One of Thanda’s Lionesses in the most beautiful morning light. Have a good SUNday 
🙂
Picture details: African Lion | Location: Thanda Safari, South Africa
Canon 1D Mark IV | Canon EF500 f4L | AV | ISO 200 | 1/500s | f/4 | 0eV | WB 6500K – post processing corrected | free-hand
There are big five pictures and there are BIG FIVE pictures 🙂
I recently needed a collage of the BIG FIVE for a presentation and I came up with this one. Being in the focus of these amazing and impressive animals is one of the real thrills of an African safari!
In Africa, the big five game animals are the African Lion, African Elephant, Cape Buffalo, African Leopard, and Rhinoceros. The term “BIG FIVE” was coined by big-game hunters and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot.
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PS: For all my blog followers in Germany and Switzerland: In April I will be giving a public presentation (with many of my pictures) during my visit to Europe – all visitors are welcome! Details at https://sperka.info/2017/03/19/e2017
Dugga means mud!
Dugga Boy is a nickname given to older Buffalo males who have passed their prime breeding age and spend their days wallowing in mud pools. Dugga boys occur in small bachelor herds or as individuals. They are quite vulnerable and therefore more aggressive than animals in a large herd. This Thanda Dugga Boy had a good stretch before he left the Ubomvu waterhole. Ubomvu means red in the local Zulu language – a very good name considering the red soil in this area!
Picture details: Cape Buffalo | Location: Thanda Safari, South Africa
Canon 1D Mark IV | Canon EF28-300 f3.5-5.6L at 200mm | AV | ISO 2500 | 1/500s | f/5.6 | 1.0eV | WB 6500K | free-hand
I am currently learning how to fly a new DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone. These are two of my first aerial images I took with the ‘new toy’. With the new 4K camera it is actually anything else but a toy. The image quality for video and stills is amazing. More to come soon …
I recently did a bit of bird photography … this was one of my favorites … more to come soon …
Picture details: Reed Cormorant | Location: Drakensberg, South Africa
Canon 1D Mark IV | Canon EF500mm f/4L | AV | ISO 1600 | 1/1000s | f/8 | 0.5eV | WB 6500K | free-hand
I am currently working on an update of my online Lion picture gallery (http://www.sperka.biz/sg1).
This is one of the images which will soon appear with many others on my gallery site.
Have a good week! Stay tuned for more updates …
During our last power failure – which lasted about 6 hours – I decided to leave my hot office and spend a few hours at the kuMasinga Hide and at Nsumo Pan on Mkhuze Game Reserve.
In the three hours I sat at the two hides I took mainly bird pictures. I thought I create a little bird quiz from these images.
Can you identify all 11 species?
Have fun and a good week!
I have just uploaded a few more Leopard images taken between 2005 and 2016. Have a look at http://www.sperka.biz/sg2 (total 74 images).
This is one of many species gallery available online at http://www.sperka.biz/sg
Please contact me at info@sperka.com in case you are interested in publishing any of these images or if you would like to license any image for printing (for personal or commercial use).
These are the newly uploaded images!
I have just uploaded 74 more Cheetah images taken between 2004 and early 2017. Have a look at http://www.sperka.biz/sg3 (total 189 images).
This is one of many species gallery available online at http://www.sperka.biz/sg
Please contact me at info@sperka.com in case you are interested in publishing any of these images or if you would like to license any image for printing (for personal or commercial use).
These are a few of these new images!
As I walked out of my room at Thanda House I spotted the two Thanda Cheetah brothers just beyond our garden’s northern fence line. They were moving west, while carefully checking for other predators.
I walked around the building to my vehicle when I saw them again much closer to our northern gate. They were now feasting on a large Kudu cow, who must have been killed a while ago (large parts of her were already eaten). Her unborn calf was lying next to her. Unlike Lions, who would have eaten the fetus immediately, the two Cheetahs were eating the adult Kudu first.
This kill was so large that the Cheetah would never finish it. So Hyenas, Jackals, Vultures and many other smaller creatures will enjoy meals from this Kuku cow.
Checking around …
Moving along the Thanda house fence …
On the kill …
Feeding together – no fighting over the large meal …
Always on the lookout for possible thieves …
A few hours later – full bellies and still a lot of meat left – the Hyenas will love it!
And this is my favorite shot from that afternoon …
@thandasafari @christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #thandacheetahbrothers #christiansperkaphotography
Christian Sperka Photography | Custom Luxury Tours 