African Lion
This is an old webpage carried forward to our new site. Please note that some of the information might be out of date and we probably have newer footage.
African Lion
The African lion, i.e., the king of the beast (or jungle), may be the most famous and best-known animal in the world. Fortunately, in spite of widespread and increasing development in Africa, the lion persists. Its fame is part of the reason it can still be found in most countries. Tourists come from throughout the world to see the lion (as well as the other Big Five, i.e., the leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, and Cape buffalo). There is a saying in Africa that wildlife must “pay its way”, and the lion definitely does that.
Although the African lion can be found in many parts of the continent and many habitats it is most common in the savannah-type habitats. That is because such habitats are rich in the grazers and browsers that lions prey on. The Serengeti region and Kruger National Park are excellent examples of that richness. Lions can also be found in more desert-type habitats, such as the Kalahari, but they tend to be less dense as does their prey.
Filming African Lion Stock Footage
Filming African lions requires of course a trip to Africa (unless you want to settle for zoo footage). The options include the wild and remote Serengeti region of Kenya and Tanzania, where you should probably have a guide, to the relatively more controlled and managed parks of South Africa where you can drive yourself around. One thing to keep in mind regarding the South African parks such as Kruger and Kgadagali; you are not allowed to “alight” from your vehicle and you must stay on the established roads. This means you may often be shooting from a great distance (and heat distortion can be an issue) and you may not have the option of a tripod. You could use a bean bag on the car window, but that is not conducive to smooth pans. Creating a door mount to support your tripod head is an option.
Most lion hunting and kills take place at night so filming a hunt and a kill in daylight hours takes many, many hours of effort and a lot of luck. Winter is the dry season which in some places means animals congregate at water holes. This can be a good spot to film lions as well as many other species.