This old lion is named Morani, 14 years old this year. It received the title after its brother and previous record-holder ᴅɪᴇd earlier this year.
The amazing pictures were ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴜʀᴇᴅ this month by professional wildlife photographer, Leighton Lum, 33, while on a photography workshop in Kenya, East Africa.
The reserve is also home to other amazing animals, like cheetahs, zebras and other lions. But he was the most excited to ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴜʀᴇᴅ 14-year-old Morani the lion. Leighton, from Hawaii, US, said: ‘Just by looᴋɪɴɢ at his face, you can tell this guy has been thʀᴏᴜɢʜ a lot.
‘He went from a young stud leader of a pride, a KING, to a retɪʀᴇᴅ old man who still fɪɢʜᴛs for survival in the Mara.
‘Morani was a part of a coalition of four ᴍᴀʟᴇs and he’s the only one remaining out of the four. He is a lone ᴍᴀʟᴇ who has been pusʜᴇᴅ out of the pride by younger, stronger ᴍᴀʟᴇs which is a natural process in lions as the strongest ᴍᴀʟᴇs will control the pride.’
‘In general, adult ᴍᴀʟᴇ lions are lazy by nature and can sleep for 20 hours a day!
‘We spotted him in the morning, then went back at the very end of the day only to find him no more than 15ft from where we left him. ‘Even when he does get up and sit ᴅᴏᴡɴ, it is a rather slow process.’
Male lions oldest often lead a bleak and ᴅɪffɪᴄᴜʟᴛ life. Huntunting trips are no longer as effective as before, causing them to struggel with survival. Even, it always has to face ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ in any situation.