To be in the presence of lions is an incredibly humbling experience. Their sheer size and mass alone is intimidating enough, but the penetrating gaze they settle upon you seems to bore a hole right through you.
This week’s TROG PHLOG is a dedication to the absolutely amazing lions of South Africa. Click the thumbnail for the complete gallery:
There is also a movement happening in South Africa to ban canned hunting which I would like to take this opportunity to draw some attention to. The term “canned hunting” is coined for the practice of placing lions in small enclosures for wealthy trophy hunters to shoot at close range. It’s comparable to the likes of “shooting fish in a barrel” and so really not much of a trophy kill at all. Often hand-reared (bottle-fed and regularly handled since being a cub), the lions don’t even exhibit normal “lion” behaviour since, by this age, they’ve grown quite accustomed to handling and generally associate the presence of humans as completely non-threatening and moreover as an opportunity to be fed something. But hand-reared or not, the practice is barbaric at best. It would be like going out to hunt a grizzly bear and going to the zoo to get it.
Though the date and most recent event have passed, I do encourage you to check out the webpage for http://www.globalmarch4lions.org to help put an end to the cruel practice.
all for adventure 
Being a cat lover , do you find their gaze similar ? ie. a “feline”gaze
Totally concur , the killing of these wild animals is despicable , be they lions , elephants, rhinos …
What memories Sheri .
Ta tante
Very much so! I remember looking at many of them and seeing my sister’s cat, especially. He has such a regal expression with an elegant profile, and they definitely seem to share a very “wise” sort of way of looking through you. It’s quite incredible, actually. :).