Topic: In today’s midday heat (38°C / 100°F) an Thanda Elephant bull was mudding himself. A Cape Buffalo bull was not even moving from his cool bath when the gentle giant arrived. And for the birders along you: Try to spot the Woolly-necked Storks and the Hamerkop in the video.
Technical data: Apple 16 Pro Max | Telefocus Camera 120 mm
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
Topic: This is a short video I took this morning of an Elephant herd encountering a White Rhino bull. Both parties were quite nervous during the meeting!
Technical data: Apple 16 Pro Max | Main Camera 24 mm
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
Topic: Young White Rhino running
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
Topic: Who looks for whom?
Technical data: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
Topic: Hook-lipped Rhinoceros (Black Rhino) feeding after sunset
Technical data: Canon R6 MII with RF lens f11/800mm | ISO 25600 | 1/45sec | ev+0 | WB AWB | AV Mode
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
Topic: A freshly de-horned Rhino. De-horning is a sad necessity to protect these magnificent creatures, who are persecuted because of human greed, ignorance, and stupid beliefs!
Technical data: Apple 16 Pro Max | Telephoto Camera | Portrait Mode 5x | 120mm | ISO 64 | 1/250sec | f2.8
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
Topic: White Rhino mum and her calf
Technical data: Canon R6 with RF lens f11/800mm | ISO 64000 | 1/500sec | ev+0 | WB 6500K | AV Mode
PS: I am starting a new series ‘Picture of the day’ for pictures taken on the day.
We humans like to complain. When there is no rain, we complain about the lack of rain, and when there is a lot of rain, we complain that there is too much!
But I have learned in my (now almost 13) years in South Africa and through many drought periods never to complain about rain.
February is usually the rainiest month, and this February, with over 228mm of rain so far (and it’s still raining), is one of the wettest months I have recorded.
The roads are now so muddy that a “game drive” is currently more like a “game of slip-and-slide”.
And if the weather forecast is to be believed, the remainder of February promises even more rain (at least >80mm).
The animals, such as these White Rhinos, enjoy the availability of water for drinking, wallowing, and swimming. I took this picture with my smartphone driving on a main road during a rainy day!
Technical data: Apple 14 Pro Max | Main Camera 24mm | ISO 64 | 1/90sec | f1.8 | ev+0 | 48mm
#iphoneOnEyeLevel
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This week, I saw a Black Rhino flehmen for the first time.
The bull picked up the scent of a female, stuck his nose into the soil where the cow had urinated, and then inhaled as much air as possible towards the Jacobson’s organ (vomeronasal organ) to analyze if the lady was in estrous.
Many mammals show this behaviour, but I had never seen a Black Rhino doing it. What a sighting!
Technical data: Canon R6 with RF lens f11/800mm | ISO 32000 | 1/500sec | ev+0 | WB 6500K | AV Mode
#CanonOnEyeLevel
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
Sometimes work related to wildlife conservation can get very exciting.
As part of the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project one of these incredible creatures was relocated from Thanda Safari to a new home to expand the range of the species.
When the Rhino was darted it fell asleep not next to the road, as we had hoped, but a bit down a hillside. So it was decided to clean a path, partially wake it up, and then ‘rhino walk’ it up to the waiting container truck.
This is a short video showing as all hands helped, so this large mammal could get to its new home. A job well done!
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
Christian Sperka Photography | Custom Luxury Tours 