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!
Tag: nature
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.
Angry stripes
Two zebras wrangling with each other. it was not a very serious fight, but rather a playful squabble in which one kept on trying to bite the others ears or heels, like an annoying little sibling, perhaps.
Leopard in black and white
The leopard at the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria is one of my favorite and most willing subjects. This is a black and white edit of one of the photos I took during today’s Zoo Fun Walk.
Impala creche
Impala lambs are generally born around the same time, in the rainy season when everything is green and grazing is abundant. Rather than staying exclusively with their mother, the lambs stay together in creches overseen by a few females who keep an eye out for their well-being.
Blue wildebeest
A slightly muddy blue wildebeest staring at me. In contrast to buffaloes, wildebeest are gentle creatures who will run rather than fight. So this one might stare defiantly at me, but I’m not too scared.
Young male lion
Looking forward to the photographic opportunities that the new year will bring. Happy 2020 everyone!
Rhino in the evening light
Yesterday I saw the prize-winning documentary Stroop about rhino poaching and the trade in rhino horn in Asia. It’s so sad to know that our greed as human beings destroys the world around us. Why can’t we find a way to share, to go not for profit but for sustainability and livelihoods for workers? Look at this innocent creature, so mighty and strong, but so vulnerable to our vices. Will they still be with us in 50 years time?
Awesome wonder 