Mapoza is a stunning lion and the dominant male of a pride in the Thornybush Game Reserve. His right eye is cloudy because of either a birth defect – a congenital glaucoma – or an injury early in his life. Whatever the cause, it hasn’t hindered his success in life!
Of all the photos I took during our trip at KwaMbili Game Lodge, this is my favorite. As a friend said: His right eye is his spirit eye with which he looks into the world of the ancestors. That’s absolutely believable!
One of the highlights of our trip was finding this mother lion with two cubs in a river bed. At this age – maybe three months old – they are still reliant on mother’s milk and too little to engage in the hunt with the rest of the pride, so mother will hide them for long periods to go hunting and come back for feeding and play time.
A close up view of a male lion walking past. It was so great to spend some time last January with a pride of lions that had just devoured a zebra. They were lying around, then getting up, lying down again, until they finally moved out of sight into the thickets. While female lions are beautiful, it’s the males that really stop my heart!
It’s a wet morning, but this male lion has nothing to complain about, really. His belly is very full after his pride caught a zebra. A male lion needs about 7 kilos of meat per day to stay in good shape, but when a kill is available they will eat up to 30 kilos in one session. This male looks like it did just that…
The intense stare of a lion stalking through the high grass of the green season. We came upon a pride of six or seven lions who had just caught a wildebeest and were busy devouring it. Lions have a strict hierarchy in who gets to eat first. This female was already done and was now looking for a place to rest and recover, while the others were still eating.
Looking forward to the photographic opportunities that the new year will bring. Happy 2020 everyone!
We were parked at the viewpoint at Lengau Dam. Just about to turn around I looked up and said, “There’s something else coming. Looks like kudus… or lions.” I wasn’t even serious about the lions, it was just that whatever I saw from the corner of my eye had that sort of color. I looked again and… there really were lions!! Seven lions came down from the hill to the water to drink and play. What an amazing sight!
Goosebumps to see this female lion, part of a pride of seven lions, staring at me from close by! Photo taken in Pilanesberg National Park.
Awesome wonder 