After years of stories like The Lion King and their general perception as the kings of the jungle, a lot of us have developed a complicated image of lions.
On one hand, we recognize them as ferocious creatures who we figure come by that "king" reputation honestly, which makes us as drawn to them as we are nervous about approaching them.
But at the same time, lions can be cute just like so many other animals can. So when we have reason to believe that one of them isn't about to eat us, we can find them easy to admire and to see as just a big kitty.
And as one photographer's vibrant shots illustrate, those big cats can cut a pretty haunting figure when they get old enough.