A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Panthera leo krugeri
It is something religious about spotting a Lion in the wild. This fully grown male was defending his woman that was lying down in the grass. (A keen eye can see her ear in photo 4) Dry season gives the lion a perfect camouflage since their colour blend perfectly with the dry surroundings. Lions can live for 10–15 years in the wild, but males seldom live longer than 10 years, as injuries sustained from continual fighting with rival males greatly reduce their longevity. This is my 100th spotting and my Noah journey has been much more giving than I expected in the first place. What a great and wonderful bunch of dedicated and enthusiastic ppl that gets together here! Thank you for all the kind words, all ID suggestions and your interest in my photos, even if I have a very simple camera! It is a great feeling to be a member in the PN-team! But after all, it is the nature that counts!
Spotted at open savanna/grassland close to Malelane gate in Kruger National Park. Biome map: http://birding.krugerpark.co.za/best-bir......
About 80% of the 1600 lions that habitats Kruger National Park suffer from TB diceace. BovineTuberculosis, was probably introduced to South Africa through domestic cattle brought in by European settlers at the end of the 18th century. Dewald Keet, the chief veterinarian at Kruger National Park, does worry. He said that bovine tuberculosis is an ever-increasing threat to Kruger lions. But because TB is increasing at a slow rate, people may have the mistaken impression that it has stabilized. "Nothing is being done to control the disease except research," he said. According to Keet, the prevalence of the disease in lions in the southern half of the park varies between 48 percent and 78 percent. He explained that lions first contracted the disease when eating infected buffalo carcasses, and the southern region of the park is where TB prevalence is highest in African buffalo. Lions in Kruger are also infecting each other through biting and aerosol transmission, Keet said. About 25 lions die of TB every year in Kruger, but even more important is the effect of the disease on lion social behavior. Males are weakened by the chronic disease, and this, Keet said, leads to "faster territorial male turnover and consequent infanticide, eviction of entire prides, and a decrease in average longevity." (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/...)
Spotted on Jul 21, 2013
Submitted on Jul 25, 2013
26 Comments (1–25)
Just beatiful Tina congrats,perfect to the ocasion Danièle.
Congratulations, Tina. A wonderful SOTD, and a nice way to mark your 100th spotting too. I've also been fortunate to have seen lions in the wild. Mine were on the Serengeti, and it was a very powerful, spiritual experience.
Congrats Tina. Magnificent.
Congratulations Tina, your spotting was chosen to illustrate #WorldLionDay! I hope you're well!
"Today is #WorldLionDay! World Lion Day is a global campaign to celebrate the importance of lions and raise awareness about their conservation. In 2015 the killing of Cecil the lion in the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe captured attention worldwide, and served as a timely reminder of the fragility of wild lion populations. While lions once roamed several continents, these animals are now restricted to small populations in a handful of African countries and to the Gir Forest National Park in India. The global lion population has undergone a reduction of approximately 43% over the past 21 years, and is assessed overall as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Threats to lions include retaliatory or indiscriminate killing, prey base depletion, habitat loss, poaching and poorly regulated sports hunting.
Find out more about lion conservation programs associated with World Lion Day:
https://buff.ly/2AZgO5U "
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/pho...
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/1...
Thank you very much James. Wonderful words :)
Astounding images Tiz. Truly remarkable. You have a keen eye, steady hand and I love the black and white!
Thank you dear António. It feels like this photo was taken in a different lifetime. A lot of things have happened since I took this photo :)
I am very glad you liked it, and voce e um estrelo!
I missed this one Tiz,your 100 one,super spotting,congrats and thanks for sharing
Thank you so much MacChristiansen, RiekoS and AgnesAdiqueTalavera. I agree on the milestone. If one reach 100 I guess it is more likely to reach 1000 one day! So impressed by all the spottings in here... Have a great day all!!!
Great series for a milestone 100th spotting. Congrats, Tina!
Great pics Tiz
Truly beautiful.
I am so very happy that you like this series! Thank you for your kind words Sarahaw, and have a great weekend!
Tina
Just breath taking! Love the whole series but particularly the last one! Awesome work!
Thank you all for your comments! Sckel, Suzanne, Adarsha, Alice, Smith Zoo, MaryFord and Maria, if it wouldn't be for people like you, I would not have uploaded 100 spottings! A word on the way, or a little story for that matter, means a lot for many of us!
Nice series, Tiz. Congratulations on your 100th spotting. This could also go in the mission for Kruger: http://www.projectnoah.org/missions/8322...
So cool!! Thanks for contributing to the Great Nature Project!
Wow!!!!!!
Cool series! Keep up the good work'!
Congratulations Tiz! Its the king of animal kingdom you have spotted!
Breath taking series of photos...Simply artistic :)
-Adi
I saw a lion up close. Today, this lion lives in a sanctuary for rescued animals. But he survived 12 years hidden in a slaughterhouse disabled. It was a circus lion, which was abandoned as a baby.
Happy 100!
Congratulations Tiz, for their 100th spotting super cool, my favorites. :)
Thank you Jemma! And it is very scary how the numbers of the big cats in the wild has decreased the last 20 years. One day our genereation will be blamed blamed for this... Thank you my dear Noah bro Faredin! I hope that I will find more life to share here as well, and that goes for both of us :)
Congrats on the 100th spotting, hopefully we will celebrate many more hundreds spottings with such amazing species :). The photos are amazing.