A lioness on a stone wall in the National Zoological Garden in Pretoria, waiting for the sun to rise above the horizon. Or maybe for the weekend?
Tag: lion
A moment of tenderness
A brief tender moment between two female lions in the National Zoological Garden in Pretoria. One of the lions is a white lion, a rare color mutation also knows as leucism. There are tales from over 400 years ago about white lions in South Africa. Today, because they were a favorite hunting trophy, there are only a few of these white lions in the wild – one famous example lives in South Luangwa National Park in Zambia.
The lion’s dream
A male lion resting on a rock, staring off in the distance. What does he dream of? And look at those beautiful paws!
The lion and the optimist
“An optimist is someone who gets treed by a lion, but enjoys the scenery”
– Walter Winchell
Celebrating the King
Today in the Netherlands it is Kingsday. Dutch people all over the world celebrate King Willem-Alexander’s 50th birthday.
The lion is called the ‘king of the jungle’. A bit of a strange label, since lions live on the African savanna and not in the jungle. But I can imagine what makes the lion king-like: his mane circles his head like a crown, and his pose is absolutely majestic.
That’s not to say that a lion is never afraid or threatened. Just before this photograph was taken, two lions – locally known as Ginger (the albino) and Garlic – were resting in a very relaxed manner. Then two elephants approached.
The lions were immediately alert, and moved away when the elephants came closer. Like any earthly king, the lion is not almighty…
Rest and recover
Today is headache-day. So I’m spending my time with my eyes closed, trying not to move. I just wish I could enjoy it as much as this lion seems to do…
Photo taken in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
