Four Lions Take Over Busy South African Road, Video Shows

A lion looks on at Nairobi National Park in Nairobi, Kenya on July 11, 2017. Joosep Martinson/Getty Images for IAAF

A video shows the moment several lions held up traffic on a street in South Africa.

New footage posted on the Lions of Kruger Park And Sabi Sand Facebook account shows four lions “on patrol” in Kruger National Park.

The video generated more than 2 million views on the social media website.

“What a gorgeous sight,” said one Facebook user.

“Such beautiful majestic animals, one can’t help but admire them,” said another.

“The elders leading the new leaders of the pride - a beautiful sight,” added one person.

“What MAGNIFICENT creatures!” added another. “Stunning but scary,” a third person stated.

According to wildlife photographer Grant Atkinson, “Male lions in Southern Africa typically live in coalitions. In the southern African region, south of the Zambezi River, the average coalition size is around two males. Actual coalition sizes can vary from two males to seven males.”

“These coalitions are normally made up of lions that are brothers, and often half-brothers, and cousins. They usually have their beginnings when these males are all still cubs, living in their natal pride. It has been recorded though that unrelated males may join up and form coalitions later in their lives,” he added.

Atkinson said that successful lion coalitions can easily find females.

And when they have “gained access to females, they typically become more settled for a while, and spend much time mating and siring cubs,” he said.

“Another thing that happens is that males within a coalition may also begin to move on their own. Almost invariably these solitary ranging movements by the males are temporary, and are driven by the desire to find new females. Wandering males typically return, after a day or perhaps a week, to their coalition partners,” the photographer observed.

Viral Fight with Hyenas

A few weeks ago, footage of a lion fending off more than 20 hyenas was shared en masse.

The lion, named Red, goes into hyena territory and becomes surrounded.

“As they mature, young males begin to explore the boundaries of [lion] pride’s territory,” the BBC commentator says. “Red has ventured out alone … and straight into the middle of the hyena camp.”

More than 20 hyenas then swarm around the lion, inching closer and closer.

They take turns attacking the lion in groups. The lion can’t fight all of them at once.

Then, another lion, Tatu, hears “the commotion,” coming to the rescue.

Giraffe Kicks Lion

In another viral clip from “Planet Earth II,” a giraffe is seen kicking a lion in the face

The big cats run after the giraffe, which seems trapped. However, just as a lioness tries to leap on the animal, the large pack animal hits the cat in the face with a kick.

Cub Spars With Father

In Etosha National Park in Namibia this month, a young lion is seen sparring with his father

Jason Kandume, a photographer who is from northern Namibia, captured the scene in November.

“I always try to respect nature and wildlife. I don’t disturb or chase them. I see people using drones in the parks which I think is wrong,” he told the Mail. “If you’re using a drone then you can’t get shots like this where the animals are playing freely and don’t feel threatened.”

“I was at the waterhole to photograph some rhinos the night before when I heard some lions roaring, so I knew they wouldn’t be too far from the area,” he stated, adding: “Lions are easy to find as long as you have some knowledge of their behavior. They’re known to be active at night, early morning and late afternoon. So I prefer to get up early to get some shots which will showcase their behavior.”

“Timing is everything with lions because they can sleep for up to 20 hours per day. They spend most of their time sleeping in the shade during the day, especially in summer.”

Threatened Species

According to the IUCN Red List, between 20,000 and 39,000 lions are dispersed in the wilds of Africa.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says, “Lions are top predators in their environment, whether that’s grasslands, desert or open woodland. It means they play a crucial role in keeping a healthy balance of numbers among other animals, especially herbivores like zebra and wildebeest – which in turn influences the condition of grasslands and forests.”

Salam, 5, an African lion, stands on the branches of a tree at the Ramt Gan safari near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013. Tree-climbing lions are relatively uncommon and are best known for their populations in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park and Tanzania's Lake Manyara national Park. AP Photo/Ariel Schalit

It adds that three-quarters of African lion populations are on the decline.