A lioness, her eyes closed, was sitting deep in the forest. The beam of our spotlight caught her head -- she was so far away that the light fades as it strikes her, making this picture hauntingly abstract. This dim, soft image is quite different from most lion pictures. It underscores her exhaustion – we were drawn to the area by loud roaring that usually accompanies mating. We never did see her partner, but in this image we see her catching a bit of sleep before the next round of mating begins.