyed Lioness · The Rival of Ma di Tau

Died after c. 2011

Born in an unrecorded place

Silver Eye was a lioness of the Duba Plains in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, and the antagonist of Dereck and Beverly Joubert’s 2011 National Geographic film The Last Lions. She was named for her milky, silver-white eye, which was blind. In the film she leads a pride driven from its own land by people, which invades the territory of the lioness Ma di Tau.

In the opening battle, Ma di Tau’s mate is killed and Ma di Tau is badly wounded, but, the film tells us, she leaves the largest of the invaders blinded in one eye for life: Silver Eye. Lionesses that take over new ground kill cubs that are not their own, and Silver Eye’s pride hunts Ma di Tau and her three young cubs, forcing them to flee a bushfire and swim a crocodile-filled channel to Duba Island. Later Silver Eye’s pride follows them across the water. Facing the island’s huge buffalo herd, the rivals finally join forces, and together they become the Tsaro pride of Duba.

Off camera, Silver Eye became a favourite of visitors to Duba. Dereck Joubert called her one of the most effective hunters he had ever followed, despite her blind eye. Around 2011, at about 17, she was pushed out of the main pride after a fight between the lionesses, but she went on hunting and leading the chase with a small group of her own. Some months after she was last seen, Joubert confirmed her death. A new sub-group of the Tsaro pride was afterwards called Silver Eye’s pride in her memory.

1Blind eye

~17Age when pushed out (reported)

21Duba lions around 2011

2011The Last Lions released

Profile

Identity

Name: Silver EyeThe name she is best known by
Nicknames: Information not available
Origin of the name: For her milky, silver-white blind eyeGiven by filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert
Sex: Female
Distinguishing features: One milky, blind eyeThe Duba lionesses are among the largest in Africa, from a life of hunting buffalo
Weight: Information not availableFor reference, adult lionesses usually weigh 110–180 kg

Birth & Family

Born: Information not availableNot published; she was reported to be about 17 when pushed out of her pride around 2011
Birthplace: Information not availableNot published; she lived in the Duba Plains area of the Okavango Delta, Botswana
Birth pride: Information not available
Father: Information not available
Mother: Information not available
Siblings: Information not available

Pride Life

Role in the pride: Leader of the invading pride in The Last Lions
Prides: The rival pride of The Last Lions; later the Tsaro pride of DubaIn old age, a small breakaway group of her own
Pride size: Information not availableThe Duba lions were seen as 21 animals in several groups around 2011
Years in the pride: Information not available
Pride-mates: Her pride’s lionesses; later Ma di Tau and the Tsaro lionesses
Coalition: Information not available
Home range: Duba Plains and Duba Island, Okavango Delta, BotswanaIn her last years, to the north of the island
Territory size: Information not available

Death

Died: Information not availableDate not published; Dereck Joubert confirmed she had not been seen for some months and was dead
Age at death: Information not availableProbably at least 17
Cause of death: Information not availableNot published
Place of death: Information not availableNot published
Burial: Information not available

Names & Meanings

Silver EyeName

For her milky, silver-white blind eye. Given by the Jouberts and used in The Last Lions.

Silver-eyed leaderFilm description

How Jeremy Irons’s narration introduces her in The Last Lions.

Family & Lineage

Not knownParentsHer parents were not identified in the film or published accounts.

The silver-eyed lionessSilver Eye? – after 2011

Rival, then allyMa di TauThe lioness who, in the film, blinded her eye. They later hunted buffalo together in the Tsaro pride.

OffspringCubsHer own cubs have not been individually identified.

Named after herSilver Eye’s prideA sub-group of the Tsaro pride, five hunting lions and a male, named after her following her death.

Life Story

Before filming
Led a pride of Okavango lionesses, which was driven out of its home range by human settlement.
The Last Lions
Her pride invaded Ma di Tau’s territory. Ma di Tau’s mate was killed; according to the film, Silver Eye lost the sight of one eye in the battle.
The Last Lions
Hunted Ma di Tau and her cubs, who escaped to Duba Island. Later led her pride across the channel after them.
End of the film
Joined forces with Ma di Tau to hunt buffalo, forming the Tsaro pride of Duba Island.
2011
The Last Lions was released, making her one of the best-known lionesses in Botswana.
c. 2011
At about 17, driven out of the main pride after a fight between the lionesses; still hunting well and leading the chase with a small group, including Ma di Tau’s grown son.
Later
Not seen for some months; Dereck Joubert confirmed her death. A Tsaro sub-group was named Silver Eye’s pride after her.

Legend & Truth

How did she lose her eye?

The Last Lions says Ma di Tau blinded her in their first battle. The film is real footage edited into a story, so this may be the filmmakers’ linking of events; no other explanation has been published.

Villain, then ally

The film casts Silver Eye as the villain, a cub killer. Killing the cubs of rival lionesses is normal lion behaviour when prides compete for territory, and in the end the two old enemies hunted together.

More than one Silver Eye

Other lionesses have had the same name, including Silver Eye of the Talamati Pride in South Africa’s Sabi Sand and Silver Eye of Meru National Park in Kenya. This record is the Silver Eye of The Last Lions.