Closeup, using a zoom lens from far, of a lion in Gir National Park, Gujarat, India – in natural color and monochrome version.
Lion Portraits
Category Archives: animals
Lions Being Disturbed from Sleep
Lions are carnivores and the large amounts of protein they consume takes a lot of effort to digest. So the next time you see a lion snoozing, remember that these kings of the “jungle” aren’t just lazing around: they’re breaking down nutrients and storing up energy to dominate the food chain come evening!
Disturbances from somewhere wake up these male lions from sleep and they are wondering who all are making noise at Gir National Park.
Laziness of Lions
Copious amounts of beauty rest (up to 20 hours a day!) is a natural lion behavior that helps this iconic species preserve energy for when they really need it. Lions are crepuscular, meaning they are most active in twilight hours (between sunset and dusk and dawn and sunrise). Conserving energy during the warmer temperatures of the day gives lions an advantage over their prey, which are mainly species less active during the darker, cooler hours that lions thrive in. Additionally, like the majority of cat species, lion eyesight also improves in dimmer lighting.
Here are some male lions sleeping in quite unusual positions at Gir National Park, Gujarat, India.
Young Lion Focused
A young male lion focuses on something of interest at Gir National Park, Gujarat, India. Young males are chased out of pride when they are around two years of age and start being sexually mature. These bewildered male lions then head out alone into the wild, getting injured while hunting, falling victim to alpha males in the jungle, or getting caught in snares if they mistakenly venture near the villages along the forest.
Baby Nilgai at a Watering Hole
A baby Nilgai weighs some where between 13.6 to 15.9 kilograms. Nilgai’s attain maturity at the age of eighteen months. The gestation period lasts for nearly eight months. The mother Nilgai usually gives birth to twins. In some cases, the number of young ones may also be one or three. Blue bulls of India are herbivores, and consume grasses, leaves, buds and fruits.
Here is a baby Nilgai at a watering hole in Gir National Park.
Male Nilgai
Blue Bull, the other name of the Nilgai is one of the most commonly found wild animals in Gir National Park. Although it is an antelope it looks more or less like an ox. The Indian Blue Bull antelope grows to a length for 1.8 to 2 meters; it weighs nearly one hundred twenty to two hundred and forty kilograms. On the top of the long and narrow head a nilgai has two conical horns. The horns are straight and slightly tilted.
Carrying Away a Kill
Lionesses are the primary hunters, while dominant males are responsible for protecting the pride’s territory. Lion prey includes deer, buffalo, and other grassland animals. Here is a lioness in Gir National Forest standing over a kill and carrying it away in the deep forest.
Lioness of Gir
Lionesses outnumber males by a substantial margin, despite a near 50% male/female birth ratio. This is probably due to the tendency of males to be nomads, take on more dangerous game, and be killed in pride takeover attempts. Lionesses are loving mothers who demonstrate communal care of cubs, with lactating mothers allowing any cub to suckle. Females employ a cooperative model of child-rearing, with one female staying behind to watch over the cubs while the other females hunt.
Here is a lioness strolling around in Gir National Park, Gujarat, India.
Chitals in Gir
The chital or cheetal, also known as the spotted deer, chital deer, and axis deer, is a deer species native to the Indian subcontinent. While males weigh 150–200 lb., females weigh around 88–132 lb. Males are larger than females, and antlers are present only on males.They are quite abundant in Gir National Park, India.
Marking His Territory
Here is a male lion marking his territory in Gir National Park, India. They mark the area with urine, roar menacingly to warn intruders, and chase off animals that encroach on their turf.
Male Asiatic Lion
The Asiatic lion, a subspecies that split from African lions around 100,000 years ago, once prowled across Asia and the Middle East. Since the turn of the 20th century, its range has been restricted to Gir National Park and the surrounding areas in the Indian state of Gujarat. Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than African lions. Male lions are not as sociable as females, joining the pride mainly for mating and on a large kill. Although hunting takes cooperation, adult males don’t tend to take part in it.
Young Lions
A young lion cub watches with curiosity while a juvenile one walks through the forest of Gir National Park, Gujarat, India.
Strolling Lion
The discernible difference between Asiatic Lions and their African cousins is the shorter and sparser mane in male lions. Asiatic Lions also have a longitudinal fold of skin running along the abdomen, rarely seen in African lions. Here is an Asiatic lion strolling in Gir National Park, Gujarat, India
Seeking Lions
Gir National Park in India is the only natural habitat of world popular Asiatic Lions. When one visits Gir, the primary objective, waking up at dawn, is to see lions while riding in open, utility vehicles. If lucky, you can even spot a lion walking along the road, but it seems these tourists are looking in another direction.
Costa Rica Green Iguana
The green iguana is a reptile that is found mainly in rain forests of northern Central America, several parts of Costa Rica, Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, and southern Brazil. Adults can range in color from green to brown to almost black. During breeding season (Late fall/early winter), mature male iguanas take on an orange coloration, along with their heavy jowls and dewlap, in order to attract mates.
A Boy with Buffaloes
A boy poses with his colorfully decorated buffaloes in rural Kayavarohan, Gujarat, India
Langurs on the Rails
Langurs basking in the sunset glow while sitting on rails in Kayavarohan, Gujarat, India
Tadoba – Sambar Quizzical Look
A male sambar looks quizzically at the photographer with his tongue sticking out at Tadoba National Park, India.
Tadoba – Langurs
Gray langurs, also called Hanuman langurs and Hanuman monkeys, are Old World monkeys native to the Indian subcontinent. The langurs make great sentinels given their elevation in the tree tops and raise an alarm at the first sign of danger (especially from tigers). They are also a provider of fresh fruit and flowers as they feed in their trademark untidy manner, generously dropping the same for the chitals (spotted deer) to enjoy.
Here are langur images from Tadoba National Park, India.
Tadoba – Spotted Deer
The spotted deer, or chital, is the most common deer species in Indian forests. With a lifespan of about 20 to 30 years, it stands at about 35 inches tall and weighs about 187 pounds. The deer’s golden-rufus coloring is speckled with white spots, and it has a white underbelly.
Here is an image of female spotted deer in the deep forest of Tadoba National Park, India.
