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Photo of the week – King of the jungle
This fantastic image of a male lion was taken here at Indlovu River Lodge in the Karongwe Private Game Reserve. Photographing lions remain a firm favourite among wildlife photographers. This might have something to do with the cultural significance that we associate them with.
The lion has been an icon for humanity for thousands of years, appearing in cultures across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Although there has been incidents of attacks on humans, lions have overall enjoyed a positive depiction in culture as strong and noble. A common depiction is their representation as “king of the jungle” or “king of beasts”; hence, the lion has been a popular symbol of royalty and stateliness.
In Africa, cultural views of the lion have varied by region. In some cultures, the lion symbolises power and royalty and to no surprise, some powerful rulers had the word “lion” in their nickname. For example, Marijata of the Mali Empire (c. 1235–c. 1600) was given the name “Lion of Mali”. Njaay, the legendary founder of the Waalo kingdom (1287–1855), is said to have been raised by lions and returned to his people part-lion to unite them using the knowledge he learned from the beasts. In much of West Africa, to be compared to a lion was considered to be one of the greatest compliments.
Back here at Indlovu, we have to agree that coming upon a lion, certainly makes one feel privileged. Their stately form and subdued forcefulness is a winning combination. Whether it is because of cultural association, or merely because of the force of its presence, the lion certainly deserves its name as king of our jungle.
Click here for more info on our Photographic Safaris, or contact Louisa at
Lodge: +27 (0) 15 383 9918 or email: [email protected]
Info adapted from: http://ow.ly/wQkC300pBfh
Further Reading
It was such a pleasure hosting this years competition winner Michiel Duvenhage and his wife Mart-Mari. This is what they had to say about their experience.
At Indlovu River Lodge our food is prepared with care by our dedicated staff. We like giving our guests a warm, local experience by making traditional South African food, but sometimes we add a nice European twist to make our foreign guests feel more at home.
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