Lion

This photo was taken in Marakele National Park in South Africa. We were on an early morning game drive and came across a lion pride that had made a kill during the night. As they finished their meal one by one they started heading up a nearby hill. As they walked towards the hill they past right by our vehicle. My brother and I leaned out the window of our vehicle to get a better view of a large male as he walked by. He looked up at us with such an intensity and ferocity in his eyes that both me and my brother retreated back into the car immediately.
The look was intense, ferocious, powerful, and deeply majestic all at the same time. The title king of the jungle is correctly given. The look seemed to say to me, I am with my family and they will be protected, and also I am powerful and strong and unafraid. It was the eyes of a soul that had a warrior spirit. It is a great struggle to survive on the plains of Africa. These animals face these struggles with courage and a never say die or never quit attitude that is deeply inspiring. As this lion went up the hill he turned and looked at the horizon and that is when I shot this image. Let us preserve these magnificent creatures. Their souls enrich our lives and teach us a great deal. What a empty place the world would be without them.