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Lions, Lions and Lions, Oh My! 15 Photos of the Most Majestic Big Cats Found Throughout Africa

Ranging from cubs to adults, this selection of shots from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest showcases the apex predator of the savanna

Out on safari, this tired lion lets out a big yawn after an early morning hunt.
Out on safari, this tired lion lets out a big yawn after an early morning hunt.

Out on safari, this tired lion lets out a big yawn after an early morning hunt.

Lucas Maher, Kenya, 2010

Lions, Lions and Lions, Oh My! 15 Photos of the Most Majestic Big Cats Found Throughout Africa

Ranging from cubs to adults, this selection of shots from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest showcases the apex predator of the savanna

Photographs selected by Donny Bajohr

Out on safari, this tired lion lets out a big yawn after an early morning hunt.
Out on safari, this tired lion lets out a big yawn after an early morning hunt. Lucas Maher, Kenya, 2010

The worldwide population of lions in the wild sits at roughly 24,000, making them a vulnerable species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. Found throughout Africa, lions in the wild can live until 16 years old. Some of the biggest threats to their survival are habitat destruction and human-wildlife conflict. Throughout African game reserves and in zoos around the world, many work to protect these big felines.

This collection of photos gives an insight into the daily lives of strong, majestic, playful and even funny lions.

A lion emerges from the grass
A lion emerges from the grass, eyes fixed on a young buffalo calf among a herd. Moments later, according to the photographer, the herd charged at the lion. Amish Chhagan, Kenya, 2025
A lion lounges in a tree in Lake Nakuru National Park.
A lion lounges in a tree in Lake Nakuru National Park. Shaadi Faris, Kenya, 2010
Lion cubs at Serengeti National Park play with their mother’s tail as she is trying to sleep.
Lion cubs at Serengeti National Park play with their mother’s tail as she is trying to sleep. Yaron Schmid, Tanzania, 2018
a lioness stands tall in the grass
In the Masai Mara game reserve, a lioness stands tall in the grass, looking toward the sun. Ryan Duncan, Kenya, 2010
A lioness and her cub overlook Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania
A lioness and her cub overlook Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. The crater conservation area is the world’s largest volcanic caldera. Hannah Korevaar, Tanzania, 2010
Lions, Lions and Lions, Oh My! 15 Photos of the Most Majestic Big Cats Found Throughout Africa
Also spotted in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a young lion cub looks up at the sky through tall grass. Natalie Williammee, Tanzania, 2010
Four lion cubs look like they are posing
Four lion cubs look like they are posing for this photo in the Okavango Delta. Ariel Cao, Botswana, 2008
A male and a female lion court each other
A male and a female lion court each other in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. The reserve is home to the famous Mara-Serengeti migration. Jacqueline Havriliak, Kenya, 2010
High up in the trees, a lion cub overlooks the land below.
High up in the trees, a lion cub overlooks the land below. Kate Moran, Zambia, 2025
a lioness and her cub drink from a watering hole
Emerging from the darkness, a lioness and her cub drink from a watering hole. “When the camera clicked, the mother lifted her head and stared straight at me,” the photographer says. Paul Nash, South Africa, 2025
The photographer waited patiently for the moment that a lion cub licked its lips as its mother cuddled it in Maasai Mara.
The photographer waited patiently for the moment that a lion cub licked its lips as its mother cuddled it in Maasai Mara. Paul Nash, Kenya, 2024
With prey in its mouth, a young male lion turns away from another lion, unwilling to share his food in the Kij Kij watering hole.
With prey in its mouth, a young male lion turns away from another lion, unwilling to share his food in the Kij Kij watering hole. Willem Kruger, South Africa, 2023
a male lion gazes intensely into the camera
In dusk’s final moments before nightfall, a male lion gazes intensely into the camera. “I used the remaining ambient light to shape a dramatic portrait, exposing carefully to preserve his eyes and mane while letting the shadows tell the rest of the story,” the photographer says. Riznad Hussain, Kenya, 2025
young lions box, pounce and wrestle while the adults rest nearby
Energetic and unsteady on their paws, these young lions box, pounce and wrestle while the adults rest nearby. “Watching them practice the instincts they’ll one day rely on as full-grown hunters was an endearing reminder of the wild innocence that still thrives in the savanna,” writes the photographer. Leighton Lum, Kenya, 2025

Donny Bajohr is the associate photography editor at Smithsonian. You can follow him on Instagram @donny_bajohr.

Jess Daninhirsch

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