49.8

Zambia is one of the last remaining unspoiled safari destinations in Africa. A scene like this in the Serengeti or in Kruger NP would attract a small army of tourists within minutes, battling for the best spot.

When I took this shot in South Luangwa NP, there were no other vehicles and I had the whole scene to myself for several hours. As usual, I left the camp long before sunrise enabling me to spend some time to drive around, searching for something interesting. We soon stumbled across a small family of lions, lying next to a dead tree. It was still relatively cool, and as a result the three cubs were very active. They were constantly running and jumping on and off the tree and each other - a joy to watch. After a while they became tired and two of the cubs sat down. First the one of the left, then the one on the right joined. Almost a perfect mirror image, I couldn't have wished for a better pose. By positioning the vehicle in a ditch I was able to get the low perspective.

In just a few days I will return to this spectacular place, and I'm looking forward to seeing how much the three cubs will have grown.

©2011 Marsel van Oosten, All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.