The Lions of Masai Mara !!

Masai Mara has one of the highest densities of Lions anywhere in World..some experts say it is indeed the highest..there are between 450 to 500 Lions in it's 1510 Sq kms! According to a recent IUCN study, the density of Lion population in Masai Mara is 30 Lions per 100 sq kms!

I had some amazing sightings in the blissful 3 weeks i spent in August 2010. We saw a total of 30 different adult Lions (most likely different)...over 40 adult Lioness...many sub-adults..about 5 actual hunts..9 attempts...these are a sample of my best Lion pictures....

A pair or a 'coalition' of young Lions we saw one early morning..in fact we heard them roaring very close to our tents that night..i was camping in the middle of the Mara with a photographer friend, Michael. You can make out by their sparse manes that they are yet to fully mature..they were quite tentative and tense as it was not their territory...

One of the young Lions looking back at his partner...i love his auburn colour in the golden glow of the morning sun..

One of the several Lions we saw..this one was walking at a steady pace one early morning..not even pausing to glance at us..notice the high grass one can see at this time of the year...

We came across this Lion on a Topi kill..well hidden in a 'nallah'...i barely managed to get a picture through the thick, thorny bushes...

One of the two beautiful males in another coalition of Lions..we came across several of these male-only coalitions...the biggest one was five in number !

He was looking worried at some Vultures swooping down to their Buffalo kill...

One of the three males in another coalition...notice the spray as he is marking a fallen tree..

His two partners..walking close by...they had a determined walk at a good pace..as if they a distant territory in mind...

Another handsome dark-maned Lion.....

One early morning we came across this big male trying to drag a young Buffalo kill...

He was trying to get a good bite at the Buffalo..this is a full-frame shot..we were really close!!

This Lion is nick-named 'Notch' and is made famous by the BBC film 'Big Cat Diary'

'Notch' is indeed a very handsome, Black-maned Lion..notice the scars on his face..and all over his body..he is a veteran of the Mara Plains..and heads a coalition of five strong male Lions!!

A 'cat nap' in progress..Lions are champion sleepers!