I love the look in the eyes of this Thanda Safari Lioness – Have a good weekend!
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#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography
THE EVENING POST – EYES
THE MORNING POST – STARE
Just for fun – a little exotic one 😊: This is one of my favorite wild cats called Manul or Pallas’s cat. They are very feisty little creatures who live in Central Asia.
Enjoy your day!
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THE EVENING POST – WELCOME BACK
Everyone! at Thanda Safari is getting ready to welcoming our guests back as soon as the lockdown is over 😊 I took this picture of one of our Lionesses inspecting our entrance gate!
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THE MORNING POST – LITTLE VAMPIRES
Ticks are not insects they are actually arachnids, related to spiders, scorpions and mites. They resemble spiders with their four pairs of legs and lack of antennae.
They are a disliked, but important, part of nature. They provide a food source for lots of animals. As carrier of many diseases they also part of the population control for many species.
Ticks do not play a pleasant part since millions of years, but an important one. Some of the ever 800 ticks species world-wide are very colorful and sometimes specific to one host species (eg Rhinos).
Have a good day.
#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography
THE EVENING POST – CHEWING BONES
In the winter month Giraffes often chew bones to augment the calcium and phosphorus levels in their bodies. This evening I took this short video of a chewing male Giraffe being irritated by an Oxpecker looking for Ticks on the Giraffe’s neck.
Have a good night 💤
#Thandasafari @thandasafari
#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography
THE MORNING POST – COLD AND MAGICAL
Winter mornings can be quite cold, especially on an open Land Rover driving through the mist. But when sun breaks through it can look magical 😊
Have a good day!
#Thandasafari @thandasafari
#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography
THE EVENING POST – NOISY BREAKFAST
The highlight of today’s game drive was the sighting of a breeding herd of Elephants. These normally quiet giants are very noisy eaters when they choose to take down whole trees for breakfast 😊
In case you are on Instagram you can watch my live video from this morning
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THE MORNING POST – COLORS
There are many colorful creatures on Earth but when it comes to subtle variations and delicate nuisances Lilac-breasted Rollers are one of the winners. Two days ago this beautiful bird remained still for long enough for me to take this portrait.
Enjoy the colors!
#Thandasafari @thandasafari
#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography
THE EVENING POST – A QUIET DRIVE
This afternoon’s game drive was very quiet with only a very few sightings. But I got rewarded at the end with a beautiful sunset, Giraffes, Impalas, Wildebeest, Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills and Crowned Lapwings, all on the Thanda Savanna.
Enjoy your evening 😊
#Thandasafari @thandasafari
#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography
THE MORNING POST – WINTER RAIN
It is the first time since my arrival in South Africa – over eight years ago – that we had rain in June. The over 50mm (about 2″) are very welcome.
For a little while there will be water puddles all over the reserve which the smaller creatures use to quench their thirst and the large ones, like this Cape Buffalo Bull, often use for a cooling mud bath on a hot day. I ran into this impressive Dugga boy during last night’s game drive. Dugga boy is a local term for a single old Buffalo bull which is no longer moving with the herd but stay by himself.
Have a good week!
#Thandasafari @thandasafari
#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography
Christian Sperka Photography | Custom Luxury Tours 