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Namiri Plains (meaning plains of “big cats” in Swahili) in eastern Serengeti had been closed to public for over 20 years. The main goal was for cats like lions, cheetah and leopards to replenish in an undisturbed environment. Today these expansive plains with outcrops of multiple kopjes (small hills) are sprawling with apex predators. We found a young solitary male lion who lived and hunted in the wide open plains around the zebra kopjes of Namiri Plains. It is quite unusual to see a solitary male fend for himself. It is quite possible that his brother was either killed by masaai warriors or killed during a takeover of the local pride. Nonetheless, our young male had survived the perils of living by himself and learnt the skills of becoming an excellent nocturnal hunter. I have tried to bring out the magnificence of this beautiful young male lion in his everyday surrounding. A sight to behold and a memory to cherish. Canon EOS 1DX, 200-400mm F4L lens, 1/500 sec at F5.6, ISO 100, bean bag. Post Processing: Convert to black & white, Cropping, Minor Level adjustment, Minor Sharpening.

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