God Save The King!
And his kingdom!
~ * ~ Coloring pages 2018 ~ * ~
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~ * ~ Coloring pages: 2018 Jan-Mar ~ * ~ 2018 April-May ~ * ~ 2018 June-Aug ~ * ~ 2018 Sept-Dec ~ * ~
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I've finally been able to move to a healthier apartment - no more heat exhaustion from lack of ventilation! And found my sketch pad and pencil. ...and got my scanner out. ^_^ Out of five moves in my lifetime, this was the first one being an ordeal. My brother and I squeezing furniture into a minivan was not how it was supposed to be. But it got done. I'm finally getting things in order enough to return a bit to more fun stuff, like drawing; but, right now, I don't think I'll be able to keep up with a new page each week, here. We'll see!
Hello, new neighbors! I am mostly harmless. (I hope you are, too! ;p)
My first time out, I missed my turn home. That's okay, you think? LOL You forget: I was walking! ^.^ I'm like, "How do you do that??" ^o^ And there are crosswalks you need to push a button to use. ...I will take routes that avoid those intersections. ^,^ Good thing I didn't have my lion backpack out, yet. (Do, now.) Don't want to draw extra attention to myself, when I'm not being silly on purpose. ;p Remember, I don't even like to draw attention to myself under normal circumstances. New territory is scary. ^,^
Bonus page because: Kevin's team has just launched a website specifically for his foundation (kevinrichardsonfoundation.org), which is great timing! There's been more interest about lions here, and this new site addresses the questions I've been getting. I'm not a public speaker, so this will make it easier for me to share information. ^_^
Publicly advocating, even in the small way I do, isn't everyone's cup of tea. (This wasn't mine! I'm a very private, keep-to-myself person, but this drew me out of the forest. ^_^) So, support an organization that does what you can't. Research them before donating or volunteering with them. Make sure they're legit and in tune with your intentions. Many well-known ones are actually spread thin over multiple issues and little goes for what you intended your aid for.
I promote Kevin Richardson (kevinrichardsonfoundation.org & lionwhisperer.co.za), because I feel his energy and ideals resonate with mine. He's way more than legit, very personally invested, and super dedicated to lions. He's there in the thick of it: He can do what I can't.
National Geographic Kids has 10 Cool Reasons to Save Lions and a Mission Animal Rescue: Lions video with good ideas.
Did I mention the new Kevin Richardson Foundation site? ^_~
45 minute walk to the lake... ^_^ Love it. ...but, I realized... admiring the shoreline from the safety of the grassy picnic grove... I'm not overly fond of open water. ^,^ I do recall that in my long ago youth, they were backing the boat down the ramp into the lake, the truck's back wheels going into the water... I was the child who scrambled to the front and onto the dash believing we were all doomed. lol
I've never lived this close to the lake before. Having new things to explore is always awesome. When animals encounter new things, it can be pretty fun, too. I'm not really sure, but I think if hyenas encountered open water, they wouldn't have much of a problem with it. They love to play in water and even hide their food in it. I don't think lions, or snow leopards, would have much interest beyond getting a drink.
Oh, look! Kevin actually has a video that mentions lions generally avoid water when possible. ...but when there's incentive, like a camera... so naughty. ^_^ (I just love when they try to use the trip method on him... lol So precious.)
Nelson Mandela Day is July 18
Great people all over the world have advocated creating National Parks in their Countries. One of Africa's greatest was Nelson Mandela, who helped create the Peace Parks Foundation. They work to establish wildlife corridors to preserve genetic diversity and health of wild populations.
Greatly respecting Nelson Mandela, Kevin Richardson's Foundation also focuses on acquiring land to recreate and preserve suitable habitat for lions. One person, one organization, can't do it alone. We all need to get involved. Last week, he released a great video outlining their goals and a new drive for Land For Lions. [ If you're local to me and donate - and can catch me when I'm out and about ;p - I'll give you a rock. ]
[ lol To people who don't know about it, that probably sounds really strange. "A rock? Really? Oh, boy! ...hm-hm..." ^o^ Now, it'd be cool to see their email confirmation of your donation, but this is on your honor. ^_~ ]
"Today, we should all ask ourselves: What have I done to improve the surroundings in which I live?" ~ Nelson Mandela
...Biking along 20, I went around a fallen branch... Rumble strips don't exactly rumble when you run 'em with a bitty mountain bike... It's more like a jarring rattle. No fun. ;p Haven't been biking in over ten years - so glad I can around here! Missed it! I can explore a lot further, and it sure makes it easier to collect rocks to paint. ^_~
Didn't say anything before, because I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it; but I did manage it: Remember my page for April Fool's Day? Well, I made sixty-seven "black leopard in the dark" painted rocks in the past week, in honor of Nelson Mandela Day. Most of them have been put out, and I think people are enjoying them. ^_^
...yeah, 'round about the twentieth, I'm like, "Who's idea was this??" ^o^ It's a simple design, but the lettering takes a while! 67 one after the other is a lot different than a few at a time here and there. Sure worth it, though. ^_^
AND I got inspired to get a leopard coloring page done. For new people who missed it, check out Kevin's video about the beautiful black leopards at his sanctuary.
Some people think tiger bone has medicinal properties and want it even more now that they are killing off the species, rather than use any of the multitude of alternatives that don't involve exterminating something. At only around 3-4,000 left, tigers number far less than lions and are so protected that people now kill lions to fill the desire for tiger bone. Tigers and lions have the same build, and their bones can't be told apart.
If they truly believed such things actually work, they would be fighting tooth and nail to protect these species, instead of driving them to extinction without a care then merrily switching to another. They aren't even getting what they think they are: sometimes dog or pig bones have even been substituted. They may as well take a placebo.
Some tiger bone wine merchants have willingly altered ingredients to replace the bones with herbs that provide the desired benefits. It's not something that can't be done. Be a steward of the Earth.
World Lion Day is next friday, and I feel what better time than now to unveil this t-shirt idea I've had since almost the beginning... ^_^ Simply a unicorn in a t-shirt that says, "I believe in lions." Of course, now I've added #LandForLions to it, which is what it was waiting for, I think. ^_~ Many of my drawings just don't click until some certain element slips into place (like adding snow leopards to page 9). A uni in a T is nice, but the added text of "Don't let lions become a myth. Support #LandForLions" really rounds it out.
Anyway, not the best conformation on this unicorn, but it'll do. Oh, oh! and on the back could be #LandForLions text, too. ~ Oo, I've designed a t-shirt. ^_^ ...now... to take over the world..! bwhahahahaha ;p
btw, You can get lion shirts from the "shop" link on Kevin's Lion Whisperer site.(... lol Hey, email them and see if they'll include this one. heeheehee) They changed it up with a great environmentally conscious company - direct link here: thelionwhisperer.teemill.com/
I don't feel it's overstepping to say that Saving lions saves us all. In the drawing, it refers to all the animals that share lion habitat, but the true meaning is quite literal. The kind of mentality that is driving animals and plantlife to extinction is destroying our own habitat, and, guess what: Like lions and elephants and wolves and polar bears, there's no where else for us to go.
I come across people who feel it's a losing battle so they turn a blind eye. There are numerous quotes of a fitting sentiment, but I like this version from John Stuart Mill: "Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing." When you stop trying, or don't try at all, is when you lose. So, come... join us... You know you want to. ^_~
World Lion Day is a great time to donate to #LandForLions; and THANK YOU from me, too, to everyone who's stepped up to help them out. You're awesome! Such a good feeling to see this outpouring of love for lions and faith in Kevin and his team. Let's continue building on it! Donating to Kevin's sanctuary and #LandForLions gives you very tangible results - and they are such adorable advocates as well as recipients. ^_^
Not related to the coloring page, but... PBS was airing "Earth - A New Wild". I found the Plains episode really interesting. You see what happens when we ignore nature, hold ourselves apart from it, or force our own self-serving ways upon it. Applying "over grazing" as an excuse to slaughter seemed odd, when there had been billions of herds and the environment had done just fine until we came in and turned it upsidedown. This shows you an aspect of the importance of large predators that you might not think of.
Predators have a huge, essential role in the environment: They don't just keep animal herds healthy by weeding out the weak and sick, they keep the plantlife and soil healthy, too, by keeping herds grouped and moving.
In case the whitetail page is too serious for non-hunters, I've also posted a lighter coloring page that's been in my head since almost the beginning. ^_~
Another page that's been sitting in my head, as it might make my views more relatable to some: I grew up eating venison (deer meat). We had antlers on the wall (I never saw the point of it - they just collect dust - but they weren't killed just for the rack). I didn't hunt, myself, but I grew up with it and know a little about hunting. Real hunting.
We don't hand-raise whitetail on bottles, cuddling them in petting zoos, then, later, let them into a larger enclosure to "hunt", sometimes drugged to keep them slow and baited to keep them easy to find, and even then take multiple shots with purposely inadequate firepower to get them down. ...When they aren't even running away, because they aren't afraid of humans and might even be coming toward the shooter for a scratch or a treat...
That isn't hunting. The motive is pure vanity and disgusting. Yet, it's done to thousands of lions and other large cats that are overbred (and often inbred) to suck in unwitting tourists to cub petting facilities. On top of which, many cubs are purposely underfed to keep them small longer, which causes many health issues (some lifelong, even if rescued and treated). The cubs that survive and grow up are destined to the same irresponsible overbreeding that produced them, or to be "hunted" in such a scenario as described above.
Imagine the uproar there would be if we started doing that to whitetail. Why, then, is it brushed off with our revered King of Beasts, the magnificent and globally awe-inspiring lion?
"People are not going to care about animal conservation unless they think that animals are worthwhile." - David Attenborough.
If you haven't already, get to know lions, and hyena, through Kevin's sanctuary and perhaps develop a new appreciation for the iconic lion and how we treat him.
“We must stop seeing the natural world as a commodity and start seeing it as we would see a family member, something to love, protect, care for, and cherish.” - Barry Babcock, Teachers in the Forest
Food for thought..:
... If the cub petting and canned hunting industry is as great for conservation as their supporters claim, then why are wild lion numbers still falling so rapidly? Why did lions come into such a predicament to begin with? If they're being truthful, then wild lion populations should have sky rocketed - not plummeted. If that mindset was in the right, we wouldn't be losing rhinos and other wildlife, either. ...
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Be a steward of the Earth.
~ * ~ Coloring pages: 2018 Jan-Mar ~ * ~ 2018 April-May ~ * ~ 2018 June-Aug ~ * ~ 2018 Sept-Dec ~ * ~
~ * ~ 2017 ~ * ~ 2019 ~ * ~ 2020 ~ * ~ 2021 ~ * ~ 2022 ~ * ~
~ * ~ Home ~ * ~ Fun with paints ~ * ~ More Fun ~ * ~
Coloring pages may be printed from here and made copies of for non-profit, free-of-charge use only. ~ Don't have a printer? Out of ink? Libraries are typically happy to print things like this out for you. Some may charge a small fee, but the one here will print two pages at no charge (last I knew). ~ Please do not hotlink to or use my images on other websites. Simply direct people to my homepage: godsavetheking.neocities.org , thanks! Plant seeds!
[I'm not a professional and have limited resources/access; so the image quality isn't very 'clean' on some - has smudging from erasing, but they print/copy fine. I make the printable images to be around 8x11 inches to fill a sheet of regular letter-size paper.]
Please Support:
other good places to check out:
Matthew West's
"Do Something"
and "All In"
are very appropriate!
