Category: rhino

Canon at Eye Level – Black Rhino

I have posted very little since early September, and some of you may have wondered what I have been up to.

I have just returned from a fantastic three week trip with two American guests who are also my friends from my time in the USA. We began our journey in the Drakensberg Mountains, visited the Battlefields, explored the iSimangaliso Wetlands, encountered the Big Five at Thanda, and concluded our travels in Durban at the fabulous Oyster Box Hotel to enjoy city life for a few days. 

A few trip stats: 21 days, 7 overnight locations, 19 excursions and activities, and 11 game drives. I will soon be sharing a photo trip report about our adventures.

Upon my return, Thanda Safari and The Royal Thanda Club hosted the most extraordinary five-day event I have ever witnessed in the African bush. It was an extravaganza with over 120 guests from around the world staying in our six new Royal Thanda Club Villas, Villa iZulu, Thanda Safari Lodge, and Thanda Tented Camp. The experience was both exhilarating and exhausting!

This afternoon, for the first time in a while, I had the opportunity to venture out onto the reserve on my own. Just before sunset, I managed to capture this picture of a Black Rhino browsing in a recently burned area. The majestic creature appeared quite relaxed (for a Black Rhino!) and I was able to take a few shots from a distance. After wild cats, this is my favorite mammal species. What an evening!

Technical data: Canon R6 with RF lens f/11, 800mm | ISO 25600 | 1/500 sec | EV +0 | WB 6500K | AV Mode

#CanonAtEyeLevel

#AmazingWildlife #AfricanSafari #SafariGetaway #ChristianSperkaPhotography #ThandaSafari #Big5 #GameReserve #WildlifePhotography #LearnPhotography

If you want to read more of my stories and see more of my pictures, you should visit my blog at https://sperka.info/blog/ 

One of the most common questions that guides get asked is about the age of young animals. It is not always easy to give a correct answer without a point of reference.

The White Rhino baby in this picture is a bit less than one year old (as it has lost its ’roundish’ baby head shape and as the second horn is not visible yet).

Below are a few indications that might help in determining the age of small Rhinos:

Age 0-3 months

– The shoulders are slightly higher than the mother’s underside of her belly

– No horn is visible and it has a ’roundish’ baby head shape, quite distinct from a typical Rhino head shape

Age 3-6 months

⁃ The front horn is now visible, but the back horn is not

Age 6 months – 1 year

– The shoulders are about 1/3 up the mum’s side

– The front horn is now visible and back horn is just coming through

Age 1-2 years

– The shoulders are about 1/2 up the mum’s side

– The front horn is quite distinct, while the back horn is now visible

Age 2-4 years

– The shoulders are about 2/3 up the mum’s side

– Both horns are growing

Age 4-7 years

– The shoulders will still be lower than those of the mother. It is very difficult to distinguish them from a fully grown adult when they are by themselves (7 years+).

Rhino females are usually sexually mature at 4-5 years of age, but they rarely have their first calf before the age of 7. Males need to wait until they are 10-12 years old before claiming their own territory and mating with the females in their area.

Rhinos typically live 40-50 years in the wild.

Technical data: Canon R6 with RF lens f4-6.3/24-240mm | ISO 20000 | 1/500sec | f6.7 | ev+0 | 150mm | WB 6500K | AV Mode | Crop to 50% of original image

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

Many mammals, like this White Rhino bull, frequently wallow in mud and, on hot days, remain for a long time semi-submerged in their personal spa.

They do this for a multitude of reasons.

First – The drying mud withdraws heat from the body and cools them down.

Second – A layer of mud protects the skin against the direct sun, a bit like sun-screen for humans.

Third – The mud cover helps keeping parasites away from the skin.

Fourth – When rubbing on trees the mud can help to cleanse the outer layers of the skin, especially if it is wrinkled.

If you ever feel very hot and you pass an inviting looking mud-hole on a hot day then you could try this yourself. Just watch out for other mud hole visitors! ☺️

Technical data: Canon R6 with RF lens f4-6.3/24-240mm | ISO 3200 | 1/500sec | f6.7 | ev+0 | 240mm | WB 6500K | AV Mode | Crop to 50% of original image

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