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Photograph by Beverly Joubert
Two young male lions lie in the grass of Botswana's Okavango Delta.
Find out more information on the Big Cats Initiative.
Around 2,000 years ago, more than a million lions roamed the Earth. Now, there are as few as 20,000 animals. The Big Cats Initiative, made up of conservationists led by National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence Dereck and Beverly Joubert, hope to stop this decline and to restore the population. -
Photograph by Beverly Joubert
Find out more information on the Big Cats InitiativeBeverly and Dereck Joubert are filmmakers from Botswana whose mission is conservation and understanding of large predators and key African wildlife species.
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Photograph by Beverly Joubert
Find out more information on the Big Cats InitiativeBeverly Joubert takes pictures of resting lions. In addition to her work as a film producer, she is an acclaimed photographer. Much of her work has appeared in National Geographic magazine.
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Photograph by Beverly Joubert
Find out more information on the Big Cats InitiativeOnly male lions boast manes, the impressive fringe of long hair that encircles their heads. Males defend the pride's territory, which may include some 100 square miles (259 square kilometers) of grasslands, scrub, or open woodlands.
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Photograph by Beverly Joubert
Find out more information on the Big Cats InitiativeWorking out of a tent or truck, the Jouberts spend months at a time observing and learning about these top predators.
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Photograph by Beverly Joubert
Find out more information on the Big Cats Initiative.An adult lion's roar can be heard up to five miles (eight kilometers) away.
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Photograph by Beverly Joubert
Find out more information on the Big Cats Initiative.Lions are the only cats that live in groups, which are called prides. Prides are family units that may include up to three males, a dozen or so females, and their young. All of a pride's lionesses are related, and female cubs typically stay with the group as they age.
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Photograph by Beverly Joubert
Find out more information on the Big Cats Initiative.Young males eventually leave and establish their own prides by taking over a group headed by another male.
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Photograph by Beverly Joubert
Find out more information on the Big Cats Initiative.Researchers estimate a lion’s age by the color of its nose. Lions' noses darken as they age—from pink to black.
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Photograph by Beverly Joubert
Find out more information on the Big Cats Initiative.Female lions are the pride's primary hunters. They often work together to prey upon antelopes, zebras, wildebeest, and other large animals. Many of these animals are faster than lions, so teamwork pays off for them.
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