Photo Of The Day By Robert Henderson

Today’s Photo of the Day is “Farewell to the Kings” by Robert Henderson. Location: Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

“Farewell to Bob Jr. and Marley, the Lion Kings of the Serengeti for over seven years,” writes Henderson. “Bob Jr. and Marley were killed in March 2023, in separate attacks by a coalition of rival males trying to take over the pride. There has been an outpouring of grief from all over the world as word of the deaths has spread to park visitors and photographers who had the joy of encountering the lions in person, and many more who knew them only from their images.

“Bob Jr. and Marley were African black-maned lions whose sire was the famous original Bob Marley. The brothers formed a coalition that shared a large pride of females and many cubs. Marley was the more handsome, while Bob Jr., many would say, was the more magnificent member of the coalition. Bob Jr. had a much darker mane, many scars and very dark eyes. He always looked angry (and hungry) except when he was nuzzling his brother.

“Their home range was the Central Area of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania near Namiri Plains. They were without question the two most strikingly photogenic lions I’ve ever encountered. The short grass savannah in the Central Serengeti area where we were following the lions last November had been burned over in a controlled burn a few weeks prior. The grass had been burned down to a very short, reddish-brown stubble. There was a strong breeze that was blowing ash and dust into the lions’ eyes, and their nictitating membranes were halfway up, making their gaze that much more striking as the lions wandered in and out of the limited available shade.

“A special thanks to our guide Anderson Kayle for spending all day with me and on into the evening tracking the brothers for the perfect shot.”

Canon EOS R6, EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM extender lens at 400mm, handheld. Exposure: 1/1250 sec., f/4, ISO 1600.

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Originally Published May 2, 2023