LOCK DOWN PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARI – Page 9 – Christian Sperka Photography

2020-05-04

LOCK DOWN PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARI XXXVII

This is a short video about today’s sighting of two small Lion cubs and two female Lions at Thanda Safari.

Enjoy the show 😊

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

2020-05-03

LOCK DOWN PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARI XXXVI

A short night … and how find South!

Today’s lock down safari has a very special topic. The Southern night sky and how to find South with the help of the stars!

This morning I got up at 3:00 to take some pictures of the night sky over Thanda. Here are a few of the images.

On one of the pictures I drew some lines to explain how to find South.

First: Find the Southern Cross and imagine a line along the long axis of the cross.

Second: Find the two pointers (Alpha and Beta Centauri) and imagine a line perpendicular to the line between the two stars.

Third: From where those two imaginary lines meet in the sky, drop down to the horizon. This is South!

Enjoy your evening and your night sky, stay home and stay safe!

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

2020-05-01

LOCK DOWN PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARI XXXIV

The Pink Tail Operation 😊

One of Thanda Safari’s White Rhinos had an injured tail (probably from a Hyena attack) which needed medical attention, so a darting operation was scheduled for today to deal with the problem.

After the Rhino had been tranquilized, Veterinarian Dr. Trevor Viljoen had to shorten the remaining tail slightly.

We all had a good laugh at the pink bandage which was used to cover the repaired tail.

After the anesthesia reversal drug was administered it took only a few minutes before the huge creature was back to grazing.

A skilled pilot is needed to keep the Rhino in an open area after it had been darted …

Dr.Viljoen and Wildlife Coordinator Mariana Venter rushing from the Helicopter to the Rhino …

The team preparing the Rhino and the site for surgery ..,

Dr.Viljoen administering the reversal drug to wake up the pink-tailed Rhino 😊

Enjoy your evening, stay home and stay safe!

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

2020-04-30

LOCK DOWN PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARI XXXII

I suggest you spend 30 seconds relaxing while watching a Lion sleeping on the savanna.

Enjoy your evening, stay home and stay safe!

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

2020-04-302020-04-30

LOCK DOWN PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARI XXXIII

I suggest you spend 30 seconds relaxing while watching a Lion sleeping on the savanna.

Enjoy your evening, stay home and stay safe!

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

2020-04-29

LOCK DOWN PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARI XXXI

When no change is good news!

In the last few weeks we have seen wildlife behaving very differently around cities. Kangaroos in the streets of towns, bears strolling down main streets and large wild cats prowling trough people’s back yards.

Quite a few people have asked me if the animals’ behavior on Thanda Safari has changed since the national-wide Covid-19 lock down began. Before 24 March our wildlife often encountered multiple game viewing vehicles in one day. Especially Lion, Elephant, Rhino and Buffalo were the most viewed species.

From my observation during my daily drives over the last month there has been no change at all. And that is excellent news.

It means that the game drive operations of our guides and trackers have always focused on minimum disturbance of the animals during drive. Even the general game, which are usually ‘flight species’ (Giraffes, Zebras, Warthogs, Impalas, …) show no difference in behavior.

Thanda Safari is an ecosystem where animals come first!

PS: This is a short slide show to enjoy this ecosystem!

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

2020-04-29

STAY-AT-HOME BIRD WEDNESDAY

The feathers of the Green Wood Hoopoe, as of many other birds, are iridescent. This means that the colors change dependent on the angle of the viewer.

Have a good bird Wednesday, stay home and stay safe!

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

2020-04-28

LOCK DOWN PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARI XXXI

Vincent and I went on a very wet safari this afternoon. After it had rained all night and most of the day we took a short drive. We saw some general game, some Buffalo and a White Rhino.

I used my iPhone and my binoculars to get a close up shot. Considering the rain, the bad light and the distance the shots turned out remarkably well 😊

Have a good evening, stay home and stay safe

PS: We are very happy about the rain – more than 30mm last night!

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

2020-04-27

LOCK DOWN PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARI XXX

Today I did a little experiment and left my cameras at home. Equipped with two iPhones (Xs Max and 7+), a pair of Swarovski binoculars and an adapter to attach a phone to the binos I went onto evening safari.

And here are some of the pictures which proof that a smart phone safari can be very rewarding. If you want to know more about this you can watch my video on the topic: https://youtu.be/eLeKTRP615g