Two wild lions were busted getting busy in Kenya’s Masai Mara wildlife preserve, but what happened after the dominant male was finished was unexpected.
Guide and wildlife photographer Paul Goldstein documented the encounter between two “impressive alpha males” and says the entire courtship and cuddles was sweet and rare. He says the two were standing together when things took a twist.
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“Sometimes you just see something that takes your breath away. I was guiding in the Masai Mara recently and we saw two impressive alpha males in perfect light,” Goldstein told the Daily Mail. “After a while they stood together, in perfect symmetry. What then happened was remarkable.”
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“I have heard of this happening in Botswana but with nothing like this vigour, and indeed at various zoos and safari parks, but incarcerated animals will do strange things, who can blame them.”
As the two were mating, the dominant lion laid his head on the other one and was obviously enjoying himself.
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“When lions mate it normally last a few seconds, these two were at it for over a minute and the obvious affection afterwards was very evident, as opposed to the violent withdrawal when male and female mate,” Goldstein said. “Even as he dismounted he did not back off as is normal after mating, he crept round to the other male’s muzzle, for a nuzzle and threw a conspiratorial wink his way.”
Scientists report that approximately 8% of lion sex they’ve observed (can you imagine having that job?!) has been between males.
If you want to check out that male-on-male action, click through to the Daily Mail article for the photos.
