The Hunting Blog -
I wasn’t very interested in lion until I met a wild one. In the zoo they simply don’t show any of the genuine charisma they have on the ground. The Swahili speaking peoples say that a lion will frighten you three times – once when you hear him roar, the second time when you see his track, and at last when you meet.
Many believe that the all time record for man-eating (in Africa) is held by the two famous males of Tsavo, but that’s unlikely. In No More the Tusker the formidable George Rushby, game warden and hunter in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) recounts a running battle over time with at least one large pride in what is now Njombe district. He was a very disciplined, straight up kind of guy and I have no doubt believing his account. Over three generations they are thought to have killed and eaten 1,500 to 2,000 people. Bad teeth might make a lion seek easy prey, but there is plenty of evidence that some simply regard us as food if the opportunity arises. Not a judgmental thing, just a fact.
Of all the lion images I’ve shot this is a personal favorite. It’s very simple but catches the fundamental paradox about the big cats - they can be brave, bold and determined, but like most predators, aren’t necessarily that smart.
It’s a little mystical, but the gaze of a lion holds everything – and nothing at all.
Pete Ryan
Connect to Faraway
