HARVEY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

African Wildlife: Lions

Before going to Africa the first time, it was always my dream to take pictures of a lion in the wild. Taking pictures of lions is fun as they are very social and are the only big cats that remain together as family groups (prides). Lion photos can be interesting as a male or two will protect his pride against rogue males who are looking to take over a pride. If the rogue males succeed, lion pictures can be disturbing as they will kill all of the cubs, putting the females in estrus so they can produce their own offspring. Female lions hunt as a team and provide for the entire pride including the males. The males aren't always in immediate proximity of the pride, but when they are, they eat first and leave what is left over for the females and the cubs. Lion photos of the pride can provide a lot of interaction pictures between the adult lions and cubs. The interacton is great as I'm always looking for the ultimate lion picture.

I hope you enjoy my lion pics. These lions photographs were taken in South Africa and the Masai Mara.

My youtube video of lions hunting in South Africa.

Blogs from photographing lions in the Masai Mara:

Day Ten; Little Governors' Camp

Day Fourteen; Little Governors' Camp

These two lion cubs were playing on top of a huge dead fig tree. The two month old baby is trying to get away while the six month old cub forces him to put on the brakes.This picture won the 2010 Governors' Camp wildlife photo contest. Jonathon Scott was filiming a scene from 'The Truth about Lions' about 40 feet away from us just on the other side of this fig tree.
  
We came upon this pride in the early evening. They were just waking up. This baby cub is enjoying a yawn and a stretch. A few minutes later they were up and traveling. The next morning we found them again on a buffalo kill. This time they were all full and fat. They would eat until they were full, rest, then get up and eat some more. This went on for a couple days.
   
We were looking down at this little guy from the jeep. He was too lazy to lift his head as he had just woken up, so he looked up at us and I was lucky enough to capture this image of his big eyes.
     
  
   
This baby lion is so content he looks as though he is smiling.
   
     
  
Eyes of a juvenile lion in South Africa.
   
A juvenile lion cub in South Africa.
   
Lion cub portrait from South Africa.
     
  
This cub was running towards us (probably 60 meters away). He was trying to keep up with his pride. He is part of the famous marsh pride in the Masai Mara.
   
These two lion cubs were playing in South Africa.
   
This juvenile lion came running up to his mom? or aunt? for a little play as a herd of elephants pass by in the background.
     
  
This is the king of his jungle.
   
Lions tend to nap where ever they feel like it. In this case they were lying all over the middle of the road in the afternoon.
   
This white lion lives in a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa. White lions don't "blend" well, so they don't tend to live very long in the wild. Kind of hard to hunt when you stick out like a sore thumb.
     
  
A little affection from mom just before her and the other adult lionesses go on a night hunt.
   
One of the few lions we saw in Tarrangire National Park. This lioness was the matriarc of a very small pride of about 5 lions.
   
This lazy juvenile lion was lazing around on a hug fig tree. Just behind that fig tree, Jonathon Scott was filming 'The Truth About Lions'. It was our last morning in the Masai Mara. The light was perfect, the lions were active and we had the opportunity to watch the BBC in action. All in all a great morning.
     
  
I have yet to see a white lion in the wild. This one was living in a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa. White lions are white due to a recessive gene, just like black leopards, king cheetahs, spirit bears and white tigers.
   
This male was the king of the Marsh Pride in the Masai Mara, Kenya.
   
This cub is part of the famous Marsh Pride in the Masai Mara. This picture shows him letting out a baby roar.
     
  
This lion cub is bored as the lion pride rests during the heat of the day. Mom's tail is swatting away flys, so the baby enjoys a good game of "catch mom's tail".
   
Lion cub and mom relaxing in the afternoon.
   
These males are about four years old. They are kind of lion purgatory. They were kicked out of the Marsh pride, so they are too old for their old pride and yet too young to take over a pride of their own.
     
  
Lion brothers in Masai Mara, Kenya.
   
This king of the Marsh pride lets out a huge yawn.
   
Juvenile lion from the Marsh Pride in the Masai Mara, Kenya
     
  
One of the cubs from the famous Marsh pride in the Masai Mara in Kenya.
   
One of the four year old male lions from the Marsh Pride in the Masai Mara in Kenya.
   
This lioness and two cubs are enjoying a zebra. A picture doesn't really do this scene justice as there is a lot of growling and fighting when lions eat. It reminds me of humans eating ribs, except that the sauce all over their faces isn't barbeque sauce. :)
     
  
This was our first morning in the Masai Mara, photographing the Marsh pride. The BBC was also filming them at the same time, so it was a very memorable day in the Mara.
   
These lion cubs were sitting together as if someone propped them up.
   
Lions seem to lie down and nap any where they feel like. In this case, they block the road so vehicles have to drive in the ditch to get around them.
     
  
This young Mara lion sees a grants gazelle, so sits up momentarily. He must not have been hungry or figured he couldn't catch him as the gazelle couldn't keep his attention.
   
This lion cub is about six months old and is part of the famous Marsh pride in the Masai Mara, Kenya.
   
A white lion in captivity in South Africa.
     
  
This lion is the leader of the Marsh pride in the Masai Mara. He hears another lion roaring off in the distance. Although his rival is miles away, he quickly perks up and takes attention.
   
This lion is doing what lions do best during the day...Sleeping. Lions can sleep up to about 20 hours per day.
   
This little character was posing for us in South Africa. Even as a baby I think he knows he is the King.
     
  
Picture of lion brothers in the Masai Mara.
   
This is one of the lion cubs from the famous Marsh pride. This cub is about six months old in this picture.