“Out here you cannot press rewind or fast forward, only play. You have to live in the present.” – Anynomous
In broken English, one of my recent guests – at only 9 years old – said this quote to me. It really struck me and gave me some perspective on many things; I must add his parents weren’t quite sure where it came from either.
Having a look at the world through children’s eyes can be somewhat fascinating. A child has this sense of innocence that makes them genuine, honest and real in what they do and say. They are so full of excitement and anticipation as they view animals out here, in a different way to how we take the experience. Perhaps their spirit can rub off on us more than we think and maybe we as adults should try embrace that childish wonder and innocent nature more often. Kids have the ability to just be in the present moment, inspiring us to be there, too. Nature and all it surrounds lives largely in the present and although we cannot fast forward or rewind, we can pause. I find that what photography has done, is given me the ability to pause that moment, save it and relive it.
Enjoy this Week in Pictures…
A close-up of one of the Birmingham male lions’ intent stare.
An elephant calf stays close to it mother as the herd leaves a nearby waterhole.
The original mother Ostrich gets up close; still one of the great love stories of Londolozi.
The Ximungwe young female leaps down from a tree to keep up with her mother. This cub has been kept in some of the more inaccessible drainage lines to the south-west of camps, so sightings of both her and her mother have been scarce.
The large herd of buffalo slowly make their way to water. When strung out in a line like this, it is an almost certain bet that they are heading for a drink.
The injured Birmingham Male makes his way slowly through the bed of the Sand river. This male is still holding on, despite a severely atrophied back right leg.
Slowly I am trying to find the captivation in Abstract Photographs.
The intimidation of a large bull hippo, as he lets us know that this is his water with a big burst of spray.
One of the Nstevu cubs climbs up a small termite mound to warm up in the morning rays.
A young basking crocodile; it is said that hatchlings grow 30cm a year and at birth are around 30cm, so this one would probably be around 1 year old.
A pair of lions drinks as the sun starts to set. Lions will drink regularly if water is available but often satisfy thirst through fluids from the meat they feed on.
A white rhino bull chews on a dead branch; unusual behaviour for the species as they are exclusively grazers.
The Senegal Bush male leopard stalks into the night.
A ritual greeting ceremony of wild dog; this was the first time we have seen a pack of wild dogs on the reserve in quite some time.
The stunning pink and white flowers of the impala lily, blooming in the middle of winter.
The Tatowa female’s cub hides up in a rock crevice, staring at us inquisitively. Sadly it looks as though the female has lost the other one of her litter, but we don’t know how.
High up in a tree a martial eagle scans its surrounds; it has the ability to spot prey from up to 6km away!
A Hyena cub squeezed tightly between its mothers legs, trying to keep warm on an overcast winter’s morning.
A White-Tailed Mongoose – one of the lesser known mongooses due to its nocturnal habits – looks around for any insects like termites in the grass.
The Three Rivers female on full alert as she scans around from the heights of a marula branch.
The Tortoise Pan male chews on a pangolin. I am still in disbelief that I saw this. This is the only image I managed to capture with my hand shaking in excitement.
Really fantastic shots, Dean. Thanks for sharing them. Have a great weekend!
Thanks Carolyn appreciate it.
I love your images, Dean. Thanks for sharing. I think you’re on the right track with your socalled Abstract Photography, although I don’t know if that’s the right name for it, because most of them are not really abstract. You can still see what it is. Detail photography might be more appropriate. But whatever name you give it, it’s great to watch and inspires me to try and figure out something similar to do. Not copying of course.
Thank you Betty-Lou. Probably a better name for it actually. Glad you excited about trying new things, have some fun with it.
great pictures!
Thank you Dina
What fabulous photos, Dean! I love the Three Rivers female! Your photos were all spectacular though. Great captures!
Really appreciate the comment Darlene.
Another winning TWIP. Thanks.
Good to hear Doug, thank you.
will be visiting in september, the blog has wetted my appetite even more than it already is as this is a real bucket list trip for me. looking forward to meeting the contributers james,pete and dean when i get there. quick photo question, value of monopod to help steady camera while in truck?
Careful Paul, Londolozi is a very addictive place. We started out in 2010 with a “one-off” visit – and I’m back in 3 weeks for my 10th ! I guarantee you will absolutely love it.
Suzanne you couldn’t be more correct. Look forward to meeting you Paul. Regards to the monopod, we have been bags that attach to the vehicle that in my opinion are more than enough to keep the camera steady.
Dean, Really great photos. Wowed me this week. Tatowa and Hyena cubs are so cute. Thank you
Thank you Andrew and Daniel, good to hear.
Another round of wonderful images from you- especially the portraits of the ostrich and rhino. The leopard and the Pangolin- he probably had as much success as the lion interaction a couple of months ago.
I’d call your paw/tail image “detail” photography which I truly love and practice. Keep up your great blogs!
Detail seems to be a better use of words, thank you for the comment Denise. He had very little success.
Dean your pics are amazing. Love the leopard and pangolin. Nature do bring you back to the present moment. It is so important to live each moment to its fullest and be in the present.
Thank you Marinda, thats it exactly.
The Tortoise Pan male with a pangolin – Dean, you certainly struck gold on that one! Lovely TWIP.
Agreed!!
Thank you Suzanne and Cynthia. Extremely Lucky
Great selection of photos Dean! Am curious to know if you have been able to determine the sex ratio of the Ntsevu cubs? Thanks!
Dean, I especially the baby elephant photo
Thank you Joan
Wow, some wonderful sightings! I hope that Birmingham Nsuku can make it through this horrible leg injury.. Some say he is fading away and others say not, so I guess time will tell. Sad to see them fading away so soon. When we first saw them there were five. The Senegal Bush male is also always a welcome sight. The little Tatowa cub is very precious and the young leopards all seem to be thriving. Thank you for sharing your gorgeous photos.
Thank you MJ, I always say animals are more resilient than we give them credit for. Thank you for the comment.
So sad 😞 that when you do get to see a pangolin , it is being eaten
Was quite amazing to see the power of the scales, he/she went unharmed Ian.
Ahhhh thank you for letting us know! -Angolans are so special. Amazing photos and you have such a sensitive eye for emotion in them.
amazing to see all those hairs on the elephant baby’s frontlegs!
Glad you enjoyed Irene
Hi Dean. A possible caption for your try at abstract photography “The Tail End of the Story.”?? Wonderful pics. Thoroughly enjoyed them. I have a special place in my heart for the “Mother Ostrich” ! Wendy M
It really is special story. I do like that caption, might just use it. Thanks Wendy
Hello Dean!
Good written! I agree! Fantastic pictures!!
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Ann. Appreciate the comment.
As the horrors of what is happening in the US this week, the week in pictures, always a delight, were also a comfort! I think your young philosopher has a point. There is no running away, you can only keep going. That said, the pictures were always wonderful. Especially loved the tango of the wild dogs and the leopard cub. Hope the pangolin was okay ?!? Victoria
Dean you hit one out of the park with this week’s photo’s. What was not to love as each spoke it’s own story. I’m so glad that the Birmingham male is still alive. He was getting a bit emaciated and hope he continues to get enough food to survive. Thanks for an exceptional week of images!
Wow what a great comment. Thank you Joanne. Yes lets hope so.
That are really at all incredible pictures, very different and one by one perfect. Tortoise Pan and the Penguline-incredible.
Amazing sighting of the Tortoise Pan Male with the pangolin, great interaction!! Also love the shot of the lions pair drinking.