Anup Shah / African Lion (Panthera leo) juvenile reaching out with curiosity, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March

Martin Dohrn / Group of lions (Panthera leo) at night, Masai Mara, Kenya. Photographed using 'Starlight Camera' technology without artificial lighting.

Andy Rouse / African lion (Panthera leo) mother and very young cub, Masai Mara, Kenya, Africa

Anup Shah / African Lion (Panthera leo) male feeding on a warthog kill, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March

Anup Shah / African Lion (Panthera leo) male approaching Spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March

Anup Shah / African lion (Panthera leo) cub aged 1-2 months swimming in a waterhole, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March

Anup Shah / African lion (Panthera leo) lioness resting with her two playful cubs aged 1-2 months, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March

Neil Aldridge / African Lion (Panthera leo) cub reaches for a moment of intimacy with its father, Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana

Mark MacEwen / Male Marsh pride lion (Panthera leo) on a moonless night, Masai Mara, Kenya. Taken with infra red camera, September

Christophe Courteau / African lioness {Panthera leo} drinking at waterhole. Okavango delta, Botswana.

Oriol Alamany / Male African lion (Panthera leo), Kruger National Park, Transvaal, South Africa, September.

David Pattyn / African lioness (Panthera leo) head portrait, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

Anup Shah / Lioness (Panthera leo) playing with young cub aged 3-6 months, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, August

Anup Shah / Defassa waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa) male standing in a lake surrounded by a pride of African lions (Panthera leo), Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, September sequence 8/11

Anup Shah / African lion (Panthera leo) male feeding on a kill amongst others, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, September

Anup Shah / African lion (Panthera leo) male head and shoulders profile portrait, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, September

Anup Shah / Defassa waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa) male standing in a lake surrounded by a pride of African lions (Panthera leo), Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, September sequence 1/11

Anup Shah / Defassa waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa) male charging at an African lion (Panthera leo), Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, September sequence 11/11

Anup Shah / Lioness (Panthera leo) playing with a cub aged 9-12 months, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, August

Anup Shah / Defassa waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa) male charging at an African lion (Panthera leo), Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, September sequence 10/11

Anup Shah / Defassa waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa) male standing in a lake surrounded by a pride of African lions (Panthera leo), Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, September sequence 7/11

Anup Shah / Defassa waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa) male charging at an African lion (Panthera leo), Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, September sequence 9/11

Anup Shah / African lion (Panthera leo) young playing in water, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, September

Anup Shah / Lioness (Panthera leo) playing with a cub aged 9-12 months, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, August

Anup Shah / Eastern White bearded Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) being attacked by pride of African lions (Panthera leo) Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, September, sequence 9/12

Anup Shah / Eastern White bearded Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) fighting back against attacking African lions (Panthera leo) Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, September, sequence 12/12

Andy Rouse / African lion (Panthera leo) mother and cub calling to others in pride, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Andy Rouse / African lioness (Panthera leo) resting with head on another at sunrise, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Roy Mangersnes / Lioness (Panthera leo) moving her newborn cub, Okavango, Botswana, November.

Tony Heald / African Lion (Panthera leo) young male at sunrise, Etosha National Park, Namibia

Tony Heald / African lion (Panthera leo) young male backlit at sunrise, Etosha National Park, Namibia October

Uri Golman / Tourists watching an Asiatic male lion (Panthera leo persica) from safari jeeps, Gir Forest NP, Gujarat, India

Uri Golman / Asiatic lionesses and cubs (Panthera leo persica) drinking from pool, Gir Forest NP, Gujarat, India. Water is scarce in the Gir, so Forest staff keep a network of drinking pools topped up for the wild...

Uri Golman / Asiatic lion cub (Panthera leo persica) looking up into tree, possibly at a bird, Gir Forest NP, Gujarat, India

Uri Golman / Asiatic lioness (Panthera leo persica) licking another lioness from the pride, Gir Forest NP, Gujarat, India

Uri Golman / Asiatic lioness with two cubs (Panthera leo persica), Gir Forest NP, Gujarat, India

Andy Rouse / African Lion (Panthera leo) adult looking from behind tree, half hidden. South Luangwa, Zambia, Africa.

Andy Rouse / Portrait of African Lion (Panthera leo) 'Notch', star of Disney's African Cats. Masai Mara, Kenya, Africa.

Andy Rouse / Old female African Lion (Panthera leo). Masai Mara, Kenya, Africa.

Andy Rouse / African Lion (Panthera leo) 'Notch', star of Disney's African Cats. Masai Mara, Kenya, Africa.

Nick Garbutt / Male African Lion (Panthera leo) playing with 4 month cub. Big Marsh, near Ndutu, Nogorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Lioness (Panthera leo) holding her newborn cub in mouth. Okavango, Botswana, November.

Pete Oxford / African Lion (Panthera leo) male portrait, Moremi Game Reserve, Okavango Delta, Botswana

Florian Möllers / African Lions (Panthera leo) in a bare cage in Beijing Zoo, China, November.

Anup Shah / Lioness and cub aged 12-18 months (Panthera leo). Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Anup Shah / Lioness (Panthera leo) and cub aged 9-12 months share affectionate moment, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Anup Shah / Male Lion (Panthera leo) close up of flies swarming on face, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Anup Shah / Lioness (Panthera leo) trying to protect cubs from charging Cape buffalo herd (Syncerus caffer caffer), Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Anup Shah / Lions mating (Panthera leo), Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Anup Shah / African Lioness (Panthera leo) walking along with playful cubs aged 12-18 months leaping on her back, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya,

Anup Shah / Lion cub (Panthera leo) trapped by herd of Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer), Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Anup Shah / Lioness snarling (Panthera leo) Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Anup Shah / Male Lion head portrait (Panthera leo) Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Laurent Geslin / African lion (Panthera leo) two cubs licking blood off their faces after feeding on Wildebeest carcass, Masai Mara reserve, Kenya

Andy Rouse / African lion (Panthera leo) male lion in long grass, Masai Mara GR, Kenya, January

Andy Rouse / African lion (Panthera leo) two cubs playing at sunrise, Masai Mara GR, Kenya, January

Andy Rouse / African Lion (Panthera leo) Notch from Disney African Cats film and two of his sons, Masai Mara GR, Kenya, January 2011

Andy Rouse / African lion (Panthera leo) cub playing, Masai Mara GR, Kenya, February

Andy Rouse / African lion (Panthera leo) three females from pride walking on road, Masai Mara GR, Kenya, January

Andy Rouse / African Lion (Panthera leo) male lion greeting female and cubs, Notch from Disney African Cats film, Masai Mara GR, Kenya, February

Andy Rouse / African lion (Panthera leo) two young cubs following mother, Masai Mara GR, Kenya, February

Andy Rouse / African lion (Panthera leo) young cub following mother, Masai Mara GR, Kenya, February, (crop of 01360430)

Anup Shah / Adolescent male Lions (Panthera leo) play fighting, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, March

Anup Shah / Playful Lion cub with lioness (Panthera leo), Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, October

Sergey Gorshkov / African lion (Panthera leo) lioness leaping over water, reflection in water, Okavango Delta, Botswana, July 2007

Sergey Gorshkov / African lion (Panthera leo) male in habitat, Okavango Delta, Botswana, January

Martin Dohrn / Three hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) approaching a resting lion (Panthera leo) at night. Topi Plain, Masai Mara, Kenya. Image taken using an infared camera with no artificial visible light, on location for...

Anup Shah / African lion (Panthera leo) male following a female, courtship, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. February

Anup Shah / African lion (Panthera leo) three sub adults approaching remote camera with curiosity, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. February

Anup Shah / African lion (Panthera leo) cubs aged 6-9 months approaching with curiosity watched by their mother, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. February

Anup Shah / African lion (Panthera leo) feeding on recent kill with vultures gathering in the background - wide angle perspective. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. October 2009.

Anup Shah / African lion (Panthera leo) male feeding on recent kill with vultures gathering in the background - wide angle perspective, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. October 2009.

Chris Shields / Illustration of wildlife at African waterhole: Water buffalo (Syncerus caffer),gazelle,African lion (Panthera leo),African elephant (Loxodonta sp), weaver birds (Ploceidae).

Sharon Heald / African lion [Panthera leo] mother leading two very young cubs to water, Etosha National Park, Namibia, August

Sharon Heald / African lion [Panthera leo] juvenile males playing, Etosha National Park, Namibia, August

Tony Heald / African lion (Panthera leo) juvenile males play fighting, Etosha National Park, Namibia, August

Tony Heald / African lion (Panthera leo) juvenile males play fighting, Etosha National Park, Namibia, August

Charlie Summers / African lion (Panthero leo) male giving flehmen grimace, Tanzania, East Africa

Anup Shah / Lion male (Panthera leo) snarling - head-on portrait. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, August 2009

Anup Shah / Lion cub (Panthera leo) aged about 9 months bullying a younger cub aged about 4 months. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, August 2009

Anup Shah / African Lioness (Panthera leo) dragging the carcass of a giraffe she has just killed, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. February

Anup Shah / African Lionesses (Panthera leo) with their cubs aged 3-6 months walking along a track, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. February

Anup Shah / African Lionesses (Panthera leo) with their cubs aged 3-6 months walking along a track, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. February

Anup Shah / African Lion cub (Panthera leo) aged 1-2 years play fighting with a lioness, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March

Anup Shah / African Lion (Panthera leo) head portrait of juvenile male reaching out with his paw, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March

Anup Shah / African Lioness (Panthear leo) charging in pursuit of prey, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March

Anup Shah / African Lion cub (Panthera leo) aged less than 2 days old with its mother, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. September

Anup Shah / African Lioness (Panthera leo) taking a swipe at remote camera, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. February

Anup Shah / African Lion cub (Panthera leocub aged 7 months with younger cub aged 2-3 months. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. September

Anup Shah / African Lioness (Panthera leo) carrying her cub aged 2-3 months, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. August

Anup Shah / African Lion (Panthera leo) male head portrait, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. August

Anup Shah / African Lion pride male (Panthera leo) head portrait, low angle, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. February

Anup Shah / African lioness (Panthera leo) portrait with male behind, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. February

Anup Shah / African Lion (Panthera leo) head portrait of juvenile male, relaxing playfully, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. April

Anup Shah / African Lion (Panthera leo) head portrait of juvenile male, showing teeth in aggressive display, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. April

Anup Shah / African Lioness (Panthera leo) and cubs curiously approaching, low angle, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. February