WATCH | Hear them roar! 7 times lions showed us why they are royalty

The lion is the king of the jungle and the big cats seemed determined to earn their crown this year. We look back at some of the best videos that emerged of the coolest cats around. 

Strutting their stuff

What would you do if a pride of 15 lions came towards you?

Whip out your camera, of course. That's exactly what tourists did this year when they came across the Kruger National Park's "biggest" pride of lions.

Steve Haley, who shared one of the videos, was completely alone when he spotted the pride. "To see how big these beautiful big cats were up close was insane and a once in a lifetime moment!"

Car-nivore alert

Visitors travelling to the Kruger National Park soon learnt the importance of keeping your vehicle locked - especially when a lion wants to get inside.

Luckily for Hannetjie van der Westhuizen her windows were rolled up when she encountered a very curious young male lion.

Bronwyn Hattingh had a similar experience when a lion tried to open the back door of her car.

"Twice you could hear the handle opening and closing. It was as if he had done it many times before," Hattingh said.

At one point, visitors to the park were even urged to be on the lookout for a pride of "tyre-biting" lions on the prowl.

On the hunt

Of course a trip to the bush is not complete without witnessing a lion hunt. Sometimes the lions prove they deserve their royal titles with an epic kill... other times not so much.:

For the unsuspecting buck in the video below it was the worst of luck. For the hungry lions waiting in ambush, it was an easy meal. 

Meanwhile these lions were not so lucky, as they learnt rather painfully never to underestimate a wildebeest: