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The King Is A Pig - Long Live The King


The King Is A Pig - Long Live The King
Photo Information
Copyright: Loot Eksteen (loot) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5524 W: 722 N: 4163] (11276)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-10-15
Categories: Mammals, Humorous, Bushveld
Camera: Canon EOS 350D, Sigma 170-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO Ultra DG, Digital ISO 400, UV 86mm Kenko
Exposure: f/5.0, 1/200 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Travelogue: Kruger National Park - 2006
Theme(s): Great cats - Grandes felinos, AnYtHiNg ExTrEmElY hUmOrOuS, Mammals of Southern Africa, Felidae of the world: First series, Going to the toilet, Lions, Wildlife of Africa, Mammals of Africa, !Loodzwaar, A study in Mammalogy (mammals) 1, So Funny, I had to laugh. [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-12-20 19:49
Viewed: 9762
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 61
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Savannah Lion - Panthera leo

Driving along the N'wanetsi River Road, near the Shibotwana pan, at Satara in the Kruger Park, we came upon two gorged lion males lying next to the road in total discomfort. They were panting for breath and were so bloated that they could hardly move. One of them was lying on its back and would not even get up to urinate, but rather just laid there and did it all over himself. Talk about a lazy 'King'.

Technically the photo could be better, but I just wanted to share this very interesting and amazing animal behaviour with you people. As it was taken in the late afternoon, with the smoke of veld fires tainting and blocking the sun, light was in short supply. The frenzy at a lion sighting and jostling for position also did not help me much to gain a better POV.

Dozy Lions

Lions spend most of their time resting. They are inactive for about 20 hrs/day which mean they only have about 4 hrs/day to hunt, feed, or be socially active within the pride. They regularly, as a normal part of their lives, experience empty stomachs. Their hunting drives are directly connected to their hunger and this brings about the maximal aggressive activity of these animals.

Lions may not always hunt cooperatively, but they are willing and eager to share the fruits of their labours. Feeding can be a messy affair with an entire pride scrambling for access to a carcass, but a general dominance hierarchy emerges that is governed by sex and age class. Adult males keep females off a carcass, and females dominate sub-adults and cubs. By keeping females off a carcass males may inadvertently make room for small cubs, while the rest of the pride waits at a respectful distance. When they satisfied themselves, they retire in the immediate vicinity to relax, and the females come forward with constant bickering and fighting among themselves.

Interestingly, most of the facial wounds, and the injuries represented by the scars on the lion’s heads, are received during squabbles at kills. Juveniles and cubs are the last to feed and are frequently left out altogether. A sad and all but inexplicable fact of lion life, given the generally social nature of the pride, is that the leading cause of cub death is starvation. Cubs are apparently readily expendable, in the interest of the pride during periods of food shortage, and are later easily replaced when food supply is increased.

Lions have distensible stomachs (expanding, ballooning, inflating as if by pressure from within) that allow them to gorge at a carcass and then wait several days before feeding again. It is not unusual to see lions gorged to the point of bursting, and looking distinctly uncomfortable. Many times a lion may gorge itself on meat (up to ±18kg in one sitting); then it becomes totally lethargic, immensely lazy and would sleep for extended periods of time. Source.

Post Processing was done with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0.
jeanpaul, ellis49, manyee, scottevers7, ramthakur, wuta, oscarromulus, AndyB, jcoowanitwong, marhowie, SkyF, roconnell, Dyker, janhendrik, peter_stoeckl, blakitan, Luc, dew77, SunToucher, TAZ, Aaltjie, nainnain, ecosites, Leace, Miss_Piggy, betsie, Nephrotome2, avallaunius, Rehanna has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
unique and extraordinary imageswinterpalace 1 12-16 05:08
action photoswinterpalace 1 12-15 08:08
To marty: ?loot 7 01-17 14:05
To dew77: Attracting all attentionloot 1 01-10 17:41
To blakitan: Earthquake worryloot 1 12-29 01:54
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Critiques [Translate]

Loot, this is a remarkable photo...perfect timing. It brings make very fond memories of my short time in Kruger. It is a fantastic place. Greetings to the good folks in the RSA from Canada, and I look forward to my next visit over there.

Bonjour Loot
Belle présentation et belle prise de vue avec ce lion dans une pose très relax equi se soulage la vessie.Les couleurs et la nettetée sont très bonnes, belle composition .
Au revoir et félicitation ....JP

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3089 W: 230 N: 6774] (23770)
  • [2006-12-21 1:37]

Hahaha.... This is too funny, Loot.
What a great moment you have caught!
And what a POV!!!
Great notes. : )

Hi Loot,
maybe it's not the best in technically butyou captured a great action of this lazy lion and it's a funny too.
Good details and POV. And as always a great note.
Well done, my friend.

I wish you God Jul och Gott Nytt År

Hi Loot,
Your timing is impeccable! This is one of those shots that just make you laugh out loud. As always, very informative and educational notes. I believe in mt misspent youth I may have been out all night drinking and done something very similar to this lion, but I wouldn't admit to that.

Happy Holidays to you and your family!

Scott

  • Great 
  • Karin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 418 W: 5 N: 268] (2089)
  • [2006-12-21 12:03]

Hi Loot,
Very interesting informationm and a quite unusual photograph you caught here.
Well seen and TFS

This image sure helps in
forming a "realistic" impression of the Lion King, Loot :-)!
I guess this is the first ever picture on TN of a lion p...ing, and that too with least concern for modesty or pride!
Very amusing!
Warm regards and greetings of the Season.
Ram

  • Great 
  • wuta Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 855 W: 2 N: 617] (2142)
  • [2006-12-21 14:07]

Hello Loot , What a good moment very funny good compositie haha , and Merry Cristmas and Happy New Year , for you and youre Famely greetinks Teunie .

Loot,
Love your notes. REALLY, LOVE YOUR NOTES.
This fellow is truely a "LAZY KING". What a GREAT shot.
Only those who have been close to this beautiful creature can honestly appreciate what you are sharing with the world.
WHAT A GREAT SHOT.!!! No more comments. Had to Fav. it.
Best regards, Mario.

  • Great 
  • carper Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1973 W: 119 N: 2582] (8439)
  • [2006-12-22 13:38]

AHH, what a capture Loot
Very interesting photo job Loot. the shot the note, whole complete my friend, I wish you and your family a very nice Christmas.
gr. jaap and Teunie

  • Great 
  • AndyB Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1366 W: 32 N: 1351] (3982)
  • [2006-12-23 11:50]

Hello Loot,
A great moment you've captured here!
You were in the right place at the right time.
Technically not the best as you say but you got a great shot none the less.
All the best to you and your family, have a great christmas and a happy new year.

Hello Loot,
Interesting note and the picture support the note. Well done and seen picture.
Merry Cristmas and Happy New Year.
JC

Hello Loot.
Well..This is a very different post than I'm used to seeing from you :)
This one is in a category all by itself!
I know it's green urine. (I can't believe I'm writing this), but for the most part it looks like appropriately placed lens flare ;}}
I think what you have is the late lights refraction off the "waste material"..but I could be wrong..just an uneducated guess :)
Merry Christmas & a happy & prosperous New Year!

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2234 W: 188 N: 1912] (8073)
  • [2006-12-26 10:11]

Hi Loot,
I never knew that they are that lazy, what a capture. Great timing and excellent POV.
TFS...Sky

Hello Loot,
I loved your sentence "Talk about a lazy King". This is exactly what came to my mind when I saw this picture. What an unusual moment that you caught there! I wonder what kind of smell these guys have at the end of the day :-) This is a very interesting post with useful notes. I learned something new today ;) Thanks,
Claudine

While this is not a majestic view, it certainly is an informative one and illustrates the note regarding lion behaviour very well.

  • Great 
  • Dyker Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 136 W: 0 N: 57] (170)
  • [2006-12-28 0:29]

Loot, not only is this extremely humorous, but it is also a very unique photo of animal behavior. It is real nature at its best and I am surprised that it did not get much more critiques as it seems this is what Trek Nature is all about. I checked out the internet and could not find another photo that displays this kind of behaviour. I only found one other photo where a lion was marking his teritory by urinating so this is very rare material you showed us. Congratulations.
Apart for the bit of grass and twigs in the way there is nothing really much wrong with your photo as the composition is good. The lion is lying on his back so you cannot see his mane or face and if you took it from its head we would not have been able to see this very interesting action from the leaking side. Lol.
The rich colors support your notes about the late afternoon sun and the focus is very sharp.
AC

Loot,

Dit is 'n baie interessante foto. Baie dankie dat jy dit gedeel het. Sowaar 'n luie bliksem. Staan nie eers op om te ... nie. :-)

Jan-Hendrik

Hello Loot,
excellent capture, excellent notes! You are definitely an expert for unusual points of views and very creative and acceptingly positive approaches to any kind of animal behaviour. Having received that kind of a spray all over while I was visiting lions at our zoo I am impressed by the relatively short focal length that you decided to take.
Thank you for all those refreshing, excellent and heart warming contributions you donated to the TN community in 2006. All the best to you and your family, my friend, for the New Year!
With best regards,
Peter

Hi Loot,
You have a very sharp eyes to be able to capture this 'action'. Well focused and great DoF. Very natural colors.
Great shot.

Ben Lakitan
PS: during the last three days we were unable to connect to TrekNature due to problems associated with earthquake in Taiwan.

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3277 W: 148 N: 6163] (18832)
  • [2006-12-30 22:30]

After having 4 sons, and now 4 grandsons, I am shocked that this lions mother/grandmother hasn't taught it proper toilet training. Very bad upbringing... I had a lot of trouble teaching my boys to aim in it, not at it!! Right you guys????

Good shot my friend - you Loot, not the lion! Very amusing!!
Janice

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4432 W: 248 N: 4028] (13270)
  • [2007-01-01 14:03]
  • [+]

Hello Loot,
This is my first critique in 2007 and i'm writing with big smile on my face.:)At first time when i opened the thumbnail i couldn't understand what you caught complately,because paw was attracting all attention.It's a great capture.POV,timing and composition are excellent.Funny work:)
TFS..:-)

Hi Loot,
A wonderfull 2007 for you and your family!
What a photo and what a moment captured. I've seen drunk people act like this, but would expect that animals had a little more decency then us humans. Anyway, this is just beautiful.
TFS,
Niek

:) tomorrow

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2241 W: 47 N: 3167] (10926)
  • [2007-01-03 12:17]

Hello Loot,
Original shot for this lazy king ;-) Great pose and great action ;-)
Congratulations my friend and TFS.

Loot my friend

I could not help but laughing when I saw this photo. The lazy old buggar.
Think he is king but behave like a pig. Ha ha.

Thanks for sharing this very comical nature shot with us. Like allways your notes are interesting and very informative. I must admit that I have learned such a lot about nature just by reading your notes.

I found this poem in one of my granddaughter's poetry books.


The King of the Jungle
By Shannon Knapp

Ruler of all
King of the land
Wise and strong
With hair the color of sand

Roams through his kingdom
Without at fear
The followers sing to him
And then they start to cheer

He goes home to his pack
And all of the food
He sleeps all day
Always in a good mood

His name is the lion
He has no foe
The king of the jungle
Is always in the know

He lives in the jungle
And the desert, too
Respected by all, feared by some
He rules the Savannah under skies of blue

The king of the jungle
Known by the masses
Remains regal forever
In the shade of the grasses

Regards
Aaltjie

hello
belle présentation, bon détails
bravo et merci
edith

  • Good 
  • marty Silver Star Critiquer [C: 22 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-01-16 21:04]
  • [+]

subject *
bg/dof **
Difficulty ****
Sharp ***
Exp *****
pov ***
comp **

Die lui bogger!! moet 'n mannetjie wees :-)
KOM LOOT - WAAR IS DIE NUWE FOTOS?? ek wag vir julle ouens wat my favourites is!!

This thumbnail was on my TN home page today. I mist it before. Incredible action. Very good matching between your extented note and the pic. How could you possibly show beter how lazzy they become.
From the thumbnail I couldn't guess the pic was so good. Hopefully the title made me curious and I clicked it open.
Great documentary value, plus great fun!
TFS
JM

what a moment captured!
interesting...hehe

TFS

Hi Loot

Action!
Shoot!
Cut!

TFS

Verite

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