The Last Lion(s)

We weren't quite at the base of the crater when we came upon a line of stopped safari vehicles.  That meant the people were all stopped looking at something major.  

As the title of this post hints, it was a lioness.  As we watched, another lioness and a male lion suddenly stepped from behind some bushes and joined the first lioness.  The three were our last lion sightings of the trip.  It seems like we saw lions every day of the safaris except that first half day.  Even so, we never took the lions for granted.

From go2Africa.com:

     Thanks to the mineral-rich volcanic soil, the short-grass plains grow lush on the      Crater’s floor, which provide nutritious grazing for a plethora of herbivores.             These big herds in turn attract a remarkable number of predators – the densest        populations found anywhere in Africa.

    The Crater’s resident lion population is arguably one of the highest densities of        prides in the world. 

    Completing the team of predators in the Crater are spotted hyenas, cheetahs,        leopards, jackals and bat-eared foxes.  

(For the record, Carol and I did not see any other predators while we were in the crater.)

Tongue pic, almost as good as a tooth pic.

She looks as though she has the weight

of the world on her shoulders.

And now she's ticked about the weight

of the world being on her shoulders.

The big reveal, as another lioness and

a male lion stroll out from behind

the bushes.

Here's the tooth pic I was hoping for.

The eyes of this lion are captivating,

and serve as a good final lion photo

for the blog.

I take a lot of pride in my lion photos.

(Editor: I gotta say, that was your biggest pun reach yet of this trip blog.  Writer: Thank you -- I appreciate the compliment.  Editor: It's NOT a compliment, but there's also no need to try and top that one.  Writer: It IS probably the mane pun of the trip.)