Story Behind Six Lions Stress-free at Serengeti National Park

Arranged in an ideal line atop a mud mound, six relaxed male lions sit with their legs draped over the grassy crest. Their faces maintain a impartial expression, as in the event that they’re taking a break from being ferocious. Some look off within the distance, whereas a pair look immediately at Daniel Dolpire’s digicam. The New Zealand-based photographer captured this unimaginable shot in 2012 whereas in Tanzania. Its tranquil tone, and surprisingly candid composition, goes towards the stereotypes we regularly have about lions—that they’re untamed and at all times on the prowl. Here, these concepts don’t ring true.

“I took this ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ shot at &Beyond Klein’s Camp, a remote and exclusive camp set on a 10,000-hectare concession leased from Maasai landlords deep in the corner of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park,” Dolpire tells My Modern Met. “While the camp lies in the path of the Great Migration, there is also ample resident game, and morning game drives begin at sunrise, with guides often on the lookout for lions resting from the previous night’s hunt.”

Dolpire was accompanied by a information and tracker workforce on the camp, and so they discovered the group on the fringe of a stream slightly after seven within the morning. “I scrambled for my two camera bodies (Nikon D4 and D3s, and 200mm – 400mm and 500mm) and got the shot!” His timing was good. “Exactly six minutes later, the first lion got up and, within another five minutes, three were sleeping, and the other three had gone off into the bush.” Had the group been just a bit earlier or later, Dolpire wouldn’t have captured the superb picture.

“The &Beyond guides consistently monitor the animals in the region and their movements,” the photographer shares, “so they were able to tell us that these six young males were part of the biggest pride in the reserve—the Black Rock Pride, which frequents the north west region. The pride consists of eight adult females, two dominant males, four sub-adult females, three sub-adult males, five cubs of approximately 7 months old, and eight young males, six of which I managed to photograph.” All of them had been simply over 3 years previous on the time of the {photograph}.

This picture marks a profession excessive for Dolpire and a particularly fortunate break. “I have been taking wildlife photos for over 20 years, but this has got to be my special moment!” He says. “Following up on news of the lions with &Beyond Klein’s Camp in August of that year [2012], I learned that they have split up and have only been seen in pairs, so the timing for getting this exceptional shot proved to be crucial.”

Wildlife images is usually about being ready once you’re in the correct place on the proper time. Dolpire’s photograph proves the magic that may occur when these two issues align.

Daniel Dolpire: Website

My Modern Met granted permission to characteristic pictures by Daniel Dolpire.

Related Articles:

New Fundraising Initiative Raises Conservation Funds Through Wildlife Photography

Robert Irwin Continues Family Legacy of Conservation Through Award-Winning Wildlife Photography [Interview]

World’s Top Wildlife Photographers Collaborate To Protect Tigers within the Wild