Asiatic lions at Helsinki Zoo

Lovely post CC  Great to hear about Mohan running alongside the kids, showing his playful side  

And I like your point about the seriousness of a lions roar!

Your right CC, it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when Lions start to roar. I think Mohan started off the prides roar, they do it to adveritise to other lions that this is their prides territory, and as a warning to stay out. Lovely to see them again CC thanks
WS  

Oh My Goodness, Lovely Mohan, Pandora & Kaly     so lovely to see them again CC and wonderful pictures. I think I would have joined the children in running with Mohan, I think it would have been hard to resist. I bet hearing their roars was just something else. I ave only heard a Lion roar on the TV so to acutally be there must have been awesome for want of a better word.

Thanks so much for the updte and pics. I am planning another zoo trip Whipsnade in September, so I am going to have a check of their site in a few mins  

littlewid-x-

  CC a great update and news from the lions. You can't beat the sound of lions roaring.

Lai

Guys, I just have to share this picture of Mohan from last Friday, because I think he is one of the most handsome lions in the world:  



I don't know what was going on between Mohan and Kaly, but he was clearly bullying her. Kaly snarled back at him but went down on the ground.
I guess it was just Mohan's way to show Kaly who is the boss there.

Afterwards Kaly was posing for us and she seemed quite comfortable and easy, and not at all nervous (which I would have been if Mohan had been bullying me, even through the fence!  )



CC

Thanks for sharing CC. Mohan has a fantastic mane, and really looks very menacing in the photo, no wonder Kaly was looking a little in awe of him.

Lai

I visited the zoo a couple of weeks ago once more ( ), and it was great to watch the lions' interactions.

Pandora, the older lioness, was lying on the deck, when Kaly came to her. Kaly started to lick Pandora, and she soon got up and moved a bit to make room for Kaly. There they were, lying so relaxed and easy side by side, as if they were sisters!





One nice close-up of Kaly:



CC

That is a lovely little story about the close bonding of Pandora and Kaly  Some wonderful photos too CC   

   Superb pics CC just love them, and the fact that Kaly has made friends with Pandora.
This just had to be a WAA Frame award really great shot



WS

Thank you guys!  

  WS, looks like I have a new desktop picture!  

CC

That's lovely news CC and some great photos, thanks for letting us know.

Lai

I have a confession to make CC I still have Czar looking out of his cave as my screen saver. Cant bring myself to change it  

WS

WS, I miss Czar!!!  

I hope he is having a good life in Ireland.

CC

Every time I see our young lioness Kalyana, I love her more.

She is curious and playful, and also gentle and confident. It was such fun to see her trying to invite Pandora to play with her. Pandora was lying in a cave, when Kaly dashed on the top of it. Pandora just looked at her, like "Oh no, not again!".

When we left the zoo, the last thing we saw was Kaly. She was lying close to the window, letting me take pictures, yawning and posing. And when we turned away and left, I waved goodbye at her, and she kept looking at me as if saying "Come back soon!". Or maybe it was just my imagination...  

One of the biggest yawns I have seen:



A perfect pose:



   

CC

  CC 2 stunning photos and that's one huge yawn! Lovely to know you had a good time seeing them again, and I am sure you are right and I am sure you will be back visiting again soon  

Lai  

So do I CC, Czar is not that far from where I live problem is there's the Irish Sea inbetween us. Two lovely shots of Kalyana she's a beautiful Lioness. Thanks for sharing
WS

We visited the zoo ten days ago, and there is really nothing much to tell about our lions. We are kind of expecting something to happen, or at least I am...  

During the summer the lions have been using three adjacent enclosures and thus having a lot of space for them. This time two enclosures of the three were under repair, and the lions were in the smallest one. Mohan and Kalyana were out, but Pandora seemed to prefer to stay in the house as we did not see her at all.

At first Mohan was walking around and roaring devotedly, and Lara (the tiger) was roaring back from across the road. After Mohan had convinced himself that everyone knew that he was the boss, he laid down on the background.

Kalyana was lying in the front part of the enclosure near the window, and she kept looking at me with her beautiful eyes as if she had remembered me. (yes, I know that it is just my wishful thinking!  )

However in this picture she is watching some birds, but this time she did not bother to chase them:



   

CC

CC how on earth did I miss those two pictures of Kalyana, that yawn is amazing  and loving the pose picture and the latest one of her watching the birds, they really are great shots and how do you know its just your imagination? You see them quite often and cats are intelligent creatures, so there is every chance they recognise you especially as you spend ti e watching them and not just a fleeting hello and off you go, so I reckon they do know you CC  

littlewid-x-

A week ago in Cat Valley. Mohan was lying in the biggest of the lions' enclosures, looking handsome as ever:



Kalyana came out, and I think she was clearly flirting with Mohan, or how would you describe this:  



Also Pandora came out and sat down close to Mohan:



For some reason Mohan did not like it at all, and he started to chase Pandora, and she went back inside.
After that Mohan and Kalyana had a moment alone:



Then Mohan stood up, peed on a tree and started to pace around roaring, making it clear to everyone the he was the boss.  
Kalyana soon got enough of his machoism - she was like "Oh no not that again!" - and decided to join Pandora inside.

A little later we found Mohan like this; being the boss can be really exhausting!  



I think Mohan is a cutie, and the interaction between him and Kaly looks promising!  

CC

  CC - great photos and commentary. Looking forward to the next instalment and more news, wouldn't that be exciting if he and Kaly had cubs.

Lai  

Honestly CC, Mohan really is the most magnificent male, he is so handsome and no wonder Kalyana was flirting with him   a cats tail on the side is definitely a flirty message  lets hope that flirting does turn into cubs   poor Pandora being snubbed by him......I bet her turn will come though.
That last picture of Mohan sleeping is so little cat like and it makes you want to go and give him a huge cuddle   forgetting he is a big roaring beast of a cat and not a  
Great pictures and story CC  

littlewid-x-

  CC the way you've put that together is just purfect, the words and pics really go together. That would be fantastic if there were Cubs, lets keep our paws X. Love that last pic of Mohan I know the feeling   
WS

Just some pictures from my visit to Helsinki Zoo four weeks ago. It was a cool, beautiful day, and at the lions' enclosure the light was nice for taking pictures.

Handsome Mohan:



Lovely Kalyana:



Once again, not a very good photo, but I like it: the lovebirds   - Aren't they sweet together?!  



CC, still happy  

  CC - some great photos of Mohan and Kalyana, thanks for sharing.

Lai