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

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

Most prey animals produce alarm calls when they detect a predator to warn every one else to get out of the way. Not so Giraffes; they just stare at the threat for a while and often even go closer to have a good look.
After they made up their mind (and that can take a while…) they usually walk or run away from the big cats. In this picture four of them were staring at two young male Lions!

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

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari
1 Chew the cud
2 Food Elevator Down
3 Food Elevator Up
4 Chew the cud
= Ruminating, perfectly demonstrated by a Thanda Safari Giraffe lady!

#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

This is my last wildlife image for 2021!
I took it this morning on a short game drive in the rain. As in the last few years I am enjoying the turn of the year with my friends at Pakamisa (www.pakamisa.com).
I hope all of you will have a great evening welcoming 2022!
#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #pakamisagamereserve @pakamisagamereserve

Sometimes a space in a picture invites the placement of a logo. Last weekend I took this Giraffe picture at Pakamisa in beautifully moody evening light.
A journey of Giraffes passed by the stables after all the horses were put into their boxes for the night. I think the logo fits neatly into the frame 😊.



#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #pakamisagamereserve @pakamisagamereserve

Yesterday evening I had an unusual sighting. Two Cheetah males were drinking at a waterhole and a Giraffe bull was feeding of a tree just above them on the dam wall. They were aware of one another but decided that the distance between them was enough for comfort.
In most encounters of these two species which I have observed previously they would not have deemed this distance enough and one or the other would have moved off.
Have a good week!
#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari
📷 Picture by Christian Sperka

I took this picture when the Giraffe mum was in a hurry to get to the waterhole and the little one was trying to get a drink at the same time.
And the mother was chewing a bone from a carcass to replenish minerals in her body while she was striding towards the water.
#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari

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

On the way home from yesterday evening’s game drive I took this image of a Giraffe silhouette in front of the moon. Twilight mood on Thanda!
#Christiansperkaphotography @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari @thandasafari