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Okavanga — Lion Family

#cubs #lion #lioness #safari #tanzania #wildanimals #wildlifephotography
Published: 2015-11-22 11:14:40 +0000 UTC; Views: 405; Favourites: 28; Downloads: 0
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Description The Leopard and the LionsJust South of the Lemala Camp, in the central Serengeti, stands a solitary statuesque sausage tree (Kigelia africana) http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/kigelia-africana-sausage-tree Rising to 15 meters, with its convoluted branches covered in dense foliage and with its large sausage-shaped fruits hanging ripe to fall, this tree casts a wide shadow over a dry gulch of an ephemeral river that floods the land in the rainy season. Parched land covered in long but dessicated grass lies all around, an occasional thorn bush breaking the local monotony. This is where we found the lions that morning. I say "we" found the lions, rather our amazing guide/driver Alfred the Great, he of the lucky belt (more of which in a later Feature) had found the lions after a careful study of tracks and patches of flattened grass. Standing up in the Land Cruiser, scouring the landscape, my wife and I saw nothing until Alfred whispered, "There, in the gulch - a paw!" Carefully manoeu
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Comments: 11

LindArtz [2015-11-24 16:31:27 +0000 UTC]

Aaww tender moment. : I love the look on the baby's face, the one under mama's head. !

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Okavanga In reply to LindArtz [2015-11-25 07:26:06 +0000 UTC]

Big cats are very tender and loving to their cubs, Linda. The one is question is probably a male, the other maybe a female. They will be brought up now by the pride, and guarded by all the females against predatory mature males lions until they are old enough to fight back - a couple of years.

Cheers

David

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LindArtz In reply to Okavanga [2015-11-25 17:34:56 +0000 UTC]

Gah, why do the males do that! To the young of their own species....terrible!

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Okavanga In reply to LindArtz [2015-11-26 07:50:28 +0000 UTC]

Genetics - I'll explain more in a subsequent Feature - the one about sex!

Cheers

David

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Photoshopforearth [2015-11-22 22:25:02 +0000 UTC]

Excellent work!  So sharp!

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Okavanga In reply to Photoshopforearth [2015-11-23 11:32:47 +0000 UTC]

Hi Richard - thank you for that. Sharpness is a key issue with these. I apply a bit using Lightroom, but try not to go too far. If the whiskers, or a catch light are well delineated then that's about the right amount.

Cheers

David

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Photoshopforearth In reply to Okavanga [2015-11-23 23:16:59 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for the tip.  So much to learn in Photoshop!

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Okavanga In reply to Photoshopforearth [2015-11-24 07:21:11 +0000 UTC]

Too true - too much! Give me a shout if you need any help, although I can't promise to be able to answer everything.

David

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jennystokes [2015-11-22 15:19:09 +0000 UTC]

  

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Okavanga In reply to jennystokes [2015-11-23 11:34:20 +0000 UTC]

One for the family album?

Many Thanks

David

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jennystokes In reply to Okavanga [2015-11-23 13:07:42 +0000 UTC]

Oh yes!

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