Lions are known for many things but climbing trees is generally not considered their best skill, however with a little motivation – for food, to escape danger, catch a cool breeze or escape the nasty tsetse fly, Lions will climb trees. There are two groups of very well-known tree climbing Lions that reside in  Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda and the other in Lake Manyara National Park in the Southern part of Tanzania. While the phenomena of tree climbing Lions is not isolated to these two regions and has been seen elsewhere in Africa, it is unclear whether the behavior is learned or innate.

Recently some amazing pictures hit the internet taken by Australian photographer Bobby-Jo Clow while on a safari in the Moru Kopjes area in the central Serengeti, Tanzania. When I first saw these last week I couldn’t believe my eyes and had to do a little more research to believe the Family Tree of Lions was real. Bobby-Jo Clow hit the jackpot capturing not just one, but a whole pride of big cats in a tree.

All images taken by Australian photographer Bobby-Jo Clow

I have to say I am just a little obsessed with these photos. Lions do not have the climbing skills of Leopards, but this group is doing ok. A+ for effort and style!

Bobby-Jo Clow writes in Africa Geographic that they were close enough to hear vocal interaction and even snoring. The group was also fortunate to observe breeding behavior and watched a male Lion get blocked by a young Lion when trying to unsuccessfully pursue a female up the tree.