It seems we have missed spring this year and jumped straight into summer! The true African sun is out and she is beaming. The animals have had to adjust just as much as the rangers to the warm summer air but they continue to amaze us with spectacular sightings and wonderful photo opportunities.
The Tsalala pride has been a highlight for me in the past week with incredible behaviour which included finding them with a crocodile kill! Needless to say, they gave up rather quickly on the carcass. It appears that crocodile is a little too tough for their liking. The wild dog den site is still productive and I have been enjoying many an afternoon sitting with the pack and the pups while they start to get active as the day cools into dusk. I’m sure it won’t be long before the pups start running with the pack, but it has been an incredible month of viewing. Myself and Bennet were lucky enough to find the Gowrie male and Nanga female mating which provided some incredible opportunities for a couple of shots.
Happy summer days here at Londolozi, I hope you enjoy the week in pictures!
A white rhino quenches her thirst amidst a pond of green
Camp Pan male enjoys a break at Lex’s Pan
Dinner time excitement
A curious pup stops for a brief moment and stares up at me, allowing enough time for one shot!
It is amazing to observe what keeps these pups entertained
Mashaba female peers up a Schotia tree planning her ascent
A young elephant enjoys a cool off in the afternoon summer sun
A Grey Heron comes in to land, silhouetted against the golden glow of sunset
One of the babysitters keeps a mindful eye from the vantage point of the den site
Two scrub hare leverets suckle in as dusk turns to night
Clan portrait
The Sparta Pride of the remains on a buffalo kill at sunrise
Backlit against the morning sun, a young Sparta male has a brief rest before another feed
A young lion from the Ximungwe Pride peers over a dam wall
The Nanga female attempts to entice a very lazy Gowrie male
The typical jump from a male leopard as he avoids a swipe from the female
A Tsalala female chases off one of the cubs from a small nyala kill. Goes to show that their is always a bit of competition when food is around
A herd of elephant make their way towards the coolness of the Sand River at midday
Tsalala embrace
Two Tsalala females stare into the distance from the elevation of the airstrip, allowing us an eye level shot
One Tsalala female tries in vain to bite through the tough hide of a Nile crocodile
Photographed by: Andrea Campbell
Really beautiful photos Andrea!! I especially love the one of the Wild Dog pup…so cute, and the black and white one of the Mashaba female…really beautiful!! Thanks for a spectacular week of photos!
Can someone explain why the Nanga female is being aggressive about mating while she still has such a small cub? Will this one, too, be forced into independence before it’s time?
Hi Lynn, unfortunately we are assuming that both cubs from her previous litter did not make it as we have not seen her with the remaining one for quite some time, and have not seen tracks either.
Oh, so sad. I didn’t see that post. Thanks for letting me know, even though I wish it was different news.
Awesome images. I was fortunate to experience some of the amazing sightings with Andrea and Bennet. Had a fantastic time at Londolozi.
Wonderful start to my weekend once again, thank you Andrea. Your pictures are all so good its extremely difficult to select a favourite, but as “a not often seen” moment, the little Scrub Hare babies suckling is just beautiful. Have an awesome weekend 🙂
Fantastic Photos! The pups, the scrub hare suckling, the baby elephant, Camp Pan, the Tsalalas and b&w of Mashaba female- all amazing! So sad to hear about the beautiful Nanga cubs, but the Nanga female is young and spirited. She will have another litter soon.
Wonderful pictures to end the week, thanks Andrea. I love the scrub hair babies!
Loved the scrub hare Mum and babies. Unusual shot. Also enjoyed the young African Wild Dog with those enormous ears! Have kept him as a screen saver! Wendy M
Mashaba in black and white is amazing!