H3_W3_002

Date: 2022

Location: Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Did you know?

Lions proclaim their territory by roaring and by scent marking. Their distinctive roar is generally delivered in the evening before a night’s hunting and again before getting up at dawn. Males also announce their presence by urinating on bushes, trees, or simply on the ground, leaving a pungent scent behind. Defecation and rubbing against bushes leave different scent markings.

About the picture

This young male lion was walking around early in the morning and scent-marking a tree. The photograph was taken in Amboseli National Park in 2022.

Fun Fact

Lions and all cats possess a special olfactory organ on the roof of the mouth called Jacobson's organ. When a lion smells the scent mark from another lion (or any other animal that scent marks), it can be seen to be grimacing. By doing this, the lion is opening its lips to draw air over the Jacobson's organ. This grimacing gesture is called the Flehmen response