With the exception of Lake Manyara’s tree-climbing lions, these big cats don’t usually attempt to climb trees without low hanging and/or easily navigable branches. Their sheer weight, and lack of specific shoulder muscles, makes serious tree climbing more difficult for lions than other big cats, such as leopards. 

We went big on our last full day on the Namiri Plains… and by big, I mean BIG cats! It was all about lions and cheetahs today; we saw a lot. The lion photographed here is named Ziggy, like Ziggy Marley, because of his dreadlocks. The tall grasses can wreak havoc on a lion’s mane – their hair gets entwined on the grasses causing massive tangles and mats, which eventually become dreadlocks. Without a comb (or leave-in-conditioner) in sight, the dreadlocks keep growing – it’s almost impossible to stay well groomed for a lion with a sizable mane like Ziggy’s.