No scaredy cats here! Moment huge lion gives photographer a massive shock by letting out a huge roar as he gets too close – then flashes him a cheeky smile afterwards
- Gren Sowerby, 69, captured the lion’s roar on a safari in Maasai Mara, Kenya
- Was ten 10 to 15 metres from the big cat and got the ‘shock of his life’, last month
- The animal roared to tell him ‘I’m the King of the Jungle’ before flashing a smile
- Gren says ‘The King of the Jungle’ is ‘always something you’ve got to capture’
A wildlife photographer has been given the ‘shock of his life’ when he got a little too close to a lion and it let out a huge roar before flashing him a cheeky smile in Kenya.
Gren Sowerby, 69, leaned in and got close to the big cat when it suddenly flashed its pearly whites and let out a massive roar on a safari in Maasai Mara, Kenya, in September.
While he was initially startled, he continued to snap pictures of the ferocious animal and was left astonished when it gave him a smile.
Gren Sowerby, 69, capturing the amazing moment that a lion (pictured) roared before flashing a cheeky smile while on safari in Maasai Mara, Kenya,in September
Mr Sowerby from Whitley Bay in Northumberland, spotted the lion crossing the stream with a lioness. Moments later, the lion grinned similarly to when someone ‘winks at you to say like: haha!’, according to Gren
Gren said the lion had roared to tell him ‘I’m the King of the jungle’ and to probably say ‘he was full’ before smiling similarly to when someone ‘winks at you to say like: haha!’
He was 10-15 metres from the lion who was crossing a stream with a lioness – and was ‘taken aback by the sheer size and scale of [the lion]’.
Gren told SWNS: ‘From him being very still and quiet then for him to let out a big boom was quite something.’
The photographer says he regular goes on safaris and says the lions are ‘used to cars and tourists’ as they have ‘grown up’ surrounded by the group trips (file image)
He said ‘The King of the Jungle’ is ‘always something you’ve got to capture’ and is overjoyed that he managed to get the shot.
The photographer, from Whitley Bay in Northumberland, said he was ‘really happy with the photos’ and had only looked at them properly once he got home.
‘I regularly go on these safaris and really enjoy photographing wildlife. They have grown up around the safari so they’re used to cars and tourists.’
People have shared their feelings of being unnerved by the photos on Facebook.
Dorothy Chapman wrote: ‘Just as well it was an after dinner yawn, otherwise you could have been the main course. Wonderful photo Gren, pleased to hear your back safe and sound.’
Steve Symington said: ‘Massive mouth… hate to be caught in that.’
Meanwhile Mark Sam Shields shared appreciation: ‘Wow what photos one of my favorite animals thank u.’