The Birmingham Males

[Tshokwane]

Credits to Pete Thorpe - Londolozi.

A Birmingham male lion looks up as he hears the sound of other lions close-by. This pair of lions had been mating and the male was acting particularly defensive over the Ntsevu lioness, not allowing any other lions to come close to her.

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A male lion looks fiercely towards one of his brothers as he stands guard next to the lioness that he was mating with. I enjoy how the tail of the lioness and the darkness both contribute towards a natural frame around the male’s piercing eyes.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Male lions can cover huge distances in a night as they patrol their territory. One has to take this into account when setting out to search for them in the morning, as tracks that seem fresh could be a few hours old and one could still be several kilometres behind them. Luckily, on this particular morning we were sitting watching some antelope when we heard lions calling as part of their territorial patrol. With some coordinated teamwork, the lions were found soon after. Seeing male lions on the move is quite humbling as their power and strength is well portrayed through their heavy footfalls.

*This image is copyright of its original author

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