Category: Lion

Lion

A Male Lion at Sunrise, Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Kenya

This is a photo of a male lion as he stops and looks in the direction of the rising sun.

This golden light is why we nature photographers try to be out there before the sun rises.  When I was at Gamewatchers’ Porini Lion Camp (Porini means “in the wild” in Swahili) in Kenya in early June we were awakened by the Swahili greeting “jambo” (“hello”) at 5:30 a.m.  We were then given a tray with a pitcher of coffee or tea and 5 or 6 cookies which would get us going.  We’d leave camp at 6:15 a.m. sharp and be looking for wildlife as we drove away.  At around 8:00 a.m. we’d stop for a nice hot bush breakfast.  This male lion was photographed at 7:05 a.m.

African Lion, Bald Eagle, Cows, Coyote, Eagle, elephant, Elk, Favorite Images, Guanaco, Landscape, Lion, Point Reyes National Seashore, Red Fox, San Francisco, Serengeti National Park, Torres del Paine National Park, Tule Elk

Favorite Blog Photos of 2019

Here are some of my favorite photos that I blogged about in 2019.

This is a photo of a bull tule elk feeding at sunset.A bull tule elk feeds at sunset inside the elk enclosure at Point Reyes National Seashore.

At Point Reyes National Seashore 400-500 elk are kept locked up behind an 8-foot tall woven-wire fence to keep them away from the ranchers who live on and control 28,000 acres of park land and raise 6,000 dairy cows, beef cattle and sheep.  NPS bought their ranches decades ago, but never removed them.  The 28,000 acres are managed as the ranchers want, not as lands in a national park are supposed to be managed.  I know of no other national park where wildlife is locked up like in a zoo for the visitors to see.

This is a night photo of the San Francisco skyline with Angel Island in the foreground and Alcatraz in the midground.A night view of Angel Island, Alcatraz and San Francisco.

Photo of some mountain peaks and fog at dawn in Torres del Paine National ParkMountains and fog at dawn in Torres del Paine National Park

This is a photo of a mother guanaco and her young before sunrise in Torres del Paine National Park.A mother guanaco and her chulengo appear before sunrise in Torres del Paine National Park.

Red Fox Vixen with Snowshoe HareA red fox mom returns to her den with an arctic hare to feed her kits in Yellowstone National Park.

This is a photo of three lionesses who are on the hunt. One is wearing a research collar.Three lionesses are on the hunt in Serengeti National Park.

This is a photo of a mature bald eagle perched on a limb.A bald eagle perches on a limb in Alaska.

This is a photo of a male elephant walking away from a wetland in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.A male elephant walks near a wetland in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

Photo of female lion surveying her domain in Serengeti National Park.An African lioness surveys her domain in Serengeti National Park.

A coyote stops and looks at the camera in Point Reyes Seashore just before the sun sets.A coyote stops just before sunset as it travels across a ranch pasture in Point Reyes National Seashore.

The National Park Service purchased the ranches several decades ago, but it has never made the ranchers leave.

A bald eagle lands too close to another and gets bitten in the neck.One bald eagle bites another at Homer, Alaska.

Photo of a coyote on a ranch pasture in Point Reyes National Seashore.A coyote walks across a ranch pasture full of non-native European grasses in Point Reyes Seashore.

The National Park Service prioritizes private ranching over wildlife in Point Reyes National Seashore.  This is the worst example of privatizing a national park that I am aware of.  It involves 28,000 acres of national park land.  If anyone knows of a worse example, please let me know.

African Lion, Badger, Bobcat, Cheetah, Coyote, Favorite Images, Leopard, Lion, Point Reyes National Seashore, Serengeti National Park, Wildebeests

Some of My Favorite Images from 2018

Back in late 2007 a photographer by the name of Jim Goldstein invited other photographers to do blogs showing their 10 best photographs of that year and to send him a link to their blogs which he would then add to a list of the blogs of all who were participating.  It was a great service to all who appreciated good photography.  It gave me a handy list of photographers (mostly nature photographers) so I could easily look at what they were doing and how my work compared to theirs.  I participated a couple of times, but somehow forgot about it.  I saw a notice about it recently and decided to participate again.

2018 for me was highlighted by a trip to Tanzania hosted by the African Wildlife Foundation (Craig Sholley) and Nature’s Best Photography (Jeff Vanuga).  They hired Thomson Safaris to deliver all the necessary services such as camps, food, drivers etc.  All three were superb.  I also made my regular trips to Point Reyes National Seashore, which is a short drive from my home.

Jim Goldstein used to ask that you list your 10 “best” photos.  The limit of 10 was not strictly followed by most and Jim seems to have de-emphasized it nowadays.  Picking what you think are your “best” photos is not easy.  So, below is a list of “some” of my “favorite” photos of 2018 in no particular order.

Finally, Jim’s list of links won’t be out until about the second week in January and when it comes out I’ll insert a link here.  here it is:  https://www.jmg-galleries.com/blog/2019/01/08/photos-2018-jmggalleries-blog-readers/

For now, you can go to his blog touting the 2018 round and linking to all the previous rounds all the way back to 2007 by clicking here.  Thanks Jim!

A healthy-looking coyote moves through a ranch pasture.

Coyote, Point Reyes National Seashore

A leopard stares from under the overhanging leaves of a palm tree.

Leopard, Serengeti National Park

This is a photo of a bobcat sharpening its claws.

Bobcat with Damaged Eye, Point Reyes National Seashore

Wildebeests become trapped on the steep north bank of the Mara River

Wildebeest Crossing Mara River, Serengeti National Park

cheetahs, cheetah, photo, image, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Two Cheetahs Rest, Serengeti National Park

Mother elephants keep their calves protected inside the herd.

Mother Elephants and Calves, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Male bobcat.

Bobcat, Point Reyes National Seashore

Bobcat hunting at Point Reyes National Seashore.

Bobcat, Point Reyes National Seashore

Male Lion, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Male African Lion, Serengeti National Park

Coyote, Point Reyes National Seashore

Coyote, Point Reyes National Seashore

A group of elephants faces the camera at sunset in Tarangire National Park.

Elephants, Tarangire National Park

A coyote stares at the camera.

Coyote, Point Reyes National Seashore

A male lion walks through the Serengeti and stares at the camera.

Male Lion, Serengeti National Park

A coyote looks over its shoulder.

Coyote, Point Reyes National Seashore

A badger stands next to a hole it is digging looking for gophers.

Badger, Point Reyes National Seashore

African Lion, Lion

Lion Cub, Serengeti National Park

A lion cub rests near its mother, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. (Jim Coda)

A lion cub rests near its mother, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

We saw a lot of lions in Serengeti National park. This cub was in Northern Serengeti.  Speaking of Serengeti, it’s a very big park.  It’s larger than Yellowstone National Park.  In fact, I looked up the acreage of both parks before the trip and saw that if I added two Yosemite National Parks to Yellowstone I’d get one Serengeti National Park.

This cub was with several other cubs and their mothers near a small creek.  It has a few flies on it which look like tsetse flies to me.  Two are on the lower lid of its left eye.  When tsetse flies bite,  you know it.  Unlike a mosquito, a tsetse fly’s mouth has tiny serrations that saw their way to your blood.  They also have hard bodies.  Most of the ones I smacked just flew away.

African Lion, Lion

African Lion with Broken Fangs, Serengeti National Park

In my last post I showed a photo of a male lion with a nasty wound just below his right eye.  I mentioned he had other problems, including his teeth.  Here’s a photo of him mating with one of the lionesses in his pride.  He opens his mouth here and his upper left fang seems to be missing.

African Lions copulating; Serengeti National Park,Tanzania. (Jim Coda)

African Lions Copulating; Serengeti National Park,Tanzania

Lions mating with male lion showing missing and broken teeth

Male Lion Has Missing and/or Broken Fangs, Serengeti National Park.

Here is an enlarged portion of the previous photo which shows his teeth better.  Not only is most if not all of his upper left fang missing, but his lower left fang is broken and looks decayed.  I just saw a TV show about an African sanctuary which takes in wild animals and gives them a second chance.  The program showed some lions and hyenas getting dental work done.  Broken and missing teeth are a common problem with lions (and maybe hyenas as well) and a factor in estimating their age.

This guy doesn’t live in a sanctuary where they give medical care to the animals.  He will have to live with his health problems.  I hope he lives a full life.

For a larger view of the first photo above, click on my portfolio.

African Lion, Lion

Male Lion with Facial Wound, Serengeti National Park

The face of this malelion shows many scars from fighting. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. It has a large open wound under his right eye and his upper lip exposes his teeth at all times. (Jim Coda)

Male Lion with Open Facial Wound

I saw several male lions in Serengeti National Park and, as I recall, they all had some wound and/or scars on their faces.  This guy was the worst though.  The wound under his right eye looks like it could be serious.  He has lost all his skin over the area and I’m  wondering if flies might lay eggs in the wound.  On the other hand, I’ve seen TV documentaries where lions had worse wounds and they recovered.  I hope this guy makes it.  I don’t know how old he is, but he has some other problems.  There is something wrong with his upper lip.  The two sides of his upper lip don’t come together and you can see several of his upper and lower teeth.  Plus, based on another photo, I don’t think he has his upper left fang and his lower left fang is broken and black in the center which may indicate an exposed nerve and/or infection.  Life  in the wild is tough – even if you’re a male lion.

On the other hand, we saw him mating with one of the females in his pride, so he’s still king of his area of the Serengeti.

To see a larger photo, click on my portfolio.