John Banovich has teamed up with LiveOak Press, publishers of Sporting Classics, to tell that story of lions in the book, King of Beasts – A Study of the African Lion.
My raison d’être often finds me capturing the wild and raw sides of nature, where just surviving the night is a landmark event. The tallest animal to walk the planet today is an old bull giraffe. Often standing 19 feet tall and weighing more than 3,000 pounds, these colossal giants have few enemies—unless they reside in one of the very few areas in Africa where lions specialize in killing and eating giraffes.
Spectacularly powerful, a giraffe can deliver a kick that will kill a lion outright. The lion’s undertaking of such a formidable and large prey is one of great risk requiring finely honed skills, a great degree of patience and teamwork, along with a bit of luck.
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I first came across this phenomenon over a decade ago in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Seeing this display of skill and fortitude, I was absolutely captivated and knew I had to find a way to study and subsequently paint this truly awe-inspiring story. I resolved to find a place where I could witness firsthand this rare and little observed behavior.
Through my searches, I found my way to the Bubye Valley Conservancy, an area of almost a million acres that only 30 years ago was one of the largest cattle ranches in Africa. The Bubye Valley Conservancy, through their exceptional wildlife management and planning strategies, have returned the area to its former wild glory and is now home to one of the most stable lion populations in Africa.
On my journey, I was fortunate to locate a group of exceptionally large males and, over the course of several days, I observed their activities on the freshly killed giraffe. —John Banovich
Sporting Classics Editor, Chuck Weschler, and Graphic Designer, Ryan Coleman, look over the proofs from King of Beasts.
Renowned wildlife artist John Banovich believes he was born to tell the lion’s story—from its ancient past to its troubling future. He has teamed up with LiveOak Press, publishers of Sporting Classics, to tell that story of lions in the book, King of Beasts – A Study of the African Lion.
King of Beasts is a strikingly beautiful 12×11-inch book in which Banovich tells the story the best way he knows how—by painting Africa’s most storied predator. Over his illustrious 26-year career as one of the world’s foremost wildlife artists, Banovich has drawn and painted the African lion more than any other subject simply because no other animal speaks to him quite the same way.
King of Beasts showcases 134 stunning color plates and 20 drawings of the lion and the many fascinating creatures that share the big cat’s wild domain.
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Written by David Cabela, an expert on conservation, wildlife and things Africa, King of Beasts pays homage to not only to lions but also to Banovich and his remarkable achievements in art and conservation. Two editions, collector’s and leather-bound deluxe, are available and each is signed by Banovich. King of Beasts is on sale now.
