Mark Goldstein, Lions: From Cubs Playing to Large Adults Hunting (ANIMAL & NATURE 2026)

Portfolio: In our two day adventure to Sabi Sands, South Africa, we were remarkably fortunate to encounter a range of lions in various activities which presented excellent photo opportunities. The lions ranged from young cubs to large adults with a count of 35 in several prides during our short visit. Being the start of winter, there was a lot more animal activity and rather than seeing lions lazing about and sleeping, we spotted them in all sorts of playing, in the case of cubs, and seriously dramatic adult hunting modes. The three playful cubs were a joy to observe from our low vantage point, a dry river bed, with them being slightly above us on a rocky river escarpment with their mums, rather than the usual downward view from a safari vehicle. The magnificent adult male lion we started to follow as he meandered his way past a lake and through grassland. The behavioural difference between the lion’s ages is striking and shows in just four photos how they will progress.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.