I can’t believe it is that time of the year again! It’s lambing season for the beautiful Impala. Very soon little baby Impala will be running around Londolozi. In fact, just the other day, Dave Varty claimed to have seen the first one. The ranging team’s response was that if there were no pictures to prove it, it did not exist. Steenbok do look very similar to baby Impala and the two are often confused.
This year we had very early rains. Potentially, this could mean that the miraculous en masse birthing, may take place a few days earlier then last year. Traditionally 15-22 November is when it all happens. I will never forget a humid afternoon in November 2010 when I was fortunate enough to watch, from start to finish, the birth of one such lamb. It was extraordinary.
A picture I took back in 2010 minutes after the birth of an impala. Here the mother can be seen licking the afterbirth off
This morning, whilst out on drive we watched as three expecting females separated themselves from their herds and went off alone into the deep thickets. Moving away to deliver more miracles into this world. They tend to do it in the heat of the day, a move carefully orchestrated, in my opinion, so as to reduce the potential for predators spoiling the party.
The male impala look out over a grassy clearing. Clearings like this will be filled with baby impala in about 2 weeks time.
So, the question is will any rangers, trackers and guests get lucky this year and witness one of the most moving and emotional events that the African bushveld can deliver. If you are heading to Londolozi in the next few days, then we wish you the best of luck. If, however, you are still debating about a time to head this way next year, well then maybe you should look into coinciding a visit with the annual impala birthing. You won’t be disappointed.
The one thing that I love about the bushveld is the sheer abundance of the impala. They look so healthy, energetic and alive!
Little can compare to the lighting and vistas provided by the late afternoon sunsets on a hot Novembers day
Written and photographed by Adam Bannister
beautiful 。。。
It is so beautiful out there and those impala’s look so healthy, thank you very much for those wonderful pictures, I really enjoyed it.
Adam, you are quite “cheeky” with Dave – loved it! And you are correct, there is nothing like lighting and vistas provided by the late afternoon sunsets in Africa….sigh…..
Now off to read about you all in “O” Magazine!
Best to all,
Jen
They are so Awesome!!!! Thanks for sharing the photos with us!!!!
We just left on Nov. 5th and we did see a newborn impala while we were out with Daniel on Nov. 4th and got a picture of it. Maybe he forgot about that but he was very excited. Will have to sift through the thousands of pictures we took to find it!
As my husband Steve says, that late afternoon time near sunset is the “magic hour”. To me, all the hours there were magic!
Please keep us posted on the newborns!
mind if i ask the settings used to take the photo named open-areas-and-buff-at-sunset ?
As always, I love it!
Thanks!
Canon 7D
15 – 85 mm Canon lens
held with Bean bag
ISO 160
f: 16
Speed: 1/40
Focal length: 15 mm
Exp: -0,67
shot on RAW
thank you! i am a recent photography learning junkie since our trip to londolozi earlier this year.