This week I felt quite stressed and also went on a big 2 day weekend hike. Let’s just say my free time was at a minimum. I set aside 1 hour to do a drawing for my inquiry. As I was deciding which animal to draw I came across an awesome picture of a lion cub. I chose the image because the lion’s head was at an angle and I knew it would be a bit more of a challenge to get the proportions right.

I think it turned out okay. It’s definitely not my proudest moment; it’s a bit wonky but it’s still cute. I realized I need to practice different poses more often and stop choosing perfect, head-on images as my references. Hopefully I can focus more on that next week.

Lion cubs love to play as seen in the video below. Play is hugely important in the development of skills in many animals. Using play, lion cubs can practice their coordination and hunting moves in a safe environment.

I learned 10 facts about lions from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) this week. Some of the most interesting pieces of information were that there is a small subpopulation of lions in India, and that lions have sharp, raspy tongues to scrape meat off of bones. Lion populations have been reduced by 90% in the wild, and they are endanged along with the majority of the world’s big cats.

My personal favorite big cat is the cheetah, not the lion. I’m curious to know what yours is!

Top 10 facts about Lions. (n.d.). WWF. Retrieved October 3, 2023, from https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/fascinating-facts/lions