THANDA – Page 106 – Christian Sperka Photography

2014-02-22

With all senses!

If you shut your eyes and hold your ears closed you can experience a Lion’s roar through the stomach 🙂

When – at sunrise this morning – Thanda’s dominant male started roaring only a few meters from our game drive vehicle all conversation stopped and everyone on the vehicle held their breath until the call was completed. This was not a beginner’s roar, but the territorial call of a dominant male. One does not have to hear it, one can feel it.

I have included a small sound bite of the roar – click on either of the images to hear the Lion. But it is only a poor representation of the amazing feeling when experiencing such a Lion’s roar with all ones senses.

What a morning!

2014-02-20

Difference in size!

This picture shows an interesting comparison between an adult male and an adult female African Elephant. Size is the most significant visual sign of Elephants’ sexual dimorphism.

On the left is one of Thanda oldest and largest bulls (he his almost 50 years old) and on the right is Thanda’s oldest and largest female (she is around 40 years old). The female, a tusk-less African Elephant, is the matriarch of Thanda’s herd of Elephant.

2014-02-18

Black & White

I do not often create black & white versions of my pictures. But when I came across this image of a young Lioness lounging in a tree I thought this would look good in b&w. And I like it!

The young lady surprised many Thanda guests when she presented herself just outside the Thanda Tented Camp during check-out time. A great good-bye for our guests.

2014-02-17

Mum, not again!

This Buffalo calf had a drink when it’s mum decided to go to the toilette! This happens quite regularly with Buffalo.

Bheki – my tracker at Thanda – reckons this is very good for the growth of the horns 🙂

Have a good week!

2014-02-16

A difficult meal!

Bheki Ngubane – my tracker at Thanda – is driving with other guides when I am working on various special projects for Thanda. So, a few weeks ago I bought Bheki a small Canon point-and-shoot camera just in case he gets a good sighting when driving without me (and my cameras :-).

Well, that was a good decision. Yesterday, while on an evening game drive with Thanda guests, Bheki and field guide Cela Manyanga spotted an incredible scene.

A very large African Rock Python had killed an adult Impala and was busy swallowing this large herbivore. The snake was still working on the Impala when the last game drive vehicle had left the scene. A very exciting sighting for all Thanda guests!

A great image – well done Bheki!

More about the African Rock Python …

The African Rock Python (Python sebae), is a large, nonvenomous snake of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of seven species in the genus Python. Africa’s largest snake and one of the five largest snake species in the world may approach 6 m (20 ft). The snake is found in a variety of habitats, from forests to near deserts, although usually near sources of water. The African rock python kills its prey by constriction and often eats animals up to the size of antelope 🙂 ! The snake is widely feared even though it very rarely kills humans. Although the snake is not endangered, it does face threats from habitat reduction and hunting.

Picture by Bheki Ngubane – Thanda Private Game Reserve

2014-02-11

A Lion Portrait

This is my favorite of all the Lion images I took in January. When I was editing my January pictures I came across this portrait of one of the Thanda North Pride Lionesses.

2014-02-04

Location, Location …

As we were watching a male and a female Lion at a Waterhole they both got up and started walking between two game drive vehicles. In front of the astonished Thanda guests they started mating. A common procedure in a not so common place. I was about 2 meters (10 feet) from the Lions when I took the picture – In the right place at the right time 🙂

What an evening!

2014-02-04

Birds, Birds, Birds!

http://www.thanda.com/photos.htm#176105

Thanda hosts hundreds of bird species. Many of them are seen regularly on game drive, other are rare guests, and some of them are only here during the summer.

Bheki Ngubane – one of Thanda’s expert trackers – is also a very experienced birding guide. His ability to identify birds by their call impresses many guests greatly. And he is able to call many of them by imitating their call. With his help I was able to assemble the THANDA BIRDS photo gallery on the new Thanda website. It contains images of over ninety different species – with more to come …

Have a look at http://www.thanda.com/photos.htm#176105