LORI DUNN SCRATCHBOARD ART
promoting conservation through artistic efforts
Mashatu Majesty
14 x 11
SOLD
While on safari in Botswana we came upon this male lion, lying under a large tree alone, lording over a wildebeest carcass. He was not bothered as we approached at a respectful distance and spent his time grooming, occasionally chewing off a few chunks of meat, and carefully eyeing some jackals lurking nearby. The jackals didn’t even attempt to get near the carcass. His massive presence was enough of a deterrent. According to our guide this was a lone male who had been cast out of his bachelor group. He certainly didn’t act like an outlaw. Not to be overtly anthropomorphic but he seemed to have a placid demeanor. I wondered at the time if he just wasn’t rough enough for the group. He had quite a bad gash on the underside of his front paw and was diligently licking it clean for some time. Our guide assured us that this was the best medicine for the situation and his own saliva would help clean the wound. Indeed, there is science behind this. Compounds in the saliva including histatins and nerve growth proteins speed healing by promoting the spread of new skin cells. In addition, nitric oxide produced when the saliva contacts the skin acts as a bacterial inhibitor. The cause of the gash was unclear, but one look at the sharp hooves and horns of the wildebeest made this a possibility. He sat quietly under the tree taking in the surrounding area, the sun gently washing over his face. All male lions seem to have several scars about their heads, but despite this I found his face rather handsome. It was a joy to depict his visage in this medium.
