There’s a non-zero chance that this is the same Cape Buffalo that I photographed chasing off that leopard at this same waterhole the other day. Impervious to leopards though they be, the boldest African lions can lay them low. As I understand it, the usually-complacent male lions are the ones that hunt buffalo - since it requires all of their massive strength to kill one of these aggressive bovine behemoths. ...
I don’t think this works great as an Insta pic, but it’s the kind of photo I’ll enjoy having hanging somewhere to remind me of this place when I’m not here. And bushbuck. Because I love bushbuck.
Not every leopard just walks right up to your car.
The savannah woodland in the morning - also the world’s largest land animal. I experimented a bit today using my Fujifilm XE1 and the fast manual focus 50mm f1.2. On full frame that’s a 75mm focal length and roughly an f1.8 aperture in terms of depth of field wide open. I was trying to go for a bit of an old-fashioned look like if you were in the bush in the ’60s with a Pentax Spotmatic with a Takumar 85mm f1.8.
The delicate little Steenbok that lives a very nervous life all by itself in the Southern African bushveld.
Bird dump: Little Bee-Eater, African Darter, Greenback Heron, White Helmetshrike, Blue Waxbill.
This old guy’s almost ready for Valhalla. Scarred. Wounded. Moving slowly. I reckon his days as a silent bushveld assassin will be over soon.
The Bushbuck is a solid little beast. He won’t mind you but they have a nasty reputation for responding violently to harassment.
We’ve been seeing more giraffes that ever before so far on our holiday. From youngsters to grizzled veterans towering over the car with their scars and lion-lost tails. While I’m sometimes used to them, I’m still sometimes struck by what zany nonsense creatures they are. Evolution can take you to really strange places if you’re not careful.
I can’t remember if I posted one of these pics from Punda Maria restcamp in Kruger in Jan 2018. It’s far in the tropical North of the park. The waterhole you can watch from inside the camp is full of amazing visitors. Without having to be worried about gate-closing times, you can also catch them in the best evening light.