Circle of Life

It started with a swish of a tail in the long grass. Soon we heard the snarls. Issa, our guide, correctly predicted that we had stumbled upon a pair of mating Lions. We waited, hushing eachother, hoping they would come out into the open.

Then the Lioness slowly climbed the termite mount right in front of us. From her high throne, she gave us a cursory glance before collapsing onto her side

Suddenly, we noticed the male Lion just off to one side, appearing as if out of thin air, giving us a much closer look.

While the Lion still watched us suspiciously, the Lioness had other ideas. She coyly walked around him, brushing up against him.

Male Lions have spines on their penis to cause slight trauma to the vagina upon withdrawal. The resulting pain triggers ovulation and all the snarling!

A lioness mates up to 100 times per day with an average interval of 17 minutes (range 4 – 148), each mating lasting for 21 seconds (range 8 – 68) - He looks pleased with himself, doesn’t he?

Regal couple - they’re going to make some really good looking kids.

The Lioness tried to entice the male prematurely and was rebuffed in no uncertain terms.

Instead, the Lion seemed like he wanted a break and some space.

He found a particularly photogenic spot to lie down in, framed by lavender flowers.

The Lioness gave him his space for a bit, but before long, she was back. And this time, he didn’t seem to mind.

Climax.