Tag archives for lions
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This week on National Geographic Weekend, host Boyd Matson chats with adventurer Davey du Plessis who attempted to ride the Amazon River from source to sea but was attacked in a random ambush by gunmen; Nat Geo water fellow Sandra Postel discusses the fate of the Amazon River; and an Australian croc wrangler goes to Africa to try to track a river beast.
Every week, embark with host Boyd Matson on an exploration of the latest discoveries and interviews with some of the most fascinating people on the planet, on National Geographic Weekend. Please check listings near you to find the best way to listen to National Geographic Weekend, or pick your favorite segments and listen now below! Episode: 1317 – Air…
This week, we meet a retiree who decided to climb the Seven Summits on a whim, learn about the humanism of primates, explore the potential for drones, previously used exclusively in combat, to help conservation, and we discover where food goes after you eat it.
This week, Boyd’s guests tell tales of lions stealing camera equipment, former whalers who used 19th-century techniques into the 1980s, how to reveal the magnificence of a chicken, and much more.
Every week, embark with host Boyd Matson on an exploration of the latest discoveries and interviews with some of the most fascinating people on the planet, on National Geographic Weekend. Please check listings near you to find the best way to listen to National Geographic Weekend, or pick your favorite segments and listen now below! Episode: 1309 – Air Date:…
Lions No Match for Young Boy and His Invention: Richard Turere at TED
Posted by Andrew Howley of NG Staff on February 27, 2013 
“At the age of 6 to 9, I was responsible for my fathers cows,” says Richard Turere, now 13, and having just spoken in front of about 1500 people at the TED Conference in Long Beach, California. “And these lions were very annoying, because they were killing my father’s cows.” Taking his responsibility seriously, Richard…
Posted by The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), along with a coalition of wildlife groups, has petitioned to list the African lion ((Panthera leo leo) under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Listing the species as Endangered would prohibit lion trophy importation into the U.S., an essential step to reversing the current decline of the population, according to IFAW. The African lion is the only big cat not protected under the ESA.
Posted by Conservationist Amy Dickman knew she couldn’t help big cats in Tanzania rebound without the involvement and support of the local people. Initially communication with the rural community was strained, until they realized she had something they wanted: an outlet to charge their cellphones. Watch this week’s 3rd installment of the Big Cat Week Closer Look series!
It’s Day 2 of our Big Cats Week Closer Look series and we’re bringing you a story you have to hear to believe. Not many people can say they’ve been this close to a lion, much less had one fall asleep on top of them.
The king of the African savannah is in serious trouble because people are taking over the continent’s last patches of wilderness on unprecedented scale, according to a detailed study released this week. The most comprehensive assessment of lion (Panthera leo) numbers to date determined that Africa’s once-thriving savannahs are undergoing massive land-use conversion and burgeoning human population growth. The decline has had a significant impact on the lions that make their home in these savannahs; their numbers have dropped to as low as 32,000, down from hundreds of thousands estimated just 50 years ago.
A New, Genetically Distinct Lion Population is Found
Posted by Sasha Ingber on November 30, 2012 
In a twist on the Lion King’s “Circle of Life,” a group of researchers identified a population of genetically distinct lions—in a zoo. The finding came after an Addis Ababa zoo asked researchers in its sister city of Leipzig to help prove that their lions not only looked unusual, but were genetically unique. The finding…
A team from “60 Minutes” recently visited NG Explorers Dereck and Beverly Joubert at their home tent in Botswana, where they film big cats and work for their protection.
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If it looks like a male lion and is perceived as a male lion—well, sometimes it isn’t. That’s the case of Africa’s unusual maned lionesses, which sport a male’s luxurious locks and may even fool competitors.
Saving Lions by Reducing Conflicts With Villagers
Posted by Marcus & Kate Westberg on July 5, 2012 
Text and photos by Kate and Marcus Westberg The killing and mutilation of a lioness by a group of morani, or Maasai warriors, as part of their initiation into manhood made conservationist Anne Kent Taylor more determined than ever to protect Kenya’s big cats. With a passion for animal welfare, Anne has dedicated a large…
Posted by Nairobi National Park is likely one of the most visited protected areas in all of Africa, home to wildlife including lions and other big cats that are possibly viewed by more people than any others in Africa. Yesterday morning, six lions were killed just outside the protected area. Big Cats Initiative Grantee Dr. Paula Kahumbu is dedicated to protecting…
LION LIGHTS — a home grown solution to saving lions and livestock
Posted by Stuart Pimm on May 27, 2012 Paula Kahumbu, National Geographic grantee and Buffet Prize winner, writes about an innovative solution to save lions. It’s originator is 13 year old Richard Turere. Family portrait of lioness and her cubs, Nairobi National Park, Stuart Pimm. Lions, once ubiquitous in Africa and Asia are now in big trouble of going extinct in the wild.…
The Big Cats Initiative Grants Program seeks to identify and support projects that engage in immediate actions leading to reductions in big cat mortality. Dr. Laly Lichtenfeld, Executive Director of the African People and Wildlife Fund, has been the recipient of multiple BCI grants and provides a prime example of how the BCI and its…
Cute – but endangered – The Lions of Gir
Posted by International League of Conservation Photographers on March 5, 2012 
After having spent an amazing time in the vicinity of this incredible animal, I only hope that the right people will change their mind and give these lions a chance, so that we once again can see them roam freely as they should – Uri Golman
National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative has teamed up with Panthera, the world’s leading organization devoted exclusively to the conservation of the world’s 37 wild cat species. Together, we aim to further the global fight to save big cats in the wild.
National Geographic photographer Nick Nichols is working on a new project in Africa, photographing Serengeti lions. But this assignment is something new, even for a magazine known for pushing the boundaries of photography. Backed up by a team of National Geographic experts, Nichols is deploying a remotely operated miniature helicopter to dangle a camera above a pride of predator, and a toy car to drive a camera within a paw swat of the big cats. The results he hopes for: pictures of Africa’s wild lions such as no one has ever seen.
Elvis Kisimir is the African People & Wildlife Fund’s Human Wildlife Conflict Officer. He is a young Maasai man, well known and respected in the Maasai Steppe where the National Geographic Big Cats Initiative and Dr. Laly Lichtenfeld of the African People & Wildlife Fund have teamed up to save lions.
Posted by In the new film Zookeeper, Kevin James stars as a bumbling zookeeper who seeks relationship advice from his closest friends—the animals. Different animals at the zoo take turns giving their view on how to get the girl. But do these cinematic animals know what they’re talking about? We talked to biologists to get the truth about animal mating. Here’s a look at the animals’ advice in the movie, and whether or not it holds up:
While a new government statement announces the stretch across the Park will not be paved, conservationists’ concerns remain–focused on the traffic, not the tarmac.
2011 Buffett Award Winners
Posted by Andrew Howley of NG Staff on June 21, 2011 
This year’s winners of the National Geographic Society/Buffett Award for Leadership in Conservation are a community leader of the Huaorani people from the Ecuadorian Amazon, and a Kenyan wildlife conservationist who uses blogs to connect conservationists with supporters around the world.
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What one-ton fish armed with rows of dagger-like teeth can rocket ten feet out of the ocean in pursuit of its prey? None other than the great white shark, a super predator that has honed its killing skills over hundreds of millions of years. Husband-and-wife photography team Chris and Monique Fallows share their pictures, experiences, and insights collected over many years of following sharks and other predators in Africa.
The 19 photos in the post may be enlarged by clicking on them individually.
