Celebrate World Lion Day
The world spends more money on ice cream every year than what would be needed to secure conservation efforts globally.
- Enric Sala, Marine Ecologist & National Geographic Explorer in Residence
It is pitch black outside, my toes grope for the hot water bottle under the cool sheets. Somewhere in the darkness a lion roars – aruuuugggghhhh, aruggghhhh, rugggggh ….. RUGGHH, RUghhh, ruggghhh. I snuggle deep under the covers. Happiness is going to sleep to the sound of lions roaring in the African bush.
Today is World Lion Day. The mighty king of the beasts is a personal favourite. I love their profile, their intense stare, their shaggy manes.
The iconic lion is a symbol of power and strength around the world. Lions are currently classified as a “threatened” species by the IUCN Red List. There are less than 39,000 lions remaining in the wild. Their numbers have been decimated over the past few decades due to habitat loss, human wildlife conflict, poaching, trophy hunting and demand for animal parts.
I can’t imagine a world without lions. It’s a thrill to be on a game drive and find lion prints on the road. Lions! Let’s go on a lion hunt!
With over over 6,000 lion images in my photographic archives there are endless images to choose from. Here are some portraits of “The King” from my recent safari in Kenya last June.
Early morning light, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Stormy weather, Naboisho Conservancy
Windy Morning, Olare Motorogi Conservancy
Lions sleep most of the day. My Maasai friends call them “lazy”. Indeed, they seem almost benign when you find a comatose lion under a bush in the heat of the day - until you see their teeth, witness a kill, or hear that roar.
My what big teeth you have!
It is hard to appreciate how large full grown male lions are. They stand 3.5 – 4’ at the shoulder and are more than six feet long. Add another two to three for their tail. At 600 pounds they are significantly bigger than females.
Two sub adult males wrestle around after a storm. Check out those paws!
I am preparing for my book launch of The Wisdom of Elephants at Strand Find Art Gallery in London. My book and some of my African wildlife prints will be available for purchase from Saturday Sept. 17th – Saturday Oct. 8th. I hope you will stop by!
