Roaring Lions

A roaring lion is a very loud noise, yet it is one of the most beautiful sounds to hear. For thousands of years the lion has been recognized for its courage, power and strength. Many cultures over time have used the lion as a symbol for this purpose.

The lion also know as the “The King of Beast”, has been used by royalty in their coat of arms and symbols for thousands of years, because it is considered as royalty among other animals of the world.

In this day and time Tattoo artist are able to create some very realistic looking lion images. They can make the lion appear either calm, as if it is in the throws of a might roar or even as if it is actually crawling out of your very skin.

The size of the tattoo can be from as small as a few inches to covering your entire back for front. So just about any size is available. You may wish to only have the head of the lion tattooed onto your shoulder or have the body and all placed on your back. What size and type of lion you choose to have inked onto your body is totally up to you.

The colors of lions are amazing from their skin, mane, mouth, nose and eyes, the colors are the same yet so very different. You can have the tattoo done very simply by a good tattoo artist with only one color, however the best lion tattoo is one that encompasses the use of different colors, which brings out the true depth and richness of this magnificent animal.

Other than just having a lion tattooed onto your skin, you can actually add a background to the tattoo to make the lion appear as if they are in their natural habitat upon the plains of Africa or lurking in the jungle waiting to pounce. When you add a background with more color like this it makes the image of the lion stand our even more than just plainly on your skin.

As with any other tattoo, the lions tattoo price will be based on not only the size of the tattoo, but also on how much detain you wish to have. When you get into using more colors then the cost increases. So if you are considering having a ferocious lion lurking about in a natural looking background, then be prepared to pay the additional cost required.

An animal that is magnificent in beauty and prowess will make a statement of power and strength, so if this is the image that you wish to project then a lion tattoo is a great idea. Make sure that you select a top quality design and have a tattoo artist that is skilled so that you will be proud to have the image on your skin. Think about the royalty and all the others before you who have used the lion to symbolize their authority and power and you will find that you are in good company.

The lions in the Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania are present in huge numbers; an estimated four thousand lions. They are common everywhere in the northern part of the Selous; and as luck would have it this is where almost all the tourist camps are to be found. If you plan to have a lion safari in the Selous you will not be disappointed. However, they are not so easy to spot in this reserve as they are in the open grass land of the Serengeti in the north of Tanzania. The dense vegetation is the perfect cover for the shy Selous lion to take shelter and hide from the safari vehicles.

Along the mighty Rufiji River there are eleven prides of lions. To stay in a tented lodge on the Rufiji River is an amazing experience as you can hear the roar of the Selous lion over a distance of eight kilometers. As you hear the roaring coming closer and closer it can be quite frightening – which adds to the safari experience. Lions are not afraid of open fires so do not go wandering around at night. However, a closed tent is quite safe even if the whole pride decides to settle around your tent.

Lions may be popular with the tourist but they are less than popular with the villages around the Selous. In a single year up to forty villagers fall prey to lions. The lions will usually attack anything from an impala to a buffalo; many of the attacks are unsuccessful. However, when they succeed they pull the victim down and bite into the throat and slowly strangle it.

The leopard is a solitary animal that is largely nocturnal. They are rarely spotted by tourists and though to be a much rarer animal. This is not the case; in fact the leopard out number the lions by a large margin. As these animals are no longer killed from their fur and so they are no longer an endangered species. The leopard prefers the dense bush and thickets and is harder to spot although they often live in close proximity to humans. The Matamwe Game Post often looses chickens to the leopard. They are proficient hunters and like to eat bush buck, fish, insects, birds and monkeys are one of their favorite foods. Often they will drag the kill into the branches of a tree, and so to look out for scratches on the bark of a tree will indicate that leopards are not far away.

The cheetah is a rare site in the Selous Game Reserve although there have been more sightings in recent years. It is thought that the lack of open grassland together with the high density of other predators is not well suited for this animal.

The Selous Game Reserve has a high density of predators, the highest numbers of Elephant in Tanzania and is one of the last places to see the rare wild dog in large numbers. The Selous is a incredible place to go on a safari. It is not as popular as the Serengeti but it probably is a much better and quieter place to experience Africa. With the Serengeti’s park fee’s doubling on 1 January 2001 I can see the Selous becoming the Park to visit in East Africa.