Show us your Lion Pictures

[Soukous]

Lioness with cub. Sabi Sand

 

I've played with this one a bit in Photoshop

[monalisa]

I hope it's not too sad. Here is a lonely sick lioness we saw in Kruger in 2015. She was positively skeletal. A few members in our jeep couldn't help but shed a tear for the poor thing.

 

 

 

[johnweir]

@monalisaThere is still beauty in death. A very poignant image which truly reflects the reality of the life of a lion. I saw three young male lions in The Ngorongoro Crater two years ago in very poor condition. (Image attached). Our guide was convinced they had been driven out of their pride too early and that they would be unable to hunt for themselves. I often wonder what became of them knowing full well the probable outcome. Lets hope she has left her genes behind in The Kruger, she doesn't appear to be that old, possibly 5-6 years? Have a real soft spot for wild cats, this lioness when well would have been a very impressive animal. Thanks for sharing.   

[Csaba]

Lion hunt and kill that was broadcast live on the safariLIVE Youtube page. Hunt footage starts around 1:30:00:

 

 

[monalisa]

Thanks so much @johnweir. I just love cats as well and I see what you mean. There is so much behind those eyes that paints the picture of a formerly great hunter. 

How young were the 3 lions in your photo, do you know? The one in the back looks like it might be a bit older than the others? I too would be curious to know what became of them.

[johnweir]

@monalisa The image was taken in July 2015, as mentioned in the basin of The Ngorongoro Crater at 08.15. I keep reasonably detailed sightings reports , so just checked what I had written on the day. 

'3 young male lions, probably brothers, sighted 1 mile north of the descent road asleep in open savanna, very exposed.

No reaction to the significant amount of safari traffic building up around them.

No adults around, very vulnerable to predation from unrelated males.

8-10 months old.

Very poor condition, thin, ribs exposed.

Guide had seen them with a pride 3 months ago, convinced they had been pushed out by their mother and are unable to feed.

Long term future, bleak.' 

 

2 further images attached.

1. As seen

2. Close up of one of the brothers.

 

One of my saddest moments whilst in pursuit of wild cats.

 

 

 

[monalisa]

@johnweir Sad, but great images. They really convey a sense of desolation and hopelessness for those lions. Good on you also for keeping record of all the details. Those sorts of notes are absolutely invaluable when looking back on past trips. 

 

My guide never mentioned how old he thought this lioness was, but I recall him attributing her state to TB. I don't know much about animal health issues so can't comment on how true that is. Whatever she had, she was clearly pushed out of her pride as a result of it.

[johnweir]

@monalisa, What a shame. Could well be TB, looks far too young just to be the end of her natural life.

Hope you enjoy many more wild cat sightings of a more positive nature. 

[LizW]

Ngorongoro Crater, central Serengeti, August 2017

[Paul T]

South Luangwa Nov 2010 .... Ginger

 

from this ....

 

 

to this .....  Oct 2016 ....

 

 

Hopefully I'll get see him again next month when I visit SLNP.

[KaingU Lodge]

A rather different lion portrait: 

[Gilgamesh]

Trip report 

Masai Mara - Kenya

 

Edited October 19, 2017 by Gilgamesh

[Steve 27752]

Madikwe, 2017

Edited October 19, 2017 by Steve 27752

[The_Norwegian]

Enjoying eachothers company. Thought this picture was kind of adorable :-) 

[Paul T]

South Luangwa NP November 2017

 

Ginger ... with fight wounds/scars from his encounter with the new 3 sub adult males that are now challenging him for territory

 

Garlic ....

 

[Kimburi Tours]

Some Lions from the last few months, taken in Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve. The first one was a heavily pregnant female up in the tree trying to get some relief from the heat. 

[davidedric]

Another B&W lion.  Lower Zambezi NP, Zambia

 

 

 

[LizW]

Ngorongoro Crater, central Serengeti, August 2017

 

[CarolAnnDenverCO]

Serengeti May 2017

[CarolAnnDenverCO]

Serengeti

May 2017

[CarolAnnDenverCO]

These sisters were approached by a would be interloper, who they quickly rebuffed. The video of this scene was sadly poor, due to the excitement. My husband's shaky grip on his phone captured the male's questioning oofs and grunts, as well as the sounds of the ladies indignation, which frankly made every muscle of my body contract. His whispered comment "toka" spoke for the ladies. We were about 6 meters away.

 

[...that one time, when I fell head over heels in love with Africa.]

[CarolAnnDenverCO]

We found these two brothers under a tree, at the very spot we hoped to have our lunch. We ceded the right to that spot to them, and after our friends arrived in a second vehicle, we moved on to another tree. I will admit, it took several minutes before I could bring myself to exit the vehicle for our picnic.

Serengeti

May 2017

 

[...that one other time, when I fell head over heels in love with Africa.]

[Ben mosquito]

 

 

 

The sphynx, Samburu NR.

 

 

[JessicaA]

Sabi Sands December 2017

 

[pomkiwi]

Madikwe manicure. Claw sharpening in the morning.  Nikon D7200, 80-400mm @290mm, 1/640sec, f/5.6, ISO800