'Demonic' gay lions spark nationwide outrage in Kenya

A wildlife photographer has captured a remarkable gay encounter between adult male lions. Photo / Paul Goldstein/Cover Images

A wildlife photographer has captured a remarkable gay encounter between adult male lions but not everyone is feeling the love.

In Kenya, where the photos were taken, the chief executive for the Film Classification Board, the governmental equivalent of a "moral compass", Ezekial Mutua is calling for the "crazy gay lions" to be "isolated".

Mutua wants the lions to be subjected to scientific research to figure out "how they acquired homosexual behaviour", the Nairobi News reports.

He described the love between the two lions as "bizarre".

"These animals need counselling, because probably they have been influenced by gays who have gone to the national parks and behaved badly," he said.

"I don't know, they must have copied it somewhere or it is demonic. Because these animals do not watch movies."

The chief executive believes the animals are possessed by a demonic force.

"This is why I will say isolate the crazy gay animals, study their behaviour because it is not normal. The very idea of sex even among animals is for procreation. Two male lions cannot procreate and therefore we will lose the lion species."

The two male lions were spotted engaging in affectionate behaviour by UK-based photographer Paul Goldstein in August this year.

He first observed them standing side-by-side in Kenya's Masai Mara, before one lay down and was gently mounted by the other.

The photographer said the moment "took his breath away" and it was "impossible not to smile" as he witnessed the lions' gentle loving ways.

"These two were at it for over a minute and the obvious affection afterwards was very evident, as opposed to the violent withdrawal when male and female mate.

"Even as he dismounted he did not back off as is normal after mating, he crept round to the other male's muzzle, for a nuzzle and threw a conspiratorial wink his way," he described.