According to tradition, the 29th February is the day on which women propose to men, rather than the other way around. This doesn’t really have much to do with this post but it’s an interesting fact for the day.
On the subject of amorous interests though, the impala rut is steadily approaching and the alpha pair of one of the local wild dog packs has been seen mating. Where will they den this year? It’s been over five years since a pack last denned on Londolozi, although in the past two winters they have been agonizingly close. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Here we present our top ten photographs of February for you to peruse. If you have a favourite, let us know in the comments section below.
A photograph should tell a story. This image speaks volumes; the Tamboti young female dragging her kill away – a young kudu calf. The mother kudu looking forlornly on from the background. The trackers with their cameras, watching as the leopard walks past their vehicle. A sad, yet transient moment in the African bush. Photograph by James Tyrrell
One of the Matimba males pauses to listen to a nearby bushbuck alarm call. The lion’s size is emphasised by the low angle of the camera, a helpful technique discussed in Dave Dampier’s post earlier this month. Photograph by Don Heyneke
Giraffe bulls will “neck” to compete for mating rights to the females. These two bulls were sparring on an open crest, creating a wonderfully uncluttered photographic opportunity. Although clashes like these can be violent, this one was more on the friendly side as the bulls were still young. Photograph by Amy Attenborough
The shallow depth of field makes this flap-necked chameleon pop from his background. The composition is perfect as well. A great photo should leap out at you from the page or screen, and this one certainly does. Photograph by Don Heyneke
The Mashaba female’s cub leaps onto her mother’s back in a bout of lighthearted play. For the full post of images from this and other sightings of these two leopards, click on this link. Photograph by Nick Kleer
Technically not the greatest photograph, but one of the most exciting, as an aardvark is caught on camera at Londolozi for the first time in many, many years. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen a photo of an aardvark taken here. Photograph by Bushnell Camera Trap
The south western grasslands offer amazing vistas out towards the west, as Trevor McCall-Peat has captured beautifully with this quintessential cheetah picture.
A symmetry of Impala males stare at a passing leopard. Herbivores will watch a predator as it moves off, sometimes even following it, just to make sure it has left the area. Photograph by Trevor McCall-Peat
A White-backed vulture soars into one of the last bands of sunlight as the evening sets in. Photograph by Don Heyneke
The Ndzanzeni female peers out from a root system in the Tugwaan drainage line. The amount of contrast in this image allowed for the black and white conversion. Photograph by James Tyrrell
Awesome images this month. Stunning capture of the cheetah Trevor.
Gosh it’s hard to pick the best photo. There several that remind me of my visit and therefore are my favorites.
The Leopard with her kill, the Lion – posing as if to say I am the king, and the necking Giraffes are among my top picks! Thank you for your blog and for sending the photos as they remind me of the most fantastic travel experience of my life!
all great pics – but the “mummy”-surfing leopard cub is my favourite
I like the flap-necked chameleon because it’s unusual to see posts like this on the blog. I love ALL the animals in the bush but this one resonates with me.
These are all really incredible images, but my favourites are the Cheetah silhouette at sunset, the big Matimba male, the beautiful Ndzanzeni female framed by the tree roots and the Mashaba female with her cub on her back. My heart really went out to the mother Kudu, losing her calf to the Tamboti young female. Life is often so harsh in the wild.
My fave is the yogi chameleon!,, quite a pose he or probably SHE is holding !
All the photos are amazing – but the image of the mother kudu has tugged at my heart strings! Thank you for the beautiful images