Incredible photo shows 'epic showdown' between lioness and lion
Asiatic lions were seen performing a mating ritual in India's Gir Forest
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Say hello to the new "Rumble in the Jungle."
A photographer in India captured an epic showdown between a lioness and a lion that is actually a pre-mating ritual.
The remarkable footage was snapped in the Gir Forest, Gujarat, by photographer Urmil Jhaveri, British news agency SWNS reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Asiatic lions normally undergo this mating ritual, but it's rarely seen on film.
Photographer Urmil Jhaveri was on hand to capture the thrilling spat between a male lion and his would-be mate on camera. (Credit: SWNS)
STUNNING IMAGES SHOW CHEETAH CUBS 'PLAYING' WITH IMPALA CALF
“Gujarat's Gir Forest is the only place on Earth where you can observe the royal Asiatic lions," Jhaveri, 29, said. "This place is very much close to my heart and I am attached to it emotionally as well."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jhaveri, who has been observing and documenting Asiatic lions for nearly nine years, added he was "thrilled and super excited having filmed this moment.”
The Gir Protected Area was once a royal hunting ground, but it is now a nature reserve for the big cats, which are "heavily protected," according to National Geographic.
Slightly smaller than their African lion cousins, adult male Asiatic lions weigh between 350 and 420 pounds, while females range between 240 and 260 pounds, according to World Wildlife Fund India.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The most striking morphological character, which is always seen in Asiatic lions, and rarely in African lions, is a longitudinal fold of skin running along its belly," WWF India wrote on its website. "The fur ranges in color from ruddytawny, heavily speckled with black, to sandy or buff-grey, sometimes with a silvery sheen in certain lights."
Listed as endangered on IUCN's Red List, there are believed to be 523 Asiatic lions left in the wild, WWF India added.