Gouache on Board (15X11) / I thought I would have a go at painting the majestic lion! The African lion is the only big cat not endangered, being listed as a “threatened species”. Their life span is on average 15 years in the wild with captive lions living up to their late twenties. The mature male lions have a mane which covers the back of the head and shoulders, which varies in colour from the rest of the body growing darker with age; its purpose is to protect the lion during fights. My painting is of Kafara who lives with his 3 brothers at a big cat sanctuary not far from my home. The original is still available.
A snap of a King Cheetah male cub, approx 4 months old. Acinonyx jubatus The king cheetah is a very rare mutation of cheetah characterised by a distinct pelt pattern. Western Cape, South Africa
Of all the times I’ve photographed the big cats, the only time I was lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time to be able to capture an action shot, was at the Johannesburg Zoo, when these two had a minor spat. It was all over in seconds, but I had managed to capture enough to be able to create an Acrylic painting from it. I gave the original away when we left Africa and kept, what turned out to be a poor photo of the original painting. I have “remastered” it digitally to try to capture some of the feeling of the original.
Puma, Salzburg Zoo, Austria This photo has been featured in Big Cats
Serval at Rest Featured in For the Love of Cats
A colour pencil portrait of a young tiger. / 12.5” x 18” in size, I have drawn it on smooth 180gm paper and used Derwent “Cumberland” coloured pencils.
Nikon D50 / 2008/09/14 11:25:13 / Image Size: 2700×3900 / Lens: / Focal Length: 300mm / Exposure Mode: / Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern / 1/400 sec – F/5.6 / Exposure Comp.: 0 EV FEATURED IN: / ‘SOUTH AFRICA RAINBOW NATION’ / ‘BIG CATS’ THE CARACAL / Location Captured: Groenland Game Lodge/Reserve, Tolwe, Limpopo Province, South Africa. DESCRIPTION: / Shoulder height: 40cm MASS: 16kg GESTATION: 75 days, up to two kittens. / Like the serval the caracal is mainly nocturnal and solitary. It is shy, lying up during the day. If cornered it will savagely defend itself and spit loudly, otherwise it is silent. It will sometimes purr softly. This animal occurs widely but sparsely in most of Southern Africa; it is rare in populated areas. / DIET: Carnivorous. Rats and mice make up the usual diet, but small mammals, such as dassies, monkeys and game birds are also eaten. This species is more powerful than the serval, taking larger prey up to the size of a young kudu. Also known to take full-grown sheep and goats. The prey is usually knocked down with a sideways slap; the serval uses a downward slap. It has been known to jump into the air to seize a low-flying bird.
Taken at the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia Canon 50D – 50-500mm at 300. This girl was gorgeous!
Here is a Sumatran Tiger drinking at the Adelaide Zoo. This photo is also featured in of my 2010 Calendar, Adelaide Zoo, which is available for purchase.
Nikon D 70 Nikon300 with polariser / South Africa / Did not stick around too long
Melancholy (n) 1. a gloomy state of mind, esp. when habitual or prolonged; depression.
Lion from Bristol Zoo. Fujifilm Finepic digi J10. / Lion’s are on the endangered creature list. / zazzle / unicorndreams / /
The lion (Panthera leo) is one of four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. The female, always hard at work with the next meal, for the pride. Location: South Africa
Young male lion is woken up by noise in the bush. / Image captured in the Kruger National Park.
I’ve used quite a few of these and found them very useful and just what the doctor ordered and thought maybe a few of you might find them of use as well Cheers / Bezay CLICK HERE
They years of fighting have taken its toll on this male lion with all those scratches. Image captured in the Kruger National Park.
Acrylic on A4 canvas sheet
Taken with a Canon 50D, Canon 100 – 400 L series lens @ 400mm, F5.6, shutter speed 1/125 seconds ISO200, edited in Photoshop This shot was taken on my safari holiday to India earlier this year, it was taken in Bandavgarh national park in the north of India. The park has the highest density of tigers of any of the national parks in India. This particular tiger had spotted some deer in the distance and was prowling around in the grasses trying to get closer. Please view large!
For the Your Oldest Shot Challenge. Made in July 1974 in Amboseli National Park in Kenya. The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is an atypical member of the cat family (Felidae) that is unique in its speed, while lacking climbing abilities. The species is the only living member of the genus Acinonyx. It is the fastest land animal, reaching speeds between 112 and 120 km/h (70 and 75 mph) in short bursts covering distances up to 460 m (1,500 ft), and has the ability to accelerate from 0 to 103 km/h (64 mph) in three seconds, faster than most supercars. Recent studies confirm the cheetah’s status as the fastest land animal. The word “cheetah” is derived from the Sanskrit word citrakāyaḥ, meaning “variegated body”, via the Hindi चीता cītā. / Wikipedia IUCN Red List vulnerable species Original made on reversal film! / Camera: Canon SLR
Something for all you cat lovers out there.
A 5 week old baby Tiger cub in the Tiger Temple in Thailand… he was so cute I wanted to take him home…Love those eyes. Best viewed large.
Listening Tiger at Australia Zoo Canon 40D – 300mm
Dedicated to photographs and art featuring the Big Cats:
Lions, Tigers, Cougars, Leopards, Jaguars etc.
African Wild Cat/African Golden Cat/Andean Mountain Cat/Asian Leopard Cat/Bay Cat/Black-Footed Cat/Bobcat/Caracal/Cheetah/Chinese Desert Cat/Clouded Leopard/Cougar/European Wildcat/Fishing Cat/Flat-Headed Cat/Geoffroy’s Cat/Irimote Cat/Jaguar/Janguarundi/Jungle Cat/Kodkod/Leopard/Lion/Lynx-Canadian, Eurasian and Iberian/Marbled Cat/Margay/Ocelot/Oncilla/Pallas Cat/Pampas Cat/Rusty-Spotted Cat/Sand Cat/Serval/Snow Leopard/Temminck’s Golden Cat/Tiger
Although some of the felines listed above are smaller than others, they are none-the-less wild and exotic. Please, NO images of domestic cats (large or small).
All forms of art relating to the Big Cats are welcome here – Photographs, Paintings, T-Shirts, Sculptures, Writings etc.
Art derived from Zoological Parks, Conservation Centers or Wildlife Parks are permitted alongside works from their natural habitat.
Also, your joining this group tells us that you are as concerned about the destruction and extinction of all our worlds creatures as are our members. Please consider donating some of the proceeds of your sales to help these wonderful creatures.
Warm regards,
Jon, Krys and Jo
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