An Egyptian Goose was landing in front of two of our Elephant bulls as they were having a morning drink stop at a waterhole.
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Landing!
The Big Five in one drive!
We went on game drive this afternoon to find Elephants, but we got much more. As we left the Thanda Safari Lodge we encountered two male Lions and when we stopped to watch a few Warthogs and Impalas we spotted a large male Leopard hunting. After this very special encounter we continued on our Elephant quest and almost immediately ran into a White Rhino. And towards the end of the drive we finally found the long-noses.
What a day! The Big Five on one drive.
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Alert!
This Black Rhino bull was very alert as he was browsing on small bushes on the edge of a savanna area. The picture was taken just after the sun had set.
The visible sore on its side is a skin lesions caused by a parasite. When visiting communal dung heaps rhinoceros will pass the infection along, resulting in almost every individual being infected by a small filariform worm. It seems not to distract them.
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First Baby!
Following an early rutting season this little Impala was the first new baby of this summer seen on one of my game drives on Thanda Safari!
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Film Shoot …
Yesterday, we had a sunset and wildlife film shoot for a major Hollywood movie on Thanda Safari. For me it was a very long, but very rewarding day coordinating the project for Thanda.
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Back on Thanda!
It is great to be back home on the reserve. We had a bit of – very welcome- rain over the last few days.
Today’s picture is of a Black Rhino mum and her calf in the early morning hours.
Have a good week!
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European Travel Journal 2021 – Post 10
That’s it. After a 10.5 hour flight I am back in South Africa. I will spend a few days in Pretoria and Durban and I will be back at Thanda Safari next Monday: Back to Wildlife Photography.
I hope you have enjoyed this travel (food 😊) journal.
Today’s picture was take from the plane just before landing in Johannesburg..
If you would like to read the complete travel journal with all pictures go to http://sperka.info (profile link)
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Picture data: iPhone 12 Pro Max
European Travel Journal 2021 – Post 9
My visit is almost at an end but this weekend I spent some more time with friends and family in Germany.
I enjoyed two more excellent lunches at ‘The Fuchshöhle’ and at the ‘Villa Martini’ in Bad Säckingen.
Tomorrow I will get a COVID-19 PCR test at the Zürich Airport and if everything goes well then I will be on a plane back to South Africa tomorrow night.
If you read all my travel post and looked at all the posted pictures then this trip looks a bit like a food tour. But I think that there are few better ways to spend quality time with family and friends then over a good meal.
I had a very enjoyable visit and I am looking forward to be back in April 2022.
Today’s picture is of tall trees in the Black Forest, Southern Germany.
Picture data: iPhone 12 Pro Max
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European Travel Journal 2021 – Post 8
I had very busy and very enjoyable three days with lunches and dinners, catching up with many more friends in Switzerland and Germany.
And today good friends, who live in Lucerne, took me on a boat ride onto Lake Lucerne ‘Vierwaldstättersee’. They own a beautiful wooden speed boat and we spent a pleasant autumn afternoon on the water. The day ended with a superb dinner at the Hotel Montana in Lucerne which features an incredible view of the city.
Today’s picture is of misty mountains ‘in blue light’ around Lake Lucerne, Switzerland.
Picture Data: Canon EOS R6 with RF 24-240mm lens.
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European Travel Journal 2021 – Post 7
The new ‘Lewa Savanna’ at the Zürich Zoo is definitely worth a visit. I had a good look at this new exhibit and got a complete tour by the responsible curator.
Seven species (White Rhino, Reticulated Giraffes, Grevy’s Zebras, Scimitar Oryx, Impala, Ostrich and Helmeted Guineafowls) share the large savanna, which is dominated by five large Baobab trees. Spotted Hyenas, African Brush-tailed Porcupines and Meerkats are featured in exhibits around the Savanna. And as always when I visit the Zurich Zoo I spent a bit of time in the Masoala hall (a unique indoor rain forest).
I had a few more great meals with friends and with one of my brothers. I have a feeling that I will be able to count all these excellent lunches and dinners by looking at a scale!
After a visit to good friends at Lake Zürich I stopped by the Benedictine Abbey of Einsiedeln in Switzerland. It has a most impressive church. Unfortunately I had not enough time to stay for one of the services to listen to the monk’s Gregorian chanting.
Before I returned to my parents home in Germany last night My route to took me to my old ‘home town’ called Zofingen in Switzerland. I lived their from 2000 to 2008. Another delicious lunch with friends!
Today’s picture is of a Panther Chameleon at the Masoala Rainforest Exhibit, Zürich Zoo, Switzerland.
Picture Data: Canon EOS R6 with RF 24-240mm lens.
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