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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Frist Thanda Safari Wildlife&Photography Weekend

Our guests enjoyed the first Wildlife & Photography Weekend at the Thanda Tented Camp very much.

I really liked hosting the guests and helping them to improve their wildlife photography. All of us at Thanda are looking forward to the next wildlife&photography event!

PS: All the wildlife pictures in the collage were taken by our guests.

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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AT NIGHT

Has it happened to you that you drive down the road at night and that you run into some cats?

Well, our cats ‘own’ the road at night and we have to follow them patiently. No overtaking! 😊

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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A SMALL MEAL

Because this kill was very small the more dominant of the female Lions did not allow cubs on the kill other than her own.

When they tried to sneak in they got a bit of a hiding.

And it got a bit noisy. What a sighting at Thanda Safari!

#Thandasafari @thandasafari #christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography

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VULTURES FOLLOW UP â€¦

I thought I share some of the pictures I took during my session with the vultures on the Buffalo carcass …

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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DINING IN…

… has a totally different meaning for vultures. Watch this short video clip with a White-backed Vulture emerging (very quickly) from inside a Buffalo carcass!

Taken yesterday at Thanda Safari.

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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IT NEVER GETS OLD

I love sunrises like this morning in the African bush. It never gets old. This picture was taken at Mgankla Dam at Thanda Safari.

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR VAMPIRES

A large group of Red-billed Oxpeckers was taking a ride on the two Giraffes. Normally these small birds live in a symbiotic relationship with the long-necked mammals. The Giraffes provide the food in the form of ticks and the Oxpeckers relief them of the little pests.

But occasionally the insect-eaters turn into vampires. If the Giraffes have an open wound the Oxpeckers will keep pecking on it to keep it open end to keep the blood flowing as they love devouring blood (usually provided by the ‘filled up ticks’).

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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FOLLOWING THE LADY

Once male Lions find a female in estrous they are very persistent. And even after they mated for a few days our two males were trailing the lady for quite a while!

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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Birding Weekend

We had a very successful birding (bird ringing) weekend at Thanda Safari. I enjoyed taking lots of pictures and I had fun hosting our guests.

These are a few images from the event. James and Lara ringed 145 birds (45 different species).

I am already looking forward to the next birding weekend!

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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