Photoblog: The King and Queens of the Jungle
Introducing the majestic predators who rule the African savannah with an almost God-like power. We are Tuningi Safari Lodge are fortunate enough to view lions on game drives regularly, giving our guides plenty of opportunites to observe and photograph them in their natural habitat. Paying homage to the ‘king of the jungle’, we’ve put together a photoblog of gorgeous snaps and interesting facts. Take a look below!
The mighty roar of a lion can be heard from up to 8km away! This bone-chilling sound can reach 114 decibels in intensity – for comparison the sound of a jet engine is about 120 decibels! Other ways lions communicate includes growls, grunts, moans, meows, snarls and purrs.
Not just for show, a lion’s mane protects them in fights, helps them appear more intimidating to other males and indicates health, dominance and virility. In fact, lionnesses tend to prefer males with darker manes over those with lighter ones.
Keeping it in the family, lionesses in the same pride will sometimes sync their oestral cycles in order to conceive at the same time and care for their cubs communally. All lactating lionesses will suckle any cub in the pride, expressing no favouritism to their own offspring.
Collective noun time! A group of lions is referred to as a pride or a coalition. A group of mainly lionesses and their cubs is a pride, while a group of nomadic male lions is a coalition.
Bringing home the bacon. Because they’re lighter, faster and more easily camouflaged than males, lionesses are the primamry hunters of the pride.
While the lionesses are out on hunt – generally between dusk and dawn – males are responsible for protecting the pride and patrolling their territory.
Without a doubt, lions are the laziest of all big cats. They are known to sleep from 16 to 20 hours per day.
Classified as generalist hypercarnivores, lions have been known to eat up to 30kg of meat in a single meal. Their tongues boast razor-sharp pointed rasps, called papillae, used to scrape meat off the bone.
On average, male lions in the wild weigh 190kg while lionesses weigh about 126kg.
Cubs begin to display stalking behaviour at approximately three months old, however they don’t take part in hunts until about a year old. They start to hunt effectively around the age of two.
To see these amazing cats in the flesh and capture your own lion photography, why not book your stay at Tuningi Safari Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve. Take a look at our current rates or get in touch with the team to book an unforgettable stay.
Image Credits:
Gavin Tonkinson
Cornelius Wessels
Ruan Schutte
