Queens of Mara

One of the most famous lion prides in the Masai Mara, the Topi Pride, consisting of almost 40 lions, ruled by three vicious males.



I have visited numerous parks across Africa and never have I witnessed such a large pride and better yet catching them in one frame. This is no doubt one of the most memorable photos I have taken as it captures the essense of a family, a story of hard ship from other threats, the young, the old and the unborn.



Lion populations have seen about a 95% population reduction in their historical range over the last century - a staggering statistic. According to IUCN, there are less than 25,000 left in the wild with a red list status of vulnerable. Whilst threats to their populations are mostly attributed to humans, such as local communities (as they pose a threat to their livestock) and poachers, one area that is prominent to the species is trophy hunting - a controversial topic that is highly political and mismanaged. Whilst the argument for might be that it generates fund for lion conservation and revenues for governments and local communities, the mismanagement and corruption associated with trophy hunting is overwhelming and is a major contributor to the decreasing population. A key factor is that the mature male lion is the gold standard and is highly sought after amongst hunters.



The sad story is that male populations are considered to be only about 4,000-5,000. With estimates of about 500-600 killed a year (at least reported), the impact is devastating. The loss of just a single male lion (the protector of his pride) has such a significant impact to the wider population of lions. When killed, his pride are vulnerable to the threat a younger males seeking their own pride terrority, which often leads to brutal fights and the immediate elimination of the pride cubs.