Stories1 min(s) read
Published 10:37 30 Jul 2020 GMT
A photographer in India has managed to capture a stunning photograph that shows a lioness and lion in the midst of a dramatic confrontation.
The striking image was taken in Gir Forest, Gujarat, by photographer Urmil Jhaveri, who captured the pair's intense showdown. Fox News reports that the scene is actually part of a pre-mating ritual.
29-year-old photographer Urmil Jhaveri, who has been observing and documenting Asiatic lions for nine years, revealed that Gir Forest in Gujarat is the only place on Earth where you can observe the species.
You can see the incredible image right here:
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The National Geographic appears to confirm this on their website. They wrote, "Nearly all wild lions live in sub-Saharan Africa, but one small population of Asiatic lions exists in India's Gir Forest. Asiatic lions and African lions are subspecies of the same species."
Sadly, only a "fraction" of Asiatic lions now survive in the wild. Gir Forest was once a royal hunting ground, but today is a reserve where big cats are heavily protected, according to National Geographic. They are listed as an endangered species.
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WWF India describes the visual characteristics of Asiatic lions thus;
"The most striking morphological character, which is always seen in Asiatic lions, and rarely in African lions, is a longitudinal fold of skin running along its belly. The fur ranges in colour from ruddytawny, heavily speckled with black, to sandy or buff-grey, sometimes with a silvery sheen in certain lights. Males have only moderate mane growth at the top of the head, so that their ears are always visible."
According to WWF India, there are believed to be 523 Asiatic lions left in the wild. As for the conservation issues the lion population faces, WWF India writes, "Though the conflict is not high now, with changing lifestyles and values these may increase in the future. There are also cases of lions dying by falling into the unguarded wells around the Gir PA. The Asiatic lion faces threat of genetic inbreeding arising from a single population in one place."
