Life with Dylan

Category: lions

  • Mother and Child Relationships in the Animal Kingdom

    One of the things I love about watching the animals is how they interact with each other. No matter what species of animal, one thing remains the same, the bond between a mother and child is simply undeniable.  The teaching moments as well as the times of utter frustration that all mom’s feel at one time or another are universal. After watching two different animal species interact a few weeks ago, I was reminded that humans are not the only species to share this special bond.

    Joanne and Imani
    Western Lowland Gorillas

    Hold my hand Joanne, let Mom help you …

    Like this Mom? Is this how we eat the leaves?

    Oshana with her cubs Ernest, Evelyn, Marion and Miss Ellen
    African Lions

    Oshana calling to Izu, most likely for reinforcement

    Really kids, you want to eat again?

    And just like all moms, as much as we love our children, sometimes we just need to walk away and have 5 minutes to ourselves.

    The next time you are visiting a zoo pay close attention to how the animals are interacting with one another. Animal behavior is quite fascinating if you ask me.

    To visit these featured moms and their babies, you can visit the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

  • Catching Up with Lion Cubs Ken and Dixie

    What a difference three months makes in the life of a lion cub. Although I have seen Ken and Dixie a few times since they left the nursery back in April, today was the first time I was able to photograph them outside at Lion Camp.

    Talk about growing up too fast, wow. These two have gotten so big in just a few months, I mean take a look at those paws!

    Born on December 6, Ken and Dixie will be 7 months old next week. The cubs take turns enjoying the grassy slopes of Lion Camp with their parents Izu and Oshana. I love that Dylan and I have the opportunity to visit the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on a regular basis to watch them grow up and become adult lions.

    Ken and Dixie are just like your average toddlers – well, except that they are lions and not humans. When it comes to taking pictures, you have a 50-50 chance of them cooperating.

    Typical brother and sister, one is always making funny faces.

    Uh-oh, looks like Ken and Dixie are up to something. Whispering lion cubs are never a good sign.

    Yep, there he goes. So much for taking a family portrait today.

    I look forward to spending some late summer nights watching these two frolic at Lion Camp during Summer Safari.

    More pictures of Ken and Dixie on Flickr.

  • If You Dream It, You Can Be It

    Nothing makes me happier than being able to share a story through photography.
    Sometimes the pictures come out crystal clear and sometimes they are a bit fuzzy.

    Just like life, the story isn’t always clear, but somehow we manage to get the message.

    I’m gonna be a mighty king, so enemies beware!

    I’m gonna be the mane event, Like no king was before

    I’m brushing up on looking down

    I’m working on my ROAR

    Oh, I just can’t wait to be king!

    It’s never too soon to start dreaming of what you can become …

  • Endangered Species Monday – African Lion

    Lions are amazing animals that have become iconic symbols of the African plain. Through movies like The Lion King, children have learned that lions are looked up to with great pride by other animals. Lions are often one of the first animals a child will learn about. Of all the big cats, lions are the ones most often associated with a roar. A roar that can be heard up to 3 miles away. These majestic cats are not listed as endangered by the IUCN, but as vulnerable – only in West and Central Africa are they classified as endangered. This status will not last long at the rate humans are killing lions.

    Lions have vanished from over 80% of their historic range. The lion population is listed as decreasing and on more than one occasion, lions have been labeled on the brink of extinction.  Aside from the fact that humans are overhunting the lion’s wild prey and destroying their natural habitat, humans are also illegally killing lions for trophies to hang on their walls. As horrible as this sounds, it is true.

    Dr. Guy Balme, Panthera’s Lion Program Director said, “Lions have slipped under the conservation radar for too long. If we do not act now, lions will find themselves in the same dire predicament as their Asian counterpart, the tiger.”

    African lions live about 10-15 years in the wild and have been known to live up to 30 years in zoos. However, the average lifespan in captivity is 20 years.

    The lioness pictured above is Tango. Tango was a Transvaal lion who was born at the San Diego Zoo on August 12, 1992. She and her sister Mweezi lived at the Safari Park for a while, where Tango gave birth to a litter of 3 cubs in 1995. Shortly after giving birth, Tango and her sister came back to the zoo where they both lived out the remainder of their lives. Mweezi passed away in 2009 and Tango left us January 20, 2013 … she was 20 years old.

    Although Tango was born and raised in captivity, she never let anyone forget that she was a wild African lion at heart … Her roars could be heard on a daily basis. Lions are social animals and it was obvious that Tango missed her sister.

    Make your voice heard and Cause an Uproar with National Geographic’s Big Cat Initiative or join the fight with Panthera on Project Leonardo. Whatever you do, however you chose to create awareness for these magnificent big cats, just remember that you can make a difference. Lions deserve to roam the African plains without the fear of being killed by man. Africa is their home and we should respect that.

  • Big Cat Week on Nat Geo WILD is Back with a Roar!

    Strength, speed, agility and beauty are words that I would use to describe many, if not all, of the big cat species. As one of the world’s most majestic predators, big cats are facing more danger than they are causing. These animals are incredible and one of the most beautiful species in the animal kingdom. Sadly, their numbers are rapidly declining as a result of habitat destruction, poaching, loss of prey, and trophy hunting. Creating awareness about these big cats and Causing an Uproar is something near and dear to my heart.

    Dylan and I were thrilled when Nat Geo WILD asked is we would like to preview the new episodes for this year. I can’t even begin to tell you how encouraging it is that National Geographic is continuing to shine a spotlight on these felines by bringing their stories into our homes with the Fourth Annual Big Cat Week. Talking about the Big Cat Initiative and Causing an Uproar is something that we try to do on a regular basis, so we are especially excited to share our thoughts on Nat Geo WILD’s most-watched week for the past three years!

    Big Cat Week kicks off on Friday, November 29, 2013 at 9 p.m. ET/PT with Man v Cheetah followed by Super Cat at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Both are great and really get you thinking about these magnificent cats.

    What do you think will happen when Tennessee Titans’ Chris Johnson – the NFL’s fastest running back – and Chicago Bears’ Devin Hester – the super agile wide receiver and kick returner – participate in the first ever race with a cheetah? Cheetahs are built for speed, but could these athletes have an advantage over the cheetah or will Chris and Devin be left in the dust?
    Who will win? Anything is possible on Man v Cheetah.

    What if you could take the best feature of all the big cats and combine them to create the ultimate Super Cat? What would your Super Cat look like? Think about it … the speed of a cheetah, the strength of a lion, the skill of a tiger, and the climbing ability of a leopard. That would be one amazing cat!

    Saturday, November 30, 2013 features two more new episodes that will challenge your skills as the hunted and the hunter. Killer Queen is a captivating documentary that follows lioness Manyari’s pride as they face the challenges of ensuring her cubs survival. Cougar v Wolf takes us on a journey with big cat wrangler Boone Smith as he tracks the cougar-wolf showdown through snow-covered mountains to pinpoint where the cougar-wolf conflicts occur the most often. Not something I would do … a little too close for my comfort.

    Small Roar – Photograph by Beverly Joubert 

    Now it just wouldn’t be Big Cat Week without a feature film from my favorite award-winning couple, Dereck and Beverly Joubert. Made exclusively for Nat Geo WILD, Game of Lions is nothing short of extraordinary. Young male lions must earn the right to be king and this film follows that fateful journey. The Jouberts have a style of storytelling unlike any other – their films are always moving and often heartbreaking – and at the same time unforgettable works of art. Game of Lions premieres on Sunday, December 1, 2013 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

    I can’t think of a better way to end Big Cat Week then with one of the most famous cougars of them all … Betty White! Her love of animals, quick-witted humor, and pure passion to create awareness made Betty White Goes Wild! an absolute joy to watch. Not to mention that she was visiting my two favorite places – the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. It was wonderful to see Betty interacting with the big cats that we know and love, especially Izu and Oshana.

    So sit back, relax, and get ready to learn more about the world’s most extraordinary big cat species.

    Stay connected and join the conversation by following Nat Geo WILD on twitter and Facebook. You can also follow the hashtags #BigCatWeek and #CauseanUproar

  • Lions and Tigers and more – Nat Geo WILD Big Cat Week Giveaway

    Are you watching Big Cat Week on Nat Geo WILD? So far we have seen two wonderful episodes – Snow Leopard of Afghanistan filled with hope and inspiration from a country that is often filled with death and sadness, and Attack of Big Cats filled with action-packed intrigue about the daily life of the elusive big cats.
    If you missed either of these Big Cat Week episodes be sure to check your local listings because they will air again later in the week.

    One of the main reasons I write this blog is to share information about endangered species with the hope of creating awareness and inspiring others to make a difference. So when I have the opportunity to give something away to my readers that not only educates, but also inspires them to “Cause an Uproar” … well, I just can’t say no.

    In honor of my favorite big cat, the tiger, and tonight’s Big Cat Week episode Tiger Dynasty, I am giving away a Nat Geo WILD Big Cat Week prize pack valued at $80 that will include: Plush Lion, Tiger or Lion hat scarf, Big Cats 2013 calendar, Cause an Uproar hat, and Just Lion Around onesie.

    Nat Geo WILD Big Cat Week Prize Pack

    Enter to win this Big Cat Week prize pack sponsored by Nat Geo WILD using the Rafflecopter entry form below. There are many ways to enter and you can use the tweet entry once a day. Winners will be selected on Sunday, December 16 at 11:59 p.m. PST and announced within 24 hours.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway
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    Winners will be selected using Rafflecopter. I reserve the right to draw another winner if I am unable to get a mailing address in a timely manner. Giveaway is only open to residents of the contiguous US. Please make sure I can contact you to notify you if you have won (leaving a valid email address in your comment is a great way). Winners will first be announced on Life with Dylan’s Facebook page, so if you’re not a fan of us on Facebook, you may not know if you win.

  • Lions, Tigers & Leopards Oh my! Big Cat Week is coming on Nat Geo Wild

    It is no surprise that I love big cats – I think it is obvious that tigers are my favorite, but I love lions, leopards, jaguars and cheetahs too. They are all such beautiful animals. My son and I spend much of our television viewing hours watching Nat Geo Wild and I am constantly amazed at the cinematography.

    One of the items on our family bucket list is to travel to Africa and go on a real safari to see these animals up close in their natural habitat, so you can imagine how excited we were to see a segment on 60 minutes featuring award-winning filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert. The Jouberts have been photographing and filming Africa’s lions for 30 years now and living what some may call they perfect life. Their home sits in the middle of the Okavango Delta in Botswana and has the most amazing view. If you missed the segment you can see it here.

    This Sunday, December 9, kicks off the start of Big Cat Week on Nat Geo Wild – five nights of incredible big cat films, including some of the Joubert’s. These are stories told in a way that only National Geographic can tell them. Learn how these animals survive in a world that at times seems to be completely against them. Watch in amazement as you see human-like emotions on the faces of these big cats. If you love big cats like we do then I know you will be watching … and if you are new to Big Cat Week, I know you will not be disappointed.

    Be sure to read about National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative and help Cause an Uproar!