Jane Shirley
PHOTOGRAPHY
Giraffe in the eye of the storm
Forest buzzard
Forest Buzzards are so named because of their hunting tactic, where they utilise the forest canopy to catch various small species (rodents, snakes, hares etc).
Forest Buzzards are so named because of their hunting tactic, where they utilise the forest canopy to catch various small species (rodents, snakes, hares etc).
Kudo before the storm
Kudos are quite shy and spend most of their time in the bush, using it for protection and also for browsing on leaves and shoots. This behaviour made this sighting of two females out in the open, particularly special. I love the way the sunlight is highlighting them against the dark sky behind. The rangers refer to their large ears as 'Mickey Mouse Ears' due to their size, and they are excellent jumpers, I have seen one clear a 2.5m fence with ease.
Kudos are quite shy and spend most of their time in the bush, using it for protection and also for browsing on leaves and shoots. This behaviour made this sighting of two females out in the open, particularly special. I love the way the sunlight is highlighting them against the dark sky behind. The rangers refer to their large ears as 'Mickey Mouse Ears' due to their size, and they are excellent jumpers, I have seen one clear a 2.5m fence with ease.
Vervet monkey looking guilty
Lke many monkies, the vervet monkey, can be very naughty. I just love the expression on this one's face as he is caught eating a prickly pear fruit.
Loving gaze
Loving gaze
Glossy starling
Although very common across South Africa, the plumage of this bird is beautiful, particularly when caught in the sunlight.
When a lioness is in heat, the male will stay very close and follow her wherever she goes. It is particularly endearing to watch, but obviously is for his own benefit as it prevents any other males from mating with her. Here, the male lion, nicknamed 'Big Boy' is working the ruffled 'just-got-out of bed' look to secure his female.
Impala bottoms!
Living in a herd gives impalas the security of having lots of eyes to watch for predators. The rangers call them 'MacDonalds', referring to the 'M' stripes on their hinds and because they are the most common antelope in Africa.
Elephant bull dwarfing a land-rover
This photo perfectly captures the size and potential strength of a bull elephant. From around 20 years old, male elephants periodically go into a condition known as musth, a heightened state of testosterone. There are a few signs to look out for to tell if an elephant is in musth. A liquid is secreted from glands between their eyes and ears, they continually drip urine and they are often far more aggressive.
Gaping hippo mouth
