A close up view of a male lion walking past. It was so great to spend some time last January with a pride of lions that had just devoured a zebra. They were lying around, then getting up, lying down again, until they finally moved out of sight into the thickets. While female lions are beautiful, it’s the males that really stop my heart!
Category: wildlife
Brown hyena
A full body view of a brown hyena standing in the grass, watching me. Brown hyenas are nog considered the most beautiful animals, with their straggly hair and their slanting backs. They are also quite shy, so getting a good picture of one is a feat in itself. This brown hyena was on its way to a zebra carcass that the lions had just left, ready to eat any meat and bones that were left over. In case you are wondering what’s that next to his nose, yes, it’s a spider.
Male lion on a wet morning
It’s a wet morning, but this male lion has nothing to complain about, really. His belly is very full after his pride caught a zebra. A male lion needs about 7 kilos of meat per day to stay in good shape, but when a kill is available they will eat up to 30 kilos in one session. This male looks like it did just that…
Rhino in the mud
It’s that weekend feeling!
Young cheetah
Rain is one of two female cheetahs in Pilanesberg National Park. Last year she had a litter of four young, of which three still survive. It’s so great to see these youngsters grow and thrive when only 30% of cheetahs born in the wild survive into adulthood!
Lioness in the grass
The intense stare of a lion stalking through the high grass of the green season. We came upon a pride of six or seven lions who had just caught a wildebeest and were busy devouring it. Lions have a strict hierarchy in who gets to eat first. This female was already done and was now looking for a place to rest and recover, while the others were still eating.
Two drinking elephants
Two elephant buddies drinking together at a dam in Pilanesberg National Park.
