where there’s smoke there’s fire

LION BEHAVIOR FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

 by Christiaan Winterbach May 2020

I am a wildlife biologist that has worked for 25 years in northern Botswana, mostly in and around the Okavango Delta. My focus has been on counting large carnivores, especially lions. Sharing a passion for carnivores and photography, I have spent more time with lions than most people.

Introduction

Going on a once in a lifetime safari, you don’t want to lose key photographic opportunities. The advantages that professional wildlife photographers have over a first-time visitor, are local knowledge and an understanding of the animals. Knowing where to find animals and when they are going to do something improves your chances to get that special photo. A good guide will go a long way in providing local knowledge. I hope this will help you with some basic understanding of lions and not to miss the shot! Leopard tail

People associate lions with the African savannah, but they use from the deserts to the edge of tropical forests, and everything in between. Lions are social cats, living in prides consisting of related females and their offspring. Prides frequently spend time apart in sub-groups.

New males will take over as pride males from time to time. The coalition of pride males mostly consists of 1 to 3 males. The males are dominant over the females and aggression is a normal part of lion social interaction. 

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