“My favourite animal to photograph is the lion. But you have a limited opportunity to photograph lions, in the sense that lions are mostly asleep when encountered by a photographer, but also, more concerningly, because there are so few lions remaining in Africa. We estimate as few as 9,600 wild lions remain to roam Africa’s plains today, a reduction of 87 per cent of numbers estimated in 1980. They’re now mostly living in small, scattered and isolated populations.

Photographers generally like to concentrate on males and cubs, but the lionesses are the heart of the pride. Superb predators, they also keep the pride’s tight social bonds. To keep being able to photograph this magnificent predator, whose statues, images, paintings, logos and stories can be found all over the world, we need to focus our lenses, eyes and minds on urgent conservation measures.”

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My Big 5

Lion
Caracal
Zebra
Giraffe
Jackal