Lions; the bush kings

Lions belong to the group of the four big cats and go by scientific name; panther leo. They are widely spread in Sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia. They inhabit savanna and grassland and sometimes forest and deep bushes. They are the second largest cats after the tiger. They are critically endangered due to poaching and also under threat of pastoralist communities especially in Africa i.e. Kenya and have been around in great numbers except now that they are under threat due to human encroachment on their habitats. They can survive in the wild for 14 years but this is hampered by injuries sustained from fights with rival males due to competition for food and mates.




Lions hardly hunt humans but have been known attack and eat them. In Kenya there is the story of the man eaters from Tsavo that attacks and ate Indian constructing the railway line. The two man eaters have are being preserved at British Museum. They are anti-social and stay groups referred to as prides. A prides consists of related females and offsprings and a few adult males. Females hunt together in groups while males usually join after preys have been caught though sometimes they hunt when an opportunity crops.



Lions are highly distinctive and males are recognized by their famous mane surrounding the face. Female don’t have manes. The mane has been a form of symbolic culture in Africa especially in country national flags and even company logos representing mightiness or commanding respect. Lion carving s and paintings are all over the world. The reason is the lion is recognized as the king of the jungle and commands respect from its roaring sound which cuts across the park. They weigh around 250 kilograms and can live for up to 20 years while in captivity due to reduced risks of human threat.

Arthur is a researcher and writer on wildlife, tours and travels. For more of his work, please visit his site at


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The Blue Shark

Blue shark as known as Prionace glauca is found in deep waters of tropical and temperate oceans i.e. Indian Ocean. This is so because they prefer cooler habitats and can’t be found in Red or Yellow Sea. They are widely spread in the world found around 350 meters in deep oceans. Sometimes they come to the surface but mostly only divers get to see and photograph them while they dive back to deep waters. They are found off the coasts of every continent with exemption of Antarctica. They migrate to long distances i.e. from New England to South America.


Blue sharks feed on small fish, squid, cuttlefish, octopuses, lobster crabs, shrimps small sharks etc. but they can take on large preys when there is an opportunity. They are found in schools distinguished by size and sex. They are light bodied and have long pectoral fins. They weigh between 130 to 180 kg and can outgrow to 200 kg. The heaviest blue shark on record weighed 391 kg. They are under threat due to heavy fishing. 10 -20 million sharks are estimated to be fished and killed every year.



Blue sharks' skin is widely needed for leather and the fin for shark fin soup. Their liver is used for oil. The other threat is that smaller sharks are attacked and eaten by ones. They rarely attack humans. Very rare cases of close contact with them have resulted to attacks or fatality. This only happens in deep water since they rarely come ashore.





Arthur is a researcher and writer on wildlife, tours and travels. For more of his work, please visit his site at

http://www.getinfoathome.com/?p=63