Despite having had to deal with some of the harsh realities of the bush last week, where some rangers and guests witnessed a remarkable conflict between lions and wild dogs, this recent week has been one of triumph for me. The week began with us being lucky enough to witness the very first footsteps of a tiny, newborn elephant; we learnt that the Marthly male, despite being attacked by the young Tsalala lioness, is alive and well; we continue to watch as the young hyena grow and thrive at their den site; we spotted a rarely seen yellow-billed oxpecker hard at work on a buffalo, and lastly, I fulfilled one of my desires to watch a pride of lions cross the life-sustaining Sand River, into the setting sun.
As is so true of the wild, life is cyclical. Moments of life balance with moments of death and we have to accept them just as they are. And, for me at least, this week was one where life, birth and rejoicing reigned. I hope you enjoy this week in pictures.
The Nanga female scans her surroundings for prey from atop a fallen Marula tree. Despite her relatively small size, her physical feats continue to amaze. 1/640 @f8; ISO 500.
A newborn elephant stumbles alongside its mother on wobbly feet, using her pillar-like legs for support. 1/800 @f8; ISO 1600
A Burchell’s Starling shows off its startlingly beautiful iridescence as its feathers catch the early morning light. 1/800 @f9; ISO 640
The tailless Tsalala lioness crosses the sand river at dusk to join the rest of her pride waiting on the other side. 1/500 @ f7; ISO 640
A dazzle of zebra stand to attention as the Munghen pride wander by. Rather than sprint off and lose sight of their enemy, the zebra would rather stand watch because a predator seen is far less risky than a predator unseen. 1/640 @ f9: ISO 400
Two hyena cubs wait patiently at the den site for the return of their mother. The cubs grow up amongst cousins of varying ages, whose play can turn rambunctious, making them all the more tough and ready for life as they grow up.1/1000 @ f8; ISO 800.
A young impala flees for its life as a pack of wild dogs close in from behind. These antelope don’t even bother alarm calling when they spot a dog, as a breath wasted on this could be their last. 1/1000 at f 9; ISO 1600.
The Mashaba young female sits atop a termite mound like royalty. Guarded by trees and shade, she then has a comfortable lookout spot for any possible food or danger. 1/500 @7,1; ISO 1250.
An elephant bull paints with dust in the gorgeous afternoon glow. 1/500 @f8; ISO 640.
Two male giraffe create symmetry as movement in the grass catches their attention simultaneously. 1/1000 @f9; ISO 500.
The Piva male gazes towards a young impala kill he has hoisted in a tree above the Mashabene dry river bed. 1/400 @f7,1; ISO 1250
A very rare sighting of a yellow-billed oxpecker shouting in excitement at the collection of ticks he has found on this buffalo’s ears. These birds became extinct in South Africa around 1910 but in a great success story, naturally reintroduced themselves back into South Africa from our neighbour, Zimbabwe. 1/500 @f 7,1; ISO 1250
A young lioness from the Tsalala pride chases off two Hooded Vultures looking for some scraps off the buffalo that died naturally in the Sand River this last week. This carcass has been a hive of activity, drawing in many carnivores, including the Tsalala pride, the Marthly male, the Camp Pan male as well as numerous crocodiles and vultures, 1/640 @ f6,3; ISO 2500
Two elephant bulls jostle with each other in the Sand River. The interaction did not seem particularly aggressive and, at times, the elephants appeared to be feeling each other more tenderly than anything, allowing their counterparts tusks to get precariously close to their eyes. 1/640 @f 7,1; ISO 640.
The Nanga female scans over her shoulder against a stark white sky. 1/1000 @f8; ISO 500.
Which photographs did you enjoy the most and what sightings have you had here at Londolozi that have brought you the most joy? We’d love to know.
Stunning pics Amy. Love the tailless Tsalala crossing the Sand river. Awesome to see a yellow billed oxpecker so far south.
Wow, these are all fantastic shots Amy! I especially like the ones of the tailless Tsalala lioness in the Sand River, the dazzle of Zebra and the yellow-billed Oxpecker. Thanks for another week full of really beautiful pictures and incredible stories!
Fantastic moments captured Amy, love the stories they tell. Great shot of the majestic Mashaba young female, and the Piva male gazing up at his kill. All incredible!
Thank you
The Piva male. He’s impressive like his father.
Wonderful photos Amy! So hard to pick favourites, Fred particularly liked the photo of the mashaba female while Liv and I were undecided between the tailless Tsalala female and the striking photo of the Nanga female. Missing being there to experience it in person. So jealous!
Thanks Sam! So lovely to hear from you. Tell Fred I’d love to see some of his work on his new Canon.. I hope he’s still working at it. Best regards to the family
Marthly male is Alive?!?!?!?!
James T
That’s right Jamo. The legend lives on. Incredible right!?
And he was seen again this morning Jamo, guarding the Founders Camp entrance.
Loved the Piva male eyeing his hoist – such rich colour. Thank you for posting your camera settings as well. Your reference to the wild dogs brings back memories of being teamwork pushing our vehicle off a rock we had mounted during a wild dog chase with you – spectacular day. Bev & Larry
Ha Bev this made me laugh. I’m pretty sure I thought my land cruiser could do what the impala was doing in this pic and it couldn’t! Nothing a little teamwork can’t fix though.. When are you coming back to SA? The elephants send their love!! All the best to you and Larry
Tell us more about the attack on the Marthly male!! And Camp Pan was being chased?? What’s going on with these two icons?
Hi Mary.. In both situations the leopards were chased by the young Tsalala lioness. There was a buffalo that died of natural causes in the river and Marthly male was the first to find it. When the lions either smelt the kill or saw the vulture activity, they found Marthly there and a chase ensued. The lioness chased him into the middle island of the river where he tried to jumped into a tree to escape. She managed to pull him out and a noisy tussle ensued but no one could see what was really happening from the bank. A few days later we went to see if we could decipher what had happened from the tracks. Apart from some very deep scratch marks and chunks of leopard hair in the bark of the tree he had leapt into, there was no other sign of Marthly and we were unsure what to make of it. And then a few days later he turned up unscathed. A similar scenario played out with Camp Pan where I saw him and the young Tsalala lioness come head to head at the causeway but he managed to escape into the reeds before she reached him. It certainly has been a tough time recently for these older males but you’ll be pleased to know that they are both still alive and well.
Amazing fotos, hard to choose bu the lion with the vulture is rather dramatic and interesting. Love the leopards, as they are our favourite animal. But all at Londolozi are just so so special
Amazing week. U r correct about that. I am so jealous.
Love the picture of Mashaba Young female and the tailess Tsalala female. The Nanga female is always so photogenic and the elephants were amazing. I’m really relieved the sub-adult Tsalala did not kill any leopards. (Off topic) Has anybody seen the Tamboti female lately? Is she pregnant?
Love the Nanga female shots! She is such an awesome leopard. Thanks for sharing.
Loved the elephants….the is the first pic or sighting I have ever seen like this. The oxpecker is pretty amazing. However I did love the stop motion of the impala. I have always wanted a shot like this. A professional photographer was able to get a pic of my standard poodle flying through the air ready to clear a jump. For some reason those particular shots make me gasp at the sheer athleticism and beauty. Many thanks.
Fabulous photos Amy. Love hearing your stories and seeing your photos…makes me want to visit again.
Thank you Amy! Just adore the newborn Ellie!
Thank you Amy. Just adore the baby Ellie! The tailless Lioness captured walking across the river is fabulous.
Regards
Suz
AMAZING FOTO’S! PLEASE DO EXPOSE THEM!
MAYBE WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS..
I AM MISSING AFRICA SO MUCH MANY WARM REGARDS FROM THE NETHERLANDS ANNET
I really like the two giraffes. A memorable sighting from Mala Mala was of a female giraffe and her youngster laying down. The baby mirrored the mother’s head and neck movements as if they were dancing.
Amy – I loved the baby hyenas in their den, a site that I saw last year at Londolozi. The baby elephant is special as are the two giraffe heads. I am easy to please!