African Safari Photo Journal #5

This is the fifth post in an ongoing series showcasing STP customer Ray Boyd’s September 2007 African safari in Tanzania.

No African safari would be complete without a glimpse of the world’s most spectacular land predator, the lion. The mighty lion is undoubtedly the most sought after animal on safari. And for good reason — this magnificent animal is a sight to behold.

Although Ray considers the elephant to be the rightful king of the jungle, there’s no denying the power and brute strength of the lion. Ray said he was within yards of this black mane lion. He seems pretty content with the attention — must be used to the paparazzi.

Even though the males look tough, it’s the females that do most of the hunting. This lioness is taking a little well-deserved break in the sun - she sleeps up to 20 hours a day to rest up for her nightly hunts.

Wildlife officials have tagged this lioness to record her movements and learn a little bit more about her habits and territory. She’s probably used to it by now, but it looks a little tight to me. Hopefully it’s providing information that’s useful to the survival of her species.

All of the male lions in Tanzania have black manes. Unlike the females, who live in prides their entire lives, males assume solitary roles after being vanquished from their pride by younger males. Once they’ve left the security of the pride, they do all the hunting themselves.