Ruler of Pride Rock! Real-Life Lion King Recreates Famous Disney Scene

The big cat, known by rangers and local guides as Spartacus, was spotted prowling the Kideopo Valley in Uganda.

The adult lion was surveying his territory but was struggling to see his vast land - and so jumped on to a large rock to get a better view. 

William Burrard-Lucas, a 31-year-old wildlife photographer and founder of Camptrations - a company dedicated to developing products for remote and camera trap photography -  captured the special moment. 

A few members of Spartacus' pride were nearby but the dominant male lion was keeping an eye on a rival pack.

It was just a few minutes before sunset and William was parked in his 4x4 hoping to catch a clear shot of the dominant male lion – but the long grass was in his way.

He said: “Over to my right was a beautiful kopje [small hill] and I was thinking to myself it would be an incredible shot if he would just go and sit on top of it.

“Well he must have heard my thoughts because the next thing I knew, he was up and heading in that direction.

“I willed him to keep going and I was pinching myself as he started to climb. He plonked himself down exactly where I had hoped and then looked at me with his regal gaze. I couldn’t believe my luck.

“There were some lions in the distance that he was keeping an eye on.

The rock gave him a good vantage point.

“It is so rare that a wild animal actually does what you want it to.

“In front of me was a scene that looked like it was straight out of The Lion King.”

Will, from Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, took the shots in November last year, but they have recently come to wider attention after being picked up on social media.