Archive for October, 2008

Leopard in a tree - Copyright (C) 2008 Yves Roumazeilles

Leopard (Panthera pardus, Léopard, Leopardo), Masai Mara, Kenya, September 2008.

As a matetr of fact, the faeces from this big cat (the snow leopard) just acquired a higher status. A scietifical study just showed that a genetic analysis of the dejections of this animal allow a very precise identification (sometimes down to the individual identification) and give an excellent capacity to evaluate the bio-diversity and to count individual animals.

It becomes possible to correct previous estimates (some scats were simply from other wild cats like lynxes) or to measure precisely the genetic diversity of a population of snow leopards.

Source: NewScientist.

After a first Kenya lioness, here come some more lions. They are bathed in the same blue morning light of the same place in Kenya.

Two lions (Copyright 2008 - Yves Roumazeilles)
Lionness (Copyright 2008 - Yves Roumazeilles)	Lionness (Copyright 2008 - Yves Roumazeilles)
Lionness (Copyright 2008 - Yves Roumazeilles)

All images: Copyright (C) 2008 Yves Roumazeilles (all rights reserved)

Or so it seems according to this advertisment for cat food.

Lions are just big house cats

In 1969, John Rendall and Ace Berg, bought a lion cub at Harrods. They gave him more space, brought it tame, then decided to free him in Africa (he was getting much too large for their flat!) A year later, they heard that he was the head of his own pride. Despite the near-impossibility that the lion could remember them, they decided to pay him a visit. And, was it a good surprise!

He even introduced them to one of his females!

Via Neatorama.

Lions are everywhere in the savanah plains of the Masai Mara National Park (Kenya). Those ones were sleeping in the morning light around a termite mound. They pleasantly let me shoot a few portraits.

Lionness - half-portrait Click on the thumbnail images to enlarge them
Lionness, lying	Lionness, lying
Lionness	Lionness
Lionness	Lionness, profile

All images: Copyright 2008 – Yves Roumazeilles – All rights reserved.

Lion (Panthera leo, lion, león)

I observed this nice female lionin the Masai Mara National Reserve in South East Kenya a few days ago. Isn’t she a proud cat?

Lionne, Kenya (Copyright 2008 Yves Roumazeilles)

Really! This is what this Japanese video tries to demonstrate.