Sabie Sands, South Africa.
Watching a big male lion at night is special, it feels more scary, the darkness definitely gives another dimension.
Lions are impressive predators, at the top of the food chain, nevertheless their numbers are rapidly decreasing. They fell by an estimated 30–50% each 20 years in the late half of the 20th century. The species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
In 1975, it was estimated that since the 1950s, lion numbers decreased by half to 200,000 or fewer. Estimates of the African lion population range between 16,500 and 47,000 living in the wild in 2002–2004.
Primary causes of the decline include disease and human interference. Habitat loss and conflicts with humans are considered to be the most significant threats to the species.