Lions: The pride of Africa

African lions are one of the continent’s “Big Five,” a term originally coined by hunters to represent the five most dangerous animals to hunt on foot. In addition to the lion, the Big Five includes the leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and Cape buffalo. On my recent trip to Africa, we witnessed all five. The leopard sighting, however, was at night and I did not have a chance to photograph it as it crossed a road outside of Chobe National Park in Botswana.

Lions are widely considered among the most feared animals in Africa due to their size, sharp claws and powerful jaws. During our game drive at Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa, we witnessed just how ominous they can be. We came upon a lioness and her two cubs feasting on a freshly killed wildebeest. Two male lions soon joined in on the meal. It’s not often safari guests have an opportunity to witness this act, which is part of life in the African bush.

Another routine is the act of mating, which our group from Pangolin Photo Safaris witnessed at Chobe National Park. We learned that a lioness can mate 20 to 40 times per day with a male over a three- to five- day period.

In this slideshow, I also added a few photos of a cheetah from Madikwe Game Reserve.

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