Swimsuit

We’ll Never Get Over These Fierce Pics of Genevieve Morton Posing With a Lion in Zambia

The SI Swimsuit alumna, who starred in six consecutive issues, worked with photographer Derek Kettela in 2012.

Ananya Panchal

Genevieve Morton was photographed by Derek Kettela in Livingstone, Zambia.

Genevieve Morton was photographed by Derek Kettela in Livingstone, Zambia.

Genevieve Morton is an SI Swimsuit stalwart. The South African model, who posed for the brand six years in a row, made her debut with the magazine in 2010 in Palm Springs, Calif., with Walter Chin. Over the years, the 37-year-old has traveled to the most exotic locations with the publication, and proved her impeccable modeling skills time and time again. 

She’s been photographed on the beaches of Fiji and Australia, and captured amidst the breathtaking nature landscapes of Zambia and Switzerland. She also participated in a unique bodypaint photo shoot in ’15, which she noted as her favorite feature with the brand. 

“Zambia is special to me, for a different reason. My mother was born in Zambia, and I have the most incredible photographs of when they lived here and she dreamed of coming back to Zambia. Unfortunately she passed away. So, when I come here, and I know it’s something that she always wanted to do, it makes me feel like I’m fulfilling one of her dreams, as well as one of mine,” Morton revealed of her 2012 photo shoot in Livingstone. “When I got here, I found out that I would be doing the lion shot and I’ve had experiences with wild lions, being South African. The lions aren’t used to having a photoshoot with all the equipment so we didn’t know how they were going to react. The lions were so amazing. They felt like giant kittens, and I loved them and I felt as though if I just stayed calm, they would stay calm. And I actually got to realize how incredible it is, walking with lions holding their tails.”

Below are six of our favorite photos from that marvelous feature with visual artist Derek Kettela.

Genevieve Morton
Genevieve Morton
Genevieve Morton
Genevieve Morton
Genevieve Morton
Genevieve Morton
Published
Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When she is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, Panchal can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast. Panchal has a bachelor’s in communications and journalism from Boston University.

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