Lion Love (1 of 1)
Although I love to watch and photograph all the big cats, and predators in general, nothing for me comes close to how much I enjoy lions, except when they are sleeping – which is most of the time! This is an old shot I kept in my archives because I liked it so much, but the top of the male lion was cut off. Thanks to the new tools in Photoshop, I was able to fix that issue and now share the image. Lion coupling is interesting. From my observations, the male will stay close to the female, away from the pride. It is the female, however, that initiates the coupling by either affectionately rubbing against the male or by brazenly laying on her back in an alluring position (I imagine). However, due to stiff hairs on the males’ penis, extraction is painful to the female who normally responds in a typically lion way, with violence. Mating takes place many times a day for many days and I can imagine it doesn’t get any more pleasant for the female, but I’ve read that they need the pain in order to trigger estrus and so will only be fertile on the last day or two. I’ve never seen a fight break out but the female always responds ferociously at the end of each coupling. (Panthera leo) (Canon 1DX II, Canon 200-400 f/4 @ 400mm, f/7/1, 1/1600 second, ISO 640)
Lion Love (1 of 1)
Although I love to watch and photograph all the big cats, and predators in general, nothing for me comes close to how much I enjoy lions, except when they are sleeping – which is most of the time! This is an old shot I kept in my archives because I liked it so much, but the top of the male lion was cut off. Thanks to the new tools in Photoshop, I was able to fix that issue and now share the image. Lion coupling is interesting. From my observations, the male will stay close to the female, away from the pride. It is the female, however, that initiates the coupling by either affectionately rubbing against the male or by brazenly laying on her back in an alluring position (I imagine). However, due to stiff hairs on the males’ penis, extraction is painful to the female who normally responds in a typically lion way, with violence. Mating takes place many times a day for many days and I can imagine it doesn’t get any more pleasant for the female, but I’ve read that they need the pain in order to trigger estrus and so will only be fertile on the last day or two. I’ve never seen a fight break out but the female always responds ferociously at the end of each coupling. (Panthera leo) (Canon 1DX II, Canon 200-400 f/4 @ 400mm, f/7/1, 1/1600 second, ISO 640)