Thanda’s Dominant Male – A Portrait
A bloody affair …
When Lions feast on a fresh kill it is rather a bloody affair. This young Lion just got his first share of a Kudu kill.
A strong image showing the rough side of nature!
Double Release!
Removing a snake from a place where it should not be can be a tricky business. And if the snake is a Black Mambas then it gets extra exciting.
Yesterday, I caught the largest Black Mamba I have ever seen (see video 1). This beautiful specimen was rather calm during the capture. I released it this morning in a remote part of the reserve.
And then midday today I was called to catch another of these fast moving snakes. This one was more ‘feisty’ and was quite agitated during the capture and the release (see video 2).
But in the end everything went well and both snakes can establish their new homes far away from people and buildings 🙂
The picture credits for today go to Letishia Kleinschmidt and Jennie Pretorius. Thanks a lot. My favorite shot of today is Jennie’s picture of a ‘Black Mamba Selfie’ :-).
Christmas Eve in the South African Bush :-)
Christmas Eve Greetings from the African Bush 🙂
Mud!
It looks almost like make-up – the various colors on this White Rhino’s horn 🙂
Just a teaser …
… more images of an incredible sighting coming soon …
Energy!
After the recent rains this young Kudu was running around with great energy in the wet grass. It looked to us as it was celebrating the relief from the drought!
A new place and a trip to Europe
This week I had the opportunity to have a look at Pongola Game Reserve, a beautiful property with seven lodges. I stayed for a night and took a lot of images during two boat cruises on the Pongola River. It was very enjoyable 🙂 I hope to be back soon!
And now I am in Pretoria, getting ready for a trip to Europe. I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends in Germany and Switzerland.
Sorry to say, but there will be no wildlife posts for the next two weeks. I will be back on Thanda on 8 November.
The collage above shows three images I took at Pongola Game Reserve – White Rhinos at sunset, Nkwazi Lake Lodge and a sunset shot, taken during a boat cruise on the river.
A picture of two big guys :-)
Well, in this picture I am with Thulani, one of Thanda’s largest Elephant bulls. I came to watch him at the Thanda Safari Lodge, having a drink at the waterhole. He was in musth when this picture was taken. During musth he needs a lot of additional water as he looses a lot of liquids to get rid of his excess testosterone (up to sixty times higher than normal levels). Because he is an old and experienced bull he does not get very agitated during this period. As Elephant ladies like the older and the bigger guys he has nothing to worry about!.
In comparison to his weight of approximately six tons, I could be considered a light weight 🙂
Have a good week!
Two professions
In August Bruno Fert, a well-known professional photographer from France, stayed at Thanda Private Game Reserve. Together with travel journalist Emmanuelle Eyles, he was working on material for stories about South Africa. Thanda was one of their subjects.
During his stay my tracker Bheki Ngubane and I were guiding them. Bruno was very kind and took some portraits of Bheki and of myself. I like them very much. They show me in both of my current professions, as field guide and as wildlife photographer. Thanks a lot Bruno!
Christian Sperka Photography | Custom Luxury Tours 