Male Lion, Kenya
A male lion walks toward the rising sun in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy in Kenya. These lands are just outside the northern border of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Tag: male lion
Mature Male Lion, Kenya
Here is a lion that I saw every day while shooting in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy in Kenya. He co-leads a pride with another male of about the same age. I don’t recall if they are brothers or just partners to give themselves a better chance of holding onto the pride.
Male Lion, Porini Lion Camp, Kenya
This is one of two male lions that were the leaders of a pride that I saw every one of the four days I was at Porini Lion Camp. They were easy to find, at least when you have Nelson Keiwua and John Tompoi as your guide and spotter. Canon R5 and EF-17-40L lens. Just kidding. RF-100-500L lens at 500mm.
Male Lion, Kenya
I photographed this male lion at sunrise in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy. I just read that they weigh up to about 570 pounds. Wow. This guy just exudes power. I’m glad they never jump into safari vehicles that stop for photos just 20 yards away. They never do, right?
A Male Lion at Sunrise, Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Kenya
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.
Male Lion; Serengeti National Park
Serenity.
This handsome male lion is in his prime. I have read that as he ages his nose will become black, he will develop jowls and he will have noticeable scars on his face. I’m guessing he’s about 5 or 6 years old.
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
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.
