Nuzzling, Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South Africa
Today, 9/22, is National Elephant Appreciation Day; yes, really it is. So, to celebrate, I decided to publish my elephant pics from South Africa.
Our elephant experience was interesting. I learned that they are not subtle animals. You only have to look at the broken brush, trees and branches as well as the trail of dung to know elephants have been through. Elephants eat a lot but only digest a small portion of what they eat. Their dung becomes a source of food for other animals. At Addo Elephant National Park, they have signs warning you not to run over dung beetles because they are the clean-up crew and are an important part of the ecosystem.
I knew from documentaries that elephants are very protective of their young. But, it was interesting to see it in action. When elephants didn’t feel threatened, the calves romped and played. At the first sign of threat, the adults herded the young in between them. It is really neat to see this behavior firsthand.
I hope you enjoy my images of these fascinating creatures.
Coming to the Water Hole – Perspective 1. Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South AfricaComing to the Water Hole – Perspective 2. Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South AfricaReady for a Swig. Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South AfricaCalf at the Water Hole. Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South AfricaElephant Calf. Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Along the Game Trail – Perspective 1. Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Along the Game Trail – Perspective 2. Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Foraging at Sunset. Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Calf at Mud Hole. Addo Elephant Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Momma and Baby – Perspective 1. Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016
Mboyti River Lodge, Lusikisiki, South Africa, AUG 2016
Sometimes you are lucky and are at the right place and right time. We spent one night at Mboyti River Lodge, Lusikisiki, South Africa; a lovely place along the Indian Ocean coast. I got up early in the morning hoping to get a nice sunrise shot. I did and will share it later. I found a nice spot, on a small embankment overlooking the ocean. As I scanned the ocean, I saw a few dolphins. Over the next few minutes a whole pod showed up – probably 30 of them. I have wanted a shot of the dolphins in the surf line for a long time. This morning, they put on a great show for me. I hope you enjoy this image.
Pensive Baboon, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016
My wife says that Baboons are wretched creatures. They look like monkeys but have an unsettling grunt and 3 inch canine teeth. When we stayed at Elephant Plains Game Lodge, we were awoken each morning by their unnerving growls that sounded like they were right outside our door and on our roof. The Leopard’s growl wasn’t as unsettling as the Baboon’s.
Baboons are very smart; especially when it comes to acquiring food. We were warned to keep our doors locked because they can open doors and will trash your room looking for food. At one stop, I watched a baboon open a garbage can and grab some leftovers. We were also warned that they will grab bags you may be carrying or steal food from your table.
Though they can be a fearsome nuisance, they are also fun to watch. They are fellow primates and I could see some of us in them. We watched them jumping and chasing each other through trees and over rocks. We watched them groom each other and care for their young. Wretched, maybe. Scary, sometimes. Interesting and fun to watch, absolutely.
I hope you enjoy these images.
Regards,
Larry
Note: Images can be viewed at a larger size by clicking on image.
Infant Baboon, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Grooming Little Baboon, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Baboon – Perspective 3, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016
Coalition of Male Lions, Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South Africa
We had 4 lion sightings on our trip. Unfortunately, on the best opportunity, a female babysitting the pride’s cubs, I had to shoot through the windshield because we couldn’t get a good position. As is expected, lions draw big crowds and lot of folks beat us to the site. So, with that, I’ll tell you that my lion images aren’t of the quality I typically post. I posted them more because I thought they would be interesting.
Except for the cubs, lions like to lay down and sleep most of the time. Our first encounter was with 3 males. Except for one who took a few minutes to look at us, they all laid down and closed their eyes as if we weren’t there. The best shots came at night, in Kruger, when we encountered a mating pair. When mating, the male and female roam together, away from the pride, for three days. We watched and photographed them for 15-20 minutes before they walked off into the bush.
By the way, I learned something about lions while I was there. A pride of lions is a group of females and cubs. They have a territory but live in a territory that is controlled by a coalition of male lions; usually brothers. One male in the coalition is the alpha.
I hope you find these shots interesting. Again, my apologies on the quality.
Regards
Larry
Note: Click on image to view it in a larger size
Female Lion with Cubs, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Male Lion, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Mating Pair – Perspective 1, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Mating Pair – Perspective 2, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016
The Pensive Hippo, Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South Africa
I was very surprised by the number of hippopotamus we saw on our visit to South Africa. I expected to see some but their numbers really surprised me. As we travelled and spoke with guides/rangers we learned that despite what we saw this year has been devastating for the hippo population. Drought has dried up rivers and significantly impacted the amount of grass available for foraging. Typical hippo behavior is to spend the daytime hours in the water and forage at night. They also spend time on the shore sunbathing in the warm sun. Drought has forced them to travel further distances to find food and, in some cases, they just aren’t finding enough.
With water in short supply, maintaining a place to drink and soak during the day is important. In the game lodges, as well as in Kruger, we saw many man made water holes filled by pumping groundwater. Many were filled with pumps driven by windmills. These water holes are a win-win. They provide water for animals and a place for tourists to visit and watch them. Part of me rails against such an unnatural arrangement, but in the end, I am alright with it. It’s part of the vicious cycle: tourists come to see animals in the wild, animals need habitat and protection, habitat and protection costs money, tourists bring money.
There is an older hippo who claims the water hole at Elephant Plains Game Lodge as his own. While were there, the hippo returned from foraging to find another male had moved in. A fight ensued. Hippo fights are noisy affairs accompanied by wide stretched jaws and attacks with sharp teeth. They fight until one backs down or is killed.
One of the iconic pictures of hippos and rhinos shows them with the oxpecker bird on their backs. The relationship is symbiotic but benefits the bird more than the hippo or rhino. The oxpecker eats ticks on the beast but also eats fly larvae that grow in the wounds incurred by these animals.
I hope you enjoy these hippo images. Please look closely at the battle pictures. These beasts can be very scary and aggressive.
Regards,
Larry
Note: The images can be seen in larger size by clicking on the image or by visiting the Hippos Gallery on my website: https://larryklink.smugmug.com/South-African-Adventure-2016/Hippos/
Don’t Mess With Me, Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South AfricaHe returned from foraging and found another male inhabitng his water hole. He gave his warning. Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South AfricaThe Face Off, Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South AfricaThe Challenge, Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South AfricaThe Round is Underway, Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South AfricaThe Round Continues, Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South AfricaAttack and Defense, Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South AfricaThe Battle is Over, After many rounds, the battle is over, the challenger is vanquished. Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South AfricaTime to Relax, Hippo and Oxpecker, Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sands, South AfricaSunbathing, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Foraging Hippo, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Hippo in Reflection, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016
When I left for South Africa, I knew that I would see a lot of magnificent wildlife; it did not disappoint. I knew also that I would see antelope though I really didn’t think much of it, my thoughts were on lions, leopards, rhinos and the like. Then I saw the Kudu. To my surprise, I was really smitten by its beauty. It is an antelope, about the size of an elk, with long, twisted horns. Its face is lama like. It has a small hump and a mane. Like the moose, it seems to be constructed from parts of different animals. I hope you find it as beautiful as I do.
Regards
Larry
Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016Addo Elephant Park, South Africa, AUG 2016
Earthwatcher 