Wildlife photograph of a male African Lion laying in the shade, surveying the Botswana savannah.

In the heat of the late afternoon, a male African Lion surveys the vast savannah found in the magnificent Northern Tuli region of Botswana.  The largest and most powerful of Africa’s cats, Panthera leo, is most active during the cooler portion of the day or at night. The lion’s big mane is no longer thought to be for protection, rather the size and especially the color of the mane reveals the male’s strength and vigor.