Lappet-faced Vulture (Ohrengeier/Torgos tracheliotos) – Kruger NP 2019
The lappet-faced vulture is one of the most aggressive of African birds. It possesses one of the strongest beaks, usually arriving last to the carcass due to its ability to tear off skin, tendons, and ligaments that are too tough for smaller scavengers.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 500mm, ISO 1600, 1/6400 Sek., f/4,0
Cape Fox/ Silver-backed Fox – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Nationalpark 2013
The only true fox and the smallest canid found in South Africa. The Cape Fox is silver-grey in colour with large pointed ears. They have a dark colouring around the mouth. Adults measure 350 mm at the shoulders and have a weight of 2.5-3 kg. Remarkably agile, especially since the bushy tail serves as a counterbalance when dodging and weaving.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon 500mm, ISO 500, 1/1000 Sek., f/5,6
Leopard – Kruger NP 2019
Leopards are some of the most secretive and elusive of the large carnivores, capable of killing prey bigger than themselves. Cunning hunters, leopards’ prey ranges from fish, birds and mammals such as baboons, warthogs.
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon 200mm, ISO 1250, 1/160 Sek., f/3,2
Lion – Kruger NP 2019
A thousand years ago, they roamed as far afield as southern Europe, the Middle East and Asia, but they are now found mainly in Africa and are generally restricted to the bigger game reserves.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 500mm, ISO 1000, 1/400 Sek., f/5,0
Crested barbet – Kruger NP 2019
With its thick bill and and very colourful plumage the Crested Barbet is unmistakeable. The Crested Barbet feeds on Insects, other birds eggs and fruits.
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon 100mm, ISO 400, 1/1000 Sek., f/4,0
African Steenbuck – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Nationalpark 2020
Inhabits open savannah country where they are reliant on adequate cover in the form of taller grass and clumps of bushes. Absent or rarely seen in forests, mountains, dense woodlands and rocky areas. At times they take refuge in ant-bear holes, and uses these to bear their young.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 500mm, ISO 400, 1/2000 Sek., f/4,0
Yellow Canary – Kruger NP 2019
The South African Yellow Canary is typically 13 cm in length. The adult male color ranges from almost uniform yellow in the northwest of its range to streaked, olive backed birds in the southeast.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 500mm, ISO 1600, 1/1600 Sek., f4/,0
Hyena – Kruger NP/South Africa 2019
A baby hyena is called a cub, and is born in an underground den dug by the mother.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 500mm, ISO 1600, 1/1600 Sek., f/5,0
White-throated Monitor
– Kruger NP/South Africa 2019
The white-throated monitor (Varanus albigularis albigularis) is a lizard found in southern Africa. They are usually gray-brown with yellowish or white markings, and can reach up to 2 m in length. They are found in Southern Africa, northwards to Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique.
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon 200mm, ISO 400, 1/1600 Sek., f/5,0
African Wild Dog
– Kruger NP/South Africa 2019
The African wild dog is an endangered species, with only four remaining populations in Africa, one of which is Kruger. Their survival is dependent on the pack. A wild dog by itself is not that much of a threat to other animals, but a pack is a different story.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 500mm, ISO 800, 1/4000 Sek., f/4,0
Zebra – Kruger NP/South Africa 2019
There are two species of Zebra in Southern Africa, the Plains or Burchell’s Zebra and the Mountain Zebra. As the names suggest they occur in vastly differing habitats, although they are known to occur together in places where plains and mountains overlap. A third species, the Grevy’s Zebra is found in East Africa.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 500mm, ISO 400, 1/800 Sek., f/5,6
Black-backed jackals – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Nationalpark 2020
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Nationalpark is an amazing reserve in the largest sand basin in the world. The uninterrupted desert views before clearing to reveal endless starry nights.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 17mm (double exposure)
Southern warthogs – Kruger NP/South Africa 2019
Both male and female warthogs are distinguished by very large heads and “warts” — thick protective skin pads that appear on both sides of the head. Boars have more prominent warts than sows. The warty patches are primarily used to protect their faces during fights.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 500mm, Iso 1000, f 4.5, 1/6400 sec.
The black-necked agama – Kruger NP/South Africa 2019
They often nod their heads in display and appear to only come to the ground to cross to another tree or high point.They remain shy and wary always keeping a tree trunk or branch between themselves and danger.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 70mm, Iso 800, f 3.6, 1/400 sec.
Curious – encounter with a curious young hyena
Spotted Hyena – Kruger NP 2019
Hyenas are any feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Hyaenidae. With only four extant species (in three genera), it is the fifth-smallest biological family in the Carnivora, and one of the smallest in the class Mammalia. Despite their low diversity, hyenas are unique and vital components of most African ecosystems.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 500mm, Iso 1600, f 5.0, 1/500 sec.
Bennett’s Woodpecker – Kruger NP 2019
The Bennett’s woodpecker is found from Tanzania south to southern Africa, where it occurs in deciduous woodland and savanna with tall trees. It feeds mainly on ants, their their eggs and pupae, foraging for them by excavating underground ant nests, scooping them up with its sticky tongue.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 500mm, Iso 400, f 4.0, 1/2000 sec.
Brown-headed parrot – Kruger NP 2019
They feed on a variety of seeds, nuts, berries, flowers, fruits and nectar. Vladimir Putin is known to own a brown-headed parrot.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 500mm, Iso 1250, f 4.5, 1/2500 sec.
South Luangwa/Zambia 2018
A trip through the South Luangwa National Park offers all travelers numerous motives and unforgettable experiences!
Spotted Hyena – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Nationalpark 2018
Here is an animal that looks and hunts like a dog but is in fact a souped-up member of the mongoose family and therefore more closely related to a cat.
Canon EOS-1D X, Canon 600mm, Iso 1000, f 4.0, 1/4000 sec.
Bee-eater – Chobe National Park/Botswana 2016
As their name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat flying insects, especially bees and wasps, which are caught in the air by flights from an open perch.
Canon EOS-7D Mark II, Canon 400mm, Iso 400, f 5.6, 1/640 sec.
Smith bush squirrel – South Luangwa/Zambia 2018
Primarily vegetarian, but like most rodents, they take insect prey and use their front feet to manipulate food items when feeding.
Canon EOS-7D Mark II, Canon 400mm, Iso 320, f 5.6, 1/1600 sec.
black-backed Jackal – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Nationalpark 2018
Fossil deposits have revealed that the black-backed jackal is one of the oldest known dog species. It has remained pretty much unchanged since the Pleistocene epoch, up to 2.5 million years ago.
Canon EOS-1D X, Canon 400mm, Iso 1000, f 5.6, 1/5000 sec.
Springbok – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Nationalpark 2018
The springbok is native to the open, treeless plains of southern Africa. It once roamed in enormous herds but is now much reduced in numbers. It is the symbol and nickname of the national rugby team of South Africa.
Canon EOS-1D X, Canon 400mm, Iso 320 , f 5.6, 1/1600 sec.
Africa’s most exceptional endurance hunter
Wild dog – South Luangwa/Zambia 2018
Wild dogs are social and gather in packs of around ten individuals, but some packs number more than 40. They are opportunistic predators that hunt medium-sized ruminants, such as gazelles. In a sprint, African wild dogs can reach speeds of more than 44 miles per hour.
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon 400mm, Iso 250 , f 5.6, 1/1250 sec.
In the northern-most parts of Botswana there are Lion prides within a fifty kilometer radius of each other that have specialized in killing very different prey species to each other. The most Lion prides in Botswana hunt Buffalo.
.Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon 40mm, Iso 1600 , f 7.1, 1/2000 sec.
Special photo technology
Canon Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon 340mm, Iso 100 , f5.6, 1/40 sec.
Kakumbi Salt Pans – South Luangwa/Zambia 2018
Mopane tree (Colophospermum mopane) woodlands mix with Zambezian woodlands in lower-elevation areas, often along major river valleys. The Mopane trees tolerates the higher temperatures and lower rainfall.
Canon Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon 100mm, Iso 100 , f25, 1/3 sec.
Kruger National Park – South Africa
The Cape buffalo, or African buffalo, is the type of buffalo found in Kruger National Park. It’s one of the big 5, so it’s an animal that people definitely try to see. Luckily, it’s one of the easiest of the big five to spot.
Canon EOS-30D, Canon 400mm, Iso 200 , f8, 1/500 sec.
Lions – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Nationalpark 2018
The Kalahari lions are known for their majestic size and beautiful manes, although they are actually the same species as other lions found across Africa.
Canon EOS-1D X, Canon 400mm, Iso 1000 , f5.6, 1/125 sec.
Leopards – South Luangwa/Zambia 2018
The Luangwa River after which our South Luangwa National Park is named starts as a tiny spring in the Mafinga Mountains close to the border with Tanzania and Malawi at an altitude of 1500m.
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon 150mm, Iso 1000 , f7.1, 1/3200 sec.
Red-billed Oxpecker – South Luangwa/Zambia 2018
They cling to cattle and big-game animals to remove ticks, flies, and maggots from their hides; when alarmed, the birds hiss, alerting their hosts to possible danger.
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon 600mm, Iso 400 , f6.3, 1/1600 sec.
The valley of the leopard – South Luangwa/Zambia 2018
The leopard is a solitary animal, hunting usually at night, and spending much of the day hiding in thickets or in the fork of a tree.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 600mm, Iso 3200 , f2.8, 0/6 sec.
yellow
Oryx (Monro Waterhole) Kgalagadi Transfrontier Nationalpark 2018
The gemsbok, gemsbuck or South African oryx (Oryx gazella) is a large antelope in the genus Oryx. It is native to the arid regions of Southern Africa, such as the Kalahari Desert.
Canon EOS-1D X, Canon 600mm, Iso 500 , f4.0, 1/8000 sec.
Kalahari Cheetah – Adaptations to an arid region
Cheetah (Rooiputs Waterhole) – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Nationalpark 2018
Adaptations of an extreme animal in a harsh environment: the Kalahari cheetah
Canon EOS-1D X, Canon 600mm, Iso 500 , f4.0, 1/12500 sec.
squabblers
Cubitje Quap Waterhole – Kgalagadi TP 2018
Black-backed jackal pups become increasingly quarrelsome as they age, and establish more rigid dominance hierarchies.
Canon EOS-1D X, Canon EF 400, Iso 640 , f5.6, 1/8000 sec.
orange
Chobe National Park – Botswana
Amazing sunsets, constantly changing colours, a warm African breeze, lily padded waterways and – of course – some of the best game viewing imaginable.
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon EF 400, Iso 250 , f5.6, 1/6400 sec.
African Leopard
Chobe National Park – Botswana
Leopards in Botswana live from the red-sand Kalahari to the banks of the Chobe River and are often seen in broad daylight, seemingly unconcerned by our presence.
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400, Iso 640 , f5.6, 1/100 sec.
African Buffalo
Mana Pools: Africa’s forgotten paradise
Nestled within the Zambezi Valley lies a creation of nature still pure and splendid, untouched and wild. With the mighty Zambezi flowing to the north, the adjacent floodplain plays host to one of the most astonishing wildlife experiences in Africa.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EF 100-400, Iso 1000 , f5.6, 1/6400 sec.
Montrose – Kgalagadi-Transfrontier-Nationalpark
The only true fox found in southern Africa. They are active mainly at night although can be seen in the early morning and evening. Prey consists mainly of invertebrates and rodents but they also hunt birds and reptiles and also eat fruit.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 500, Iso 400 , f4.5, 1/2000 sec.
exhausted and thirsty
The African wild dog (African hunting dog) is a highly social animal, living in packs with separate dominance hierarchies for males and females.
Chobe National Park – Botswana 2016
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon EF 400, Iso 200 , f7.1, 1/640 sec.
Khwai Man
The Khwai River, the northern-most overflow of the Okavango Delta, pushes water far into the dry lands of Botswana during the dry season, attracting a multitude of wildlife and is known as one of the most dramatic wildlife experiences in the country.
Khwai River – Botswana
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon EF 400, Iso 400 , f5,6, 1/1600 sec.
The thirsty elephant
The Spring is a hidden gem nestled deep in Mana Pools National Park. The Chitake Spring is an area of crucial importance to a great variety of wildlife occurring in this southern part of Mana Pools National Park. Water flows strongly out of the ground and flows for up to a kilometre along the otherwise dry riverbed of the Chitake River.
„Chitake Springs Campsite“ Mana Pools National Park – Zimbabwe
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EF 500, Iso 640, f5,6, 1/2500 sec.
Lion Cubs
Lion cubs waiting for mom to return!
Masai Mara National Park – Kenya 2011
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, Canon EF 500, Iso 1250, f8, 1/400 sec.
The Valley of the Elephants
Once known as ‘The Valley of the Elephants‘, back in the early 1970s it was home to the world’s largest population of elephant.
South Luangwa National Park – Zambia 2013
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EF 500, Iso 1000, f7.1, 1/160 sec.
European toad [Bufo bufo]
The annual life cycle of the European toad is divided into 3 periods: the winter sleep, the time of mating and feeding period.
Germany – Europe 2017
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon lens 70mm, Iso 400, f8, 1/160 sec.
AFRICAN BUFFALO
African buffalos are strong and imposing animals of the African savanna. These formidable grazers are the only wild cattle species, and bonds between females are strong. If one individual is under attack from a predator, the herd will rush to the victim’s defence, and a herd is easily capable of driving away an entire pride of lions.
Chobe National Park – Botswana 2016
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon lens EF 100-400/4.5-5.6 L USM IS II, Iso 200, f7.1, 1/160 sec.
LION CROSS THE WATER
Lions generally do not like water and avoid swimming unless it is necessary. Lions only enter water when they are hunting prey or when they must cross the water to get from one point to another.
Chobe National Park – Botswana 2016
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon lens EF 100-400/4.5-5.6 L USM IS II, Iso 400, f5.6, 1/2000 sec.
SCARRED
Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park in southern Africa offers great opportunities to photograph Kalahari lions. We were at Craig Lockhart water hole in the Aoub valley when suddenly this older male lion appeared. Apart from oryx antelopes, porcupines are the lions main prey in this area. However, during the hunt they often suffer serious injuries, which may even be fatal when the go gangrenous.
Canon EOS 30D, 4.5-5.6/100-400mm L USM IS, ISO 200, bean bag
TEARDROPS
Nxai Pan – Botswana 2016