Welcome to Lion Photos

On this website you will find images of lions taken by Will Burrard-Lucas.

About Lions

Binomial Name: Panthera Leo

Lion Subspecies
– African Lion
– Asiatic Lion
– Masai Lion
– Congo Lion
– South West African Lion

The lion is a large, carnivorous, big cat, mostly found in Africa. Even though the lion today is mostly seen Africa, they can also be found in India, and they were once much more widespread, with some species being found in Europe. The lion is often represented as a symbol of victory, courage and freedom in many human cultures.

The lion is the only social big cat. In the wild, they live in groups known as prides. Each pride typically consists of 1 or 2 adult males (who rule the ride) a medium-large group of females (lionesses), sub-adults and young cubs. They typically live up to the age 11-14 years old.

Lions have a thin golden coat, and are sexually dimorphic. The males are characterized by a large, golden, or black mane of fur around their necks, while the females have no mane.

Lions are mostly nocturnal predators, hunting by night and sleeping or resting during the day. They hunt a variety of prey, and will seize any opportunity to make a kill. However, their typical prey consists of Zebra, Wildebeest, Buffalo and sometimes antelopes. The females do most of the hunting, and are often observed co-operating as a team. In some areas of Africa, lions can form super prides, numbering up to 40 individual cats. These prides may specialize in hunting very large prey, such as Elephants.

The lion is currently under threat, with their numbers decreasing due to habitat loss, poaching, trophy hunting, and human-wildlife conflict in Africa. There are now an estimated to be fewer than 30,000 lions left in Africa. Recent research has also suggested that global climate change is becoming an increasing threat to the lion.