Lion against the sunset over the Gorongosa Flood Plains

The first thing I notice when viewing this image is the framing of the lion with the tree limbs. It is very effective and unique. The lower half of the image would benefit from a slight boost in exposure. It appears a little bit dark compared to the sunset above. Nice image, Monique.

Nice image, Monique!
I thought I read somewhere recently that lions were virtually extirpated from Mozambique. Is that true?

Paul

Ron Day wrote:The first thing I notice when viewing this image is the framing of the lion with the tree limbs. It is very effective and unique. The lower half of the image would benefit from a slight boost in exposure. It appears a little bit dark compared to the sunset above. Nice image, Monique.

+1-love the framing!

There's a lot going on in this image Monique, and there's a lot to like with your choice of composition working with the different elements you were presented with. Well worth a click to appreciate the uncompressed view. I feel that if you had been able to get a lower perspective, placing the lion against the golden sky, this shot would have really been raised to another level!

Carol.

Paul Fusco wrote:Nice image, Monique!
I thought I read somewhere recently that lions were virtually extirpated from Mozambique. Is that true?

Paul

Yes that is correct.  The civil war which only ended in 1994 resulted in wholesale slaughter of mammals in the game parks and this loss of prey was catastrophic for the lion population.  In Gorongosa which is a large national park, the numbers reduced to well below 50.  A lot of effort has gone into protecting and conserving the lion population since then and now that prey numbers are good, the population is slowly recovering.  However snare poaching remains a threat and lions in the park are carefully monitored and tracked.  Was lucky to find a group of sub adults without collars.

Carol Clarke wrote:There's a lot going on in this image Monique, and there's a lot to like with your choice of composition working with the different elements you were presented with.  Well worth a click to appreciate the uncompressed view.  I feel that if you had been able to get a lower perspective, placing the lion against the golden sky, this shot would have really been raised to another level!  

Carol.

Thanks Carol.  Agreed re the lower perspective but we were constrained with being in the vehicle and it wasn't really an option to get out!!

MoniqueA wrote:

Paul Fusco wrote:Nice image, Monique!
I thought I read somewhere recently that lions were virtually extirpated from Mozambique. Is that true?

Paul

Yes that is correct.  The civil war which only ended in 1994 resulted in wholesale slaughter of mammals in the game parks and this loss of prey was catastrophic for the lion population.  In Gorongosa which is a large national park, the numbers reduced to well below 50.  A lot of effort has gone into protecting and conserving the lion population since then and now that prey numbers are good, the population is slowly recovering.  However snare poaching remains a threat and lions in the park are carefully monitored and tracked.  Was lucky to find a group of sub adults without collars.

Thank you for the good info, Monique. 
Hopefully conservation efforts will sustain the lion population, and others, well into the future.

Paul