One of my fellow members of the Catawba Valley Camera Club, Hickory – Judy Young is also a pencil sketch artist. She used my lion photo from Gir National Park, Gujarat, India to create a pencil art piece. Wonderful rendition by Judy!
Found an interesting, artistic tee shirt design depicting a composite of a lion and a woman at Gir National Park, Gujarat, India
The Lion is probably the biggest enemy of the Leopard and a fight to the death will ensue when they come into contact. Hyenas and Baboons have also been known to attack and kill Leopards, in particular the young cubs. Leopards climb trees to survey the surrounding area for food, stay cool in the shade, store their prey and, most importantly, escape potential danger.
A leopard in full stride at Gir National Park, Gujarat, India.
Captured different expressions of a lion resting in Gir National Park, Gujarat, India.
A lion staring at something from behind branches at Gir National Park.
Closeup images of a lion sleeping and nearly dozing off in Gir National Park.
While this image might be sensitive to some, here is a lion protecting a buffalo kill from hyenas and other animals in Gir National Park, Gujarat, India.
Closeup, using a zoom lens from far, of a lion in Gir National Park, Gujarat, India – in natural color and monochrome version.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A young lion cub watches with curiosity while a juvenile one walks through the forest of Gir National Park, Gujarat, India.
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
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.
Gir Forest National Park is a wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat, western India. It was established to protect Asiatic lions. Gir National Park is the only place in the world outside Africa where a lion can be seen in its natural habitat. The lions of Gir are a majestic animal, averaging 2.75 meters in length, and with a bigger tail tassel, bushier elbow tuffs and prominent belly folds than his African cousin which has larger mane. Gir is a home to 40 species of mammals and 425 species of birds.
We went on four safaris at Gir using open air utility vehicles. Here is a composite of the entrances to the park and two vehicles following a lion walking on the forest road.
A lantern lion stands proudly at the Chinese Lantern Festival
Chinese Lantern Festival – King of the Jungle
Lion Cub Posing
A lion cub posing for a portrait in Tanzania looks cute and innocent but will be dangerous when mature