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This mature 'pride male' (a male that lives with a group of related females called a 'pride') is in the prime of his life. Pride membership is crucial for male lions, since this is the main opportunity for reproduction for these highly social cats. All males are ejected from their natal prides when they approach puberty and usually spend several years in a nomadic existence. Nomads frequently form 'coalitions' (often made up of brothers or other relatives) that cooperate to oust the 'owner' males from a pride. This is a very violent process, and the tenure of pride males is usually a few years at most; eventually they will be displaced by a stronger coalition. Most of the time however, relationships in a pride are quiet and relaxed. Lions become very used to vehicles in the game parks of east Africa; the male at upper right was nodding off on a warm day. I took the pictures above from a vehicle in Nairobi National Park in Kenya; the images below are of captive lions. |
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