THE LION EDIT
The sun is low in the sky, above the African continent, as a pride of lions lead me down a dirt road that cuts through high grass. An absolutely magical moment is about to unfold before me… I watch through my camera lens as a dozen lions walk through the grass, on to a hidden beach! Their paws sink in the sand, as they relax in a rare sight of - literal - breathtaking beauty: a Lion Beach.
I filmed lions in the Maasai Mara and Samburu, Kenya, over the course of two weeks at different times of day from dusk to dawn. Documenting my silent intrusion on their private lives from the safety (somewhat) of my safari jeep, and under the supervision of local Kenyan wildlife guides and Maasai warriors. From watching a pride of lionesses teach their cubs how to hunt, to a group of tiny cubs leading me down a dirt trail that opened up to the most magical beach and a half dozen lions spread out on the sand, to watching intimate moments between mother and son. I’m excited to release ‘The Lion Edit’, the first time I’m dropping any of my observational moments of photojournalism with the Kings (and future kings) of the jungle. Known to scientists as Panthera leo leo, and to local Kenyans as “Simba” in their native language of Swahili.
beginning March 1, 2023, 100% of profits made from the sale of “The Lion Edit” will be donated to World Animal Protection for their effort to end the Global Wildlife Trade. Today, these iconic animals are often stolen from the wild and forced to endure a lifetime of suffering. Lion cubs are violently taken from their mothers, forced to live in cramped cages, inbred, starved, diseased, tortured, and eventually killed for their bones which are sold abroad for use in traditional medicine in Asia. Your purchase of my photojournalism contributes to the efforts of keeping these beautiful beasts as wild as you see in this photo gallery – and hopefully, in your living room.
Thank you and enjoy your new print!
Sincerely, Aliya Jasmine
