Round 3 of Tony Goldman’s wildlife highlights is here, with another fantastic batch of photos!
Tony sent us a wonderful large collection after his last stay, so we had to be quite selective, but the difficult thing was what to leave out, so much diversity was there!
From the Ntsevu pride cubs to the cheetah trio to some of the brightest birds of Londolozi, Tony’s portfolio has it all.
Enjoy…
The Ntsevu lionesses have had their paws full, with 13 cubs to nurse between them. Competition between the cubs at this early age will help establish a hierarchy for later life, particularly between the males.
When the lionesses get fed up, they simply walk away, but are usually followed by some hungry cubs anyway.
A black-crowned tchagra, with what looks very much like a thread snake clamped in its bill, although it’s quote small so may well simply be a worm of some sort. The black-crowned tchagra’s beautiful descending whistles is one of the iconic calls of the bushveld.
A year-round resident, the brown-hooded kingfisher does not migrate like some of its relatives. Despite what its name suggests, it subsists on a diet of insects rather than fish.
Two young impala rams are beautifully reflected in a still waterhole.
When the wild dogs come through, the local antelope population knows to hightail it. To stand and sound the alarm is a waste of time, and the best policy is simply to make tracks towards the horizon. Invariably, some are simply not quick enough, or run out of steam…
A male saddle-billed stork, identified by his black eye and small yellow wattle at the base of his bill.
The female of the species, with her bright yellow eye and no wattle. These are some of the more striking birds we see at Londolozi.
Crocodiles are a menacing presence in many of Africa’s waterways, and the Sand River and larger waterholes across Londolozi are no exception. Although they exist primarily on a diet of fish, they will catch the occasional large antelope as well, and one of Londolozi’s dominant male lions even fell prey to a large crocodile in the early 2000s.
Rarely seen during the day, black crowned night herons are some of our more striking waterbirds. This one has caught a small frog on the edge of waterhole.
Affection between two of the cheetahs in the mother and offspring trio. We are still waiting for them to make a return to Londolozi, but as females are far more nomadic than males, they could have wandered anywhere by now.
The mother cheetah is walking at the back right, and can clearly be identified by her larger size.
Impala tentatively lean forward to snatch a drink, aware of the threat of crocodiles in front and other predators from behind, and they are always ready to explode away from the water and dash for safety.
Lions will regularly follow vultures as an indication of a possible meal. Even in the heat of the midday sun, they will walk a good few kilometres if there is the chance of free food. Here a Birmingham male and Ntsevu female watch the descent of a hooded vulture.
Honey Badgers are some of Africa’s toughest carnivores, but their nocturnal nature means they are not often glimpsed during the day. This one was glimpsed scurrying across a riverbed before disappearing into a hole.
Stunning images Tony. Love the cheetah, wilddog and honey badger.
Tony, Fantastic photos. Thanks for sharing these with us.
As usual, these photos are beyond spectacular. I really appreciate this link to the incredibly amazing time I spent in Londolozi this past September. Thank you, thank you!
Beautiful photos, thank you for sharing. A cup of coffee and the Londo’s blog has become a morning ritual at my desk (Australia). Thanks for making my day.
Fantastic photos!! Thank you for sharing!
Wow! What a collection! All winners!
Nice story and awesome photos.
Tony really had some really good pics! My question is, what dominant male lion fell victim to a croc years back?
Hi Chris,
I think he was from a pair called the Sparta males but that’s just off the top of my head. It was before my time so I’ll double check and get back to you.
Best,
James
Well done Tony!! Cheetahs are stunning.
What sensational series you presented, Tony! I can well imagine that it did take time choosing each excellent image to include in this blog. You and Londolozi combined make for a great partnership. However I am twice blessed since I see your pictures daily!
How’d you get a black-crowned tchagra out in the open??!
Thanks again everyone for the kind comments.