H3_W6_001

Date: 2022

Location: Masai Mara, Kenya

Did you know?

Lions have the loudest roars of all big cats. Lions will use their roar to ward off potential intruders, and/or to protect their territory and their pride. Other lions will know how many lions are roaring at once and are less likely to attack if they hear larger groups. But there is also a social aspect to roaring. Lions know the sounds of friends and family as opposed to strangers. Lions may growl, moan, groan, huff and puff and emit gurgling growls that resemble purring, because unlike traditional purrs—which are continuous—the vibratory sounds that lions produce are only evident when they exhale.

About the picture

We were driving through Masai Mara around dawn one morning in August 2022 when we suddenly heard the roaring of lions. It was evident that it was the early morning roaring done by male lions to proclaim their territory and ward off intruders. In fact, we could hear another set of roars from male lions of another pride somewhere in the distance responding to these lions. As we watched, the coalition of males were walking through the tall grass, roaring. Since it was still dawn, the sunlight was illuminating each breath as the lions roared. You can almost hear the roar and feel the warm breath when you see this picture.

Fun Fact

A lion’s roar can reach up to 114 decibels—the same noise level as a chainsaw or a live rock music concert. A lion’s roar can be heard from 8 km (5 miles) away.