Watching the sunrise is possibly one of my favorite parts of my day as it signals a new beginning and the world around us begins to wake up. After a couple days of rain, I took a chance and headed up to a rocky outcrop that overlooks the Manyelethi River and watched the spectacular sunrise.

A Yellow-billed Oxpecker on the mane of a giraffe. This young male giraffe bent down to brush past the side of another which allowed for an unusual horizontal photo of the giraffe’s neck with the Oxpecker perched on the other side.

This very young giraffe calf was struggling to maintain its balance through the long grass. With still part of its magical cord attached it seems that this young calf was only a few days old.

The immersive Maxism’s male rests on a termite mound after having finished off the remains of an impala lamb kill. After he groomed himself, he briefly scanned his surroundings before walking off into a thick riverine area.

A mother elephant and her calf. I always find it fascinating to see the contrast in size of these magnificent animals. This little calf walks close to its mother with the rest of the herd in toe. The overcast afternoon made for even lighting on these two elephants.

The cubs of the Ntsevu Pride are still doing well as they grow in age. This one cub seemed captivated by its sibling as it yawned. The playful side of these youngsters always provides for some great viewings.

The moment just before this cub playfully pounced onto its sibling.

One of the Nkuwa Female’s inquisitive cubs walked through a spider web

These wildebeest calves are only a few days old. Often the young will group together to rest in a wildebeest nursery.

Two young buffalo bulls practice their fighting strategy.

This young calf who is still dependent on its mother for milk is starting to explore grasses too. Although much smaller than their mothers their long legs make their stomachs the same height above the ground. This makes it more difficult for predators to determine which is the young foal amongst the herd.

The stare on the Ximungwe Female as she quenches her thirst on a hot afternoon. It seems that this leopard is pregnant and we hope to see what the next couple of months holds for her.

This younger hippo showed off its incisors as we left the water hole. A slightly different high-key black and white edit as the ripples of the water expand from the jaws of this hippo.

The impressive wing span of the Saddle-billed Stork as it lands as lands at the edge of a water hole before foraging its banks for any potential prey. Saddle-billed storks jab their long bill into shallow waters in search of aquatic prey such as frogs, catfish, or small reptiles that lurk at the water’s edge.

The signs of growth and maturation as the Ntsevu males’ manes begin to take shape. This is one of the younger Ntsevu males carefully watching a nearby dazzle of zebra. Exciting times as these nomadic males age and with the prospect of the oldest male coming of age and slowly seeking out females to mate with. Time will only tell where these males end up as they grow in experience and size they are certainly an exciting coalition to watch in the upcoming

A vulture soaring above briefly caught the attention of one of the Ntsevu Males.

The attention of a male waterbuck was caught as we drove by. With lots of water around these antelope seem to be enjoying the wet weather.

The Othawa pack still has been seen on and off with around eight puppies and seems to be doing well. With many mouths to feed and with a lot of prey around, watching these animals is nothing short of exciting.

The greeting between two young male elephants. We spent some time with the bull on the right as he mud-bathed in a nearby wallow. His presence changed as he became aware of a younger bull not too far away. Slowly they approached each other before smelling the temporal glands on each other’s heads before parting ways once more.

A ‘scurry’ of squirrels. This pair of adult squirrels and their young are basking in the early morning sun. A baby squirrel is known as a kitten and will …

The Ngungwe female strolls over granite boulders before the camps while marking her territory. This young female has certainly established herself and her relentless scent-making and territorial rasping could certainly indicate she may be in search of a male.

The Ngungwe Female sat in a dead Knobthorn with a hoisted kill in a nearby Marula tree. It might have been she came down for a drink of water and a hyena or something startled her so she sought the safety of this dead tree. The overcast skies allow for a high-key edit.

We followed the Xinkhova Female for quite some time as she relentlessly scented marked on a territorial patrol. It seems she may be setting herself up territorially just south of the camps around the airstrip.

Two of the Talamati Females stare at a distant herd of impala. This is not a pride that we have been seeing much of lately so exciting to see them once more near the southern parts of the reserve. Somewhat still nomadic as they try to find some territory while avoiding the surrounding prides.

A small breeding herd coming to drink at a waterhole as the heat of the day sets in.

A moment of a lifetime… This mother cheetah carried her three cubs to a thick area. When cubs are very young she will move them sporadically throughout the day within an area. With no formalised den this is to try and keep them alive. Still blind at this stage it was incredible to witness such a unique and special moment.