Scenes From Safari:  Part V

Scenes From Safari: Part V

I continue to work through my hard drive and memory cards in search of my favorite shots.   In this installment enjoy the Hippos, Rhino, Leopard, and Cheetah.   I’ve also attached a video of an underrated and very critical critter…….

To catch up on previous posts in this series, please use the following links:  Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV.

 

a lion cub eating grass

A Lion Cub returns my stare…..

a bird sitting on a tree branch

African Green Pigeon


a close-up of a plane

 

two rhinos in a mud puddle

A Rhino and Cape Buffalo create an interesting alliance…..

a close up of a leopard

A beautiful pose by ‘Xikavi’

a wild dog eating a carcass of a animal

A Wild Dog enjoys his reward from a successful hunt

a leopard walking on sand

Dayone approaches

a close up of a cheetah

Cheetah looking at potential target

a cheetah lying in the grass

a hippo and baby hippo in water

A Hippo casts a cautious glance in my direction….

a group of elephants with tusks

No Safari is complete without Elephants!

a buffalo standing in water

Cape Buffalo…in this case a ‘Dugga Boy’, or an old male that has been kicked out of the breeding herd…..Sound familiar?

 

In the following video, you’ll see Dung Beetles working a pile of Dung as they prepare to lay their larvae.   The Beetles will lay their larvae in the dung, roll the dung into a near perfect ball and bury it.  In about 2 weeks the larvae will hatch and emerge from the dung ball.    The newly-hatched Beetle will live for about 2 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuQZO7xm0MU

Scenes From Safari: Part IV

Scenes From Safari: Part IV

I’ve managed to pull out a few more photos from the thousands that I’m sorting through.  I’ve also attached a great video my wife captured as a Hyena was entertaining her cubs at sunset.

To see previous installments, please click here for Part I, click here for Part 2, and click here for Part 3.

Enjoy! 🙂

 

a monkey carrying a baby monkey

‘Baby on Board’

 

a bird on a branch

An ‘angelic’ Vulture awaits opportunity…..

a warthog walking in the wild

A nervous Warthog literally ‘hightails’ it away from me….

 


a close-up of a plane

 

a lion with a wound on its leg

A Warthog got the better end of deal after confronting this Lioness…..

a group of wild dogs running in a field

A pack ‘elder’ leads these young Wild Dogs on a hunt…..

a giraffes walking in the wild

An adolescent and baby Giraffe look on….

a lion with a bushy mane

Affectionately known to his fans as ‘Scar Nose’

a bird on a tree

A female Bearded Woodpecker doing what a woodpecker does….

a lion and lioness sleeping together

A Majingilane male naps next to his Othawa pride Lioness

 

The following video captures some great scenes as 2 Hyena Cubs play with their ‘Babysitter’….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF6FgSMgPI8

Scenes From Safari:  Part III

Scenes From Safari: Part III

I continue to work out sorting out the 18k photos.   Here is the latest batch of shots that I thought were worth sharing.  If you missed the previous installments you can find Part I here, and Part II here.

In Part III, I’ve included a video capturing a fairly rare moment where a male lion from the Majingilane coalition was spending time with a Lioness from the Othawa pride in the hopes of furthering the population.   He would not have any luck this time.

Enjoy!

 

a zebra standing in a field

Zebra….Up close and personal

 

a baboon carrying a baby

Baboon and baby cross a road as Buffalo moved into the area.

 

a warthog lying in the dirt

Warthog watches with a wary eye….

 

birds in a nest

‘Lesser Spotted’ Weaver males work on their nests. Look closely to the left and you’ll see a Striated Heron sitting on her nest.

 

birds sitting on a tree branch

A rare sighting of a female (l) and male (r) Bataleur Eagle.

 

a zebra eating grass on a dirt path

A very pregnant Zebra eats for 2, while an Oxpecker goes for a ride….

 

a bird sitting on a branch

A rare ‘blonde’ version of a Wahlberg’s Eagle. About 5-10% come from the factory ‘as blondes’. Most are dark brown.

 

The following sequence is of a rare Night Heron that seldon appears the in the daytime.   The exception is typically only made when it is looking for a viable nesting area for her eggs.    I spend a good deal of time watching and enjoying her.

a bird flying over tall grass a bird flying in the air a bird standing on a rock a bird flying over water a bird on a branch a bird flying over plants

 

In the following video, you’ll see that Majigilane Lion trying to court the Othawa Lioness:



a screenshot of a computer

Scenes From Safari: Part II

Scenes From Safari: Part II

Picking up where I left off from Scenes From Safari: Part I, here are several more moments from our Safari trip to Dulini last week.

In addition to the photos, I’ve included a video clip showing an Elephant introducing her baby calf for the first time to the ‘public’.   It’s only a week old!

Not much else to say, other than enjoy the photos!

 

a bird on a branch

Southern Red-Billed Hornbill

a group of lions lying down in the grass

‘Majingilane’ Coalition Males take time to rest with their Othawa Pride Lionesses

a zebras and giraffe in a grassy field

A moment with Zebras ruined by a Photo-bombing Giraffe

a giraffes standing in the woods

Lunchtime……

a lion lying down in the grass

Othawa Lioness taking a break from her cubs……

a deer standing in grass

This little Duiker shows off his Mohawk……

a leopard lying in the grass

‘Dayone’ looks a bit tired after a long day.

a lioness licking another lioness

An Othawa Lioness loves up her cubs….

a bird flying over a river

A Vulture comes in a bit too steep…..

an elephant eating leaves from a tree

Part of the 300 pounds of food that will be eaten today by this Elephant…..

a cheetah sitting next to a deer

Cheetah takes a breather after a successful hunt….

a cheetah biting a gazelle

Moving dinner to a safe spot….

a cheetah lying on the ground with a deer

Now he can rest for a minute before Hyenas threaten his catch

 

And as mentioned before, here is the video debuting the new-born Elephant:

 


a screenshot of a computer

Scenes From Safari: Part I

Scenes From Safari: Part I

Last week, my wife and I headed out on what has become an annual Holiday for us.   We shipped ourselves to the African Bushveld aboard a combination of Lufthansa and SWISS flights for a week-long Safari at the Dulini Private Game Reserve in the Sabi Sand region of South Africa.

To say this has become our favorite travel destination is an understatement.   We’ve gone as far as to begin exploring the possibility of purchasing property in the area to build our retirement home within a game reserve so that we can literally enjoy a Safari everyday.  More likely than not, we’ll have a mailing address ‘down there’ one day.

After our first visit to Dulini, it was a no-brainer to go back.  Their hospitality, accommodations and access to some of the finest wildlife viewing would be hard to beat, so we’re not going to try.  In fact, we’ve already booked our return trip for next year.

Words really can’t explain the experience and how it can affect someone, but I hope some of the photos I’ve put below can begin to show why we feel the way we do.   The worst part of the trip is the last day.   The blunt realization that we have to leave this paradise is not easy to deal with.   The only solace we have is the fact that we are going back in less than a year.    359 days to be exact!

Enjoy the pics.  I’ll have more over the next few days after I shuffle through about 11,000 photos that came home with us.

Oh, and if you are wondering why there is a Dulini watermark and not my own on the photos , I’ve offered to share them with Dulini so that they can be used on their social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter.   It was easier for me to process the photos only once and use their watermark.

 

a hyena with its cubs lying on a rock

A tender moment between a Hyena and her cubs…..

 

a giraffes standing in the woods

A photo-bombing Giraffe decides to make an appearance….

 

a baby hyena lying on a rock

A Hyena cub makes a chew toy out of her mother’s foot….

 

two cheetahs sitting in the grass

Ravenscourt (Male) and Tasselberry (Female) during their mating ritual.

 

a bird on the back of a deer

Red Bull is not the only thing that gives you wings. Oxpeckers apparently do it as well.

 

a hyena and a baby animal lying on the ground

Hyena and cub…..

 

a small animal standing on a rock

A very hard to find Mongoose…..normally very shy and elusive

 

a lizard with its tongue out

Who knew that the Rock Monitor has the prettiest tongue in the animal kingdom?

 

a starry sky with trees

One of many breathtaking sunsets that we experienced…

 


a screenshot of a computer