“Amazing Pictures of the Oldest Lion in Kenya Caught on Camera.”

“Wildlife photographer Leighton Lum was taking pictures in Kenya when he found a lion called Morani. Morani is 14 years old and is currently the oldest lion in a national reserve in East Africa.”

“The 33-year-old photographer took some beautiful photos of Morani as the lion relaxed in Maasai Mara, a big national game reserve in Narok County. This reserve is famous worldwide for having lots of lions, leopards, cheetahs, and elephants.”

“The reserve, sometimes called The Mara (which means ‘spotted’ in the local Maasai language), is famous for the yearly Great Migration of wildebeest from Tanzania to Kenya. It’s often called one of the wonders of the world.”

“Morani became the ‘oldest lion’ when his brother Scarface, the previous record holder, passed away earlier in 2021.”

“Lum lives in Hawaii and was in Africa for a photography workshop when he took pictures of Morani.”

“Just by looking at his face, you can see that Morani has experienced a lot,” Lum says. “He used to be a young leader of a pride, a king, and now he’s an old retired lion who still fights to survive in the Mara.”

“Morani was once in a group of older male lions, but he has outlived all the others.”

“Morani used to be in a group of four male lions, but now he’s the only one left,” Lum explains. “He’s a solitary male because younger, stronger males pushed him out of the pride. This is a natural process in lions, where the strongest males take control of the pride.”

Taking a clear photo of Morani isn’t hard once you find him because he doesn’t move around much, especially given his old age.

“Adult male lions are naturally lazy, and they can sleep for up to 20 hours a day,” Lum explains. “We saw him in the morning, and when we returned at the end of the day, we found him just 15 feet away from where we had left him.”

“Even when he does stand up and sit down, it happens quite slowly.”