Giraffes have wonderfully long tongues to reach the farthest leaves on a tree. Did you known that a giraffe’s tongue can reach 50 cm? This giraffe was licking the salt stone at Pilanesberg Center, and felt the need to stick his tongue out at us!
Tag: travel
Newborn springbok drinking
In some ways, it was a sad week in Pilanesberg National Park. A black rhino calf was killed by lions; a young cheetah was killed by a leopard; and a young elephant died after a tree root became stuck in its throat.
But the circle of life means that there is more than sadness in nature. We saw this newborn springbok lamb drinking his mother’s milk, ready to start a new life. Let’s hope it will be long and happy!
Black rhino
This picture shows very clearly why the black rhino is also called hook-lipped. The triangular shape of the upper lip can almost be used like a finger to carefully pick branches from the ground or leaves from scrubs.
Happy World Rhino Day 2019!
Crested Barbet
A cheeky crested barbet perching on the edge of our balcony at Jaci’s Tree Lodge. He looks like he wants to say, “Hey, are you gonna give me some food or what?”
Baby elephant
Such a cute baby elephant walking right at us!
Photo taken a couple of years ago in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia.
Fighting giraffes
Giraffes seem such gentle animals, but looks can deceive. Giraffes fight by clobbering each other with their necks. Male giraffes fight for dominance in a certain area, and for the right to mate with the females in that area. A giraffe’s neck is a powerful weapon, and the clashes of neck against neck can sometimes be heard from afar.
Leopard
We went to Pilanesberg to spot some leopards, and actually we were quite successful. We saw a young male enjoying his catch about three meters from our car. Under a dense bush. Then there was a female with her catch – behind a tree. And then, the top of our sightings, a female with cub. In a very leafy tree, 30 meters away.
After three days we had seen spots, tails and whiskers, but little more than that. So when we arrived in Madikwe, we told our guide that we really would love to see a leopard with a complete body not hidden by bushes.
And we got what we came for! Leopards are not as often seen in Madikwe as in Pilanesberg, but we were lucky that this male had killed an impala two nights before and was still working his way through the carcass. He even deigned to look our way! Happy!
Baby elephant
A small baby elephant drinks together with his family at a waterhole in Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa. Together, the family will protect the youngest elephants by standing around them so that no harm can befall them. Around this baby you can see the feet and trunks of his family members.
Drinking elephant
An elephant with its trunk in its mouth to squirt some water in it. It’s a personal thing, but I love the dramatic light and editing of this picture. The black background draws so much more attention to the structure of the elephants skin. For me that’s worth the loss of the trees in the background!
Awesome wonder 