Masai Mara Big Cat Pictures

A collection of 22 big cat pictures from the Masai Mara. Wildlife photographers Anup and Manoj Shah have spent a total of six months in the heart of the Masai Mara, photographing some of the 20 prides that roam the area are here is a collection of some of the best pictures.

This picture, taken on a remote camera, shows a mature male lion passing the camera

Three lion cubs in in the Masai Mara Nature Reserve in Kenya are roused from their afternoon siesta...

...Spotting something in the grass, they move in for a closer look

Captured by a remote camera disguised with elephant dung and grass, these intimate images give an insight in to the life of the king of the jungle


The remote camera captures a close-up shot of a male lion


Travelling to the nature reserve last July, the brothers used remote and stand-alone cameras to capture images of the Ol Kiombo, Paradise Plain, Bilashaka and Topi Plain prides


Observing their behaviour and interaction, Anup and Manoj returned in February, March and April this year to see their progress


"I am most satisfied with the images which show the personality of the lions," says Anup, who lives in Watford

"There is one image of three lion cubs of the Ol Kiombo pride. They look both slightly bold and a little apprehensive, but that is exactly what a lion cub is"

Born and raised in Kenya by Indian parents, brothers, Anup and Manoj are self-taught wildlife photographers

Concentrating on the behaviour of mammals, the brothers were astonished by the results their remote cameras brought

Placed near watering holes and resting places of each pride, two remote cameras were triggered by movement with images automatically taken every time an infrared beam was broken

"I have known and followed these prides of lions for over ten years," explains Anup. "Lions are creatures of habit to a certain extent and so you can predict where they are going to rest, where they might go to drink water and so on"

Aside from deploying remote cameras, Anup and Manoj were able to get close enough to some of the prides to capture breathtaking interaction. "Another striking image shows a cub of the Bilashaka pride cowering in a river bed amid a battle between a herd of 50 Cape buffalo," says Anup. "Thankfully the herd passed by and the cub was able to return to the pride"

"Another image shows an alpha male of the Topi Plain pride striking out at a younger male lion. "It was a show of strength and gave the message that the younger lion was to leave the pride"

There are 20 prides in the Mara (and a total of 400-500 lions) but the Bilashaka pride is the most famous, having featured in the BBC's Big Cat Diary series since 1996. Picking up the the Bilashaka pride in 2008, Anup and Manoj followed the nine cubs, four females and two males for over a year. "Their behaviour evolved in just a few short months. As they got older they became less inquisitive and more in tune with hunting." says Anup. "But one thing that hasn't changed is they are still very playful"

The images are set to be showcased in a new book, "The Lions Of Mara", which will be released in 2011.

The brothers will return to the Masai Mara later this year to collate more images to finish their project. Here are some more pictures of the lions....

For more information on Anup and Manoj's work visit www.shahimages.com

Sourced from the Telegraph [link]