While researching lions in Zambia, biologist Thandiwe Mweetwa noticed that lionesses within a pride will all have cubs around the same time. When she looked into it further, Mweetwa learned lionesses sync their fertility cycles so that they can all raise their young together. There’s a reason for that. “Synchronized estrus is thought to increase […]
Tag: panthera leo
You Lookin’ at Me?
A young male Lion (Panthera leo) strides across the Serengeti plain to an intensely interested audience of many. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania with Sametu Camp.
Fifteen a Day for the Past 75 Years…
Fifteen a day…that’s how many lions have disappeared from the face of the planet every day for the past 75 years. How many days are left then, for the remaining 20,000 members of this amazing, iconic species? Time to change it up now! Lioness (Panthera leo), Kafue National Park, Zambia with Shumba Camp and Wilderness […]
Zambia lifts hunting ban on big cats
Nine months after Zambia lifted its general trophy hunting ban—including on elephants—the country has now lifted its ban on hunting African lions (Panthera leo) and leopards (Panthera pardus). The Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) lifted the ban after surveying its big cat populations and setting new regulations. During the announcement the country’s Minister of Tourism and […]
Kalahari Black
A black-maned Lion (Panthera leo krugeri) of the Kalahari indulges in a rare drink from a puddle caused by an abundance of rain during this year’s rainy season. Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana. with Kalahari Plains Camp. Nikon D4 Nikon 200-400mm. ISO 800 f4 @ 1/350 sec. Lexar Media. © Dana Allen www.photosafari-africa.net www.facebook.com/DanaAllenPhotoSafari
86 percent of big animals in the Sahara Desert are extinct or endangered
Bigger than all of Brazil, among the harshest ecosystems on Earth, and largely undeveloped, one would expect that the Sahara desert would be a haven for desert wildlife. One would anticipate that big African animals—which are facing poaching and habitat loss in other parts of the world—would thrive in this vast wilderness. But a new […]
Scientists: lions need funding not fences
Fences are not the answer to the decline in Africa’s lions, according to a new paper in Ecology Letters. The new research directly counters an earlier controversial study that argued keeping lions fenced-in would be cheaper and more effective in saving the big cats. African lion (Panthera leo) populations across the continent have fallen dramatically: […]