Author: Christian Sperka

Christian Sperka is a wildlife photographer based at Thanda Private Game Reserve, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. Over the last 11 years, Christian has traveled the world photographing animals in wild game reserves of South Africa and Namibia, the jungles of Costa Rica, in Yellowstone National Park in the USA, as well as zoos in Europe and the United States. His work has been featured in wildlife magazines, in books and in many zoo publications. He actively supports wild cat conservation, working as a partner photographer for Panthera, the world's leading organization devoted to the conservation of all wild cat species (panthera.org). From 2009 to 2012 he has worked as the official photographer and photography teacher at Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, Tennessee, USA (nashvillezoo.org). Christian is also a qualified South African field guide. He now works as specialist photography guide on Thanda Private Game Reserve in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa (thanda.com).
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The first piglets of the season!

#Amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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Muscles!

An Elephant’s trunk contains approx 40,000 muscles. The whole human body has 639. It is any incredible flexible tool, used like a syringe to transfer water into the mouth, used to tear off grass with its prehensile lips, used to break off branches from trees, used to throw dust and mud on the Elephant’s body, …

#Amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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Beautiful!

On my way back home from a town visit I encountered this beautiful African Rock Python. I got out of the car and had a good look at this magnificent creature. Unfortunately I only had an iPhone with me so there are no close-ups 😊

#Amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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New and cute …

This is a short video slide show of the three new Thanda Safari Lion cubs which I saw for the first time this afternoon. They were a bit skittish, a bit curious, and very cute!

#Amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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Let’s hope he ignores us!

Two Woolly-necked Storks were watching this Cheetah male passing as they were foraging on the Thanda Safari savanna for their lunch.

#Amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography @thandasafari

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What a feeling …

… when a Black Rhino shows interest in you!

#Amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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Contact!

#Amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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Eye-level, iPhone, selfie stick, and iWatch!

This is one of the occasions when I use my iPhone 12 Pro Max attached to a selfie stick to film animal encounters on the eye-level of the subjects. I used the 2.5x lens on the phone to capture this video. The camera remote app on my iWatch let me control the phone even if I could not see the screen.

The resulting video of these two mating Thanda Safari Lions is looking good!

#Amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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Warning!

This little Thanda Safari Elephant girl executed a perfect warning attack towards our vehicle and was quite upset when we did not react with the expected respectful retreat. Her mum just watched in – what looked like – parental amusement 😊

#Amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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The boys out for a walk …

#Amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography

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