Lionesses

Male lions are extraordinary, especially when they have those big manes. They rule the area, they walk around with a swagger, and they have an aura about them. The way they walk, the way they carry themselves, they know they’re the boss. A big male is an amazing photograph, and there are definitely mornings I’d happily sit with one and be very happy.

But I love lionesses. I love photographing them and I love watching them — the relationships they have with each other, sisters, cousins, siblings, the other females in the same pride. The way they hunt together, the way they communicate, the way they nuzzle. I’m in awe of watching them.

Don’t get me wrong, a big male is still an amazing photograph, but a lot of the time I’d choose lionesses. Part of that is practical, because the males attract far more cars and the lionesses often mean a quieter, more private sighting. But that’s only part of it. The real reason is the relationships they have, the connections, the stories.

Most of the time when you’re building a family tree in lions, you can only look at the maternal line, because chances are you don’t know who the father is. I’ve been sitting with the Marsh pride, and the Topi boys are dominant over them just now — seven males. A new cub could have several possible fathers. Maybe not all of them mated with the females, but there could still be three, four, five potential fathers. You know who the mother is, so you can track that lineage a long way back, especially here, where the Marsh pride has been watched for so long.

Charm was a Marsh pride lioness from the BBC’s Dynasty, and her daughter Kito is one of the females leading that pride now. When you see her, and you know the story she has and the line she comes from, it’s just something so special. That’s the story I want in the picture, and that’s why I love to photograph lionesses.