TITLE: Queens Of Mara

One of the most famous lion prides in the Masai Mara, the Topi Pride, consisting of almost 40 lions, ruled by three vicious males.

I have visited numerous parks across Africa and never have I witnessed such a large pride and better yet catching them in one frame. This is no doubt one of the most memorable photos I have taken as it captures the essense of a family, a story of hard ship from other threats, the young, the old and the unborn.

Lion populations have seen about a 95% population reduction in their historical range over the last century - a staggering statistic. According to IUCN, there are less than 25,000 left in the wild with a red list status of vulnerable. Whilst threats to their populations are mostly attributed to humans, such as local communities (as they pose a threat to their livestock) and poachers, one area that is prominent to the species is trophy hunting - a controversial topic that is highly political and mismanaged. Whilst the argument for might be that it generates fund for lion conservation and revenues for governments and local communities, the mismanagement and corruption associated with trophy hunting is overwhelming and is a major contributor to the decreasing population. A key factor is that the mature male lion is the gold standard and is highly sought after amongst hunters.

AUTHOR: Amish Chhagan (Spain)

Photographing wildlife often requires split-second decisions at the best of the times and relies on one’s intuition to make and create moments. Growing up in Zambia I was fortunate to get numerous opportunities to explore the flora and fauna of this spectacular region of Africa. Between the metropolitan capital city of Lusaka, where I grew up, and the numerous trips to various national parks in Southern Africa, I appreciated the glaring contrasts at a young age; ecological, physical, visual, but mental as well. The serenity of these vast lands and the excitement of spotting wildlife often transpired within me; more so when I found photography (or when photography found me).

My passion in wildlife and the ability to capture unique moments only exists because there are beautiful and spectacular moments to capture in the wild, but therein exists an important duty to show my continued support in conservation.