A rare three-legged elephant drinking at a waterhole in Madikwe Game Reserve.
🙂
Zebras
A group of zebras posed beautifully on top of a hill. Zebras often live in harems of one stallion with up to six mares. So there may be space for more in this group!
Bashful lion
A beautiful male lion bashfully looking away. What an incredible feeling to be so close to these animals, and to notice that they don’t even see the open safari vehicle that you’re in! At first my hands were shaking, but with time I have confidence to come away unscathed…
This young giraffe in Pilanesberg National Park seems to practice his balance. It must be so hard to have these long legs and the long neck. I know I struggle on a daily basis to get my back and legs aligned, and I’m not nearly as tall!
Close encounter with a lion
Before our first gamedrive in Madikwe, our safari guide asked us, “What do you want to see?” Well, we had just been in Pilanesberg and seen both lions and leopards on multiple occasions, but always from far away or hidden in the bushes. So we said, “The big cats, but a little closer!” And boy did we see big cats! “Is this close enough?” our guide asked. It was so close that my 300mm lens almost didn’t want to focus…
Majestic bull elephant
A majestic bull elephant in Madikwe Game Reserve. These animals are so big and so impressive! I know they are often called gentle giants, but for me the emphasis is on giant, and not so much on the gentle. If such an elephant wants to go somewhere, he will, no matter whether your car is in the way…
Lioness resting
An old lady lioness lying on the ground with a full belly in the sunset. Her eyes seem to plead for some undisturbed rest. Although gamedrives keep their distance and do their best not to disturb the animals’ lives, I sometimes do feel like an intruder in their world…
