Released 2009-06-01

Panthera leo

We were heading out of the crater and back to camp towards the end of the day, trying to beat an approaching storm, when this gorgeous lioness appeared on the side of the road, no more than thirty feet from us. Completely calm and utterly unruffled by our presence, she was continually looking over her shoulder -- away from my camera -- waiting for other members of her pride to arrive. Our guide began to get ancy as we waited for her to look in our direction, as he wanted to ensure that we were back in camp both by the time the Park closed in just a few minutes (a major consideration due to this being a favorite park for poachers), and before the rains began. Finally, she did look our way, and the last rays of the setting sun lit her beautifully while the approaching storm gave the sky behind her a wonderfully dramatic appearance.

This is a limited edition photograph with a total of 1000 photos printed across all sizes, as noted