“I will be big soon and then you will be afraid of me, just wait …”
This little African Elephant calf displayed all the signs of intimidation to scare me away and got very frustrated when I would not move.
At the encounter on Friday evening the baby’s mum was very calm and looked rather amused on her offsprings behavior 😊
Have a good week!
Check out the video from this sighting at https://youtu.be/hivicSRuHEk
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Yesterday evening Thanda Safari’s male Lion coalition did not enjoy the rain but they still went for a walk to have a look for our neighbor’s male, who decided to roar in the late afternoon.
Nothing motivates a male Lion more to get active, than competition announcing itself to the world.
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Seeing Fever Trees (Vachellia xanthophloea) in the morning mist is one of my favorite ‘sightings’ on a summer safari.
These beautiful trees with their unique yellow-green phosphorous bark are prevalent at Thanda. Two beautiful specimina are just outside my home.
In isiZulu the tree is called uMkhanyakude, which means ‘the tree which shines from afar’. What an apt name.
I wish you a good week!
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With its striking yellow (golden) breast this is one of my favorite small birds.
Golden-breasted Buntings are regularly seen at the waterhole near my home on Thanda.
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This impressive African Elephant bull followed a breeding herd away from a local waterhole.
In the background is the Intibane Lodge, the home of Ulwazi Research, which is Thanda Safari’s Volunteer Program.
In case you are interested in volunteering: https://www.ulwaziresearch.com
Enjoy your week!
… and as a bonus picture the family group he followed …
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Last night I was at the right place at the right time!
I was able to take this ‘fairy tail’ picture of one of our male Lions at one of Thanda Safari’s waterholes.
An hour later the skies opened and we got 50mm of much needed rain.
When I got home I very much resembled a drowned, but happy, rat.
Enjoy your weekend
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Five Little Bee-eaters were snuggling up for a good night’s sleep as I took this picture during a night safari at iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
With an average length of 15–17 cm, this species is the smallest African Bee-eater.
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There are 19 species of formally described Chameleons within South Africa, 17 species of Dwarf Chameleons and 2 Typical (Large) Chameleons.
The specimen in this picture is a Flap Necked Chameleon, a large chameleon, reaching 35 cm (14 in) with colors ranging through various shades of green, yellow, and brown.
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This week an additional female Cheetah was released onto the reserve. The young cat, which came to Thanda with a serious leg injury in October, spent four months in a boma (=fenced-in area) to recover.
But she obviously lost none of her skills. Less than an hour after her release she gave a Scrub Hare a run for its money. She almost caught the nimble creature. And on the day after her release she made her first kill and even climbed a tree to mark the occasion of her recovery.
We wish her all the best in her new home and hope she will meet our Cheetah gentlemen, soon.
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Giraffe male on the way to a waterhole at sunset.
Giraffes are multiple record holders. They are the tallest living terrestrial animals and the largest ruminants. They feature the longest tails and the largest eyeballs compared to all other land mammal.
Enjoy your weekend!
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Christian Sperka Photography | Custom Luxury Tours 