African Lion

Gillie and Marc visited the national park of Maasai Mara, Kenya in January 2019. A five-hour drive from Nairobi, Maasai Mara, Kenya’s most famous game reserve, spans 371,000 acres and is home to half of the country’s remaining 2,000 lions, as well as huge herds of elephant, buffalo, gazelle and other species. The artists spent about an hour watching the lionesses of the Cheli and Peacock Pride.  This Pride is named after the camp where they are often found. The pride are thought to have originated from the Acacia Pride when they split. Originally three core females, the pride has passed through a rough period but is now expended to include eight healthy females and their cubs. 

On the day of the game drive, they encountered six of these females including Amber, Maskio, Kibibi, Saba and Ayo. The lionesses were very relaxed and content, having recently fed, and Gillie and Marc had the chance to photograph and sketch them from very close up.