Kruger | longshotimages

ASIA

KRUGER

KRUGER

Kruger National Park was the first National Park in South Africa, the area being designated for conservation in 1926. The park borders Mozambique to the East and Zimbabwe to the north.

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Vervet Monkey Cercopithecus aethiops

Klipspringer
Oreotragus oreotragus

Lilac-breasted Roller
Coracias caudatus

African Elephant
Loxodonta africana

Lion
Panthera leo
This female had spotted a Wildebeest 50 meters or so away. Watching any cat switch from their usual mode of laziness to one of intense concentration and stealth is thrilling. House cats and wild lions alike, this behaviour is the same. I have seen my cat display this behavioural switch on spotting a fly in the kitchen!

Impala
Aepyceros melampus

Impala
Aepyceros melampus
During the rutting season, males fight with each other over territory and the right to female herds. They can be heard from far off in the bush as they call in a sort of deep moan, created through their nostrils. To attract such attention seems an odd behaviour for an already heavily predated animal. It is an example of the primal urge of the species to reproduce being stronger than the immediate survival of an individual. The challenge of maintaining territory and dominance over females is utterly exhausting and will often lead to their predation because of the decline in their state of health. This is nature's way of maintaining a healthy gene pool.

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African Elephant herd
Loxodonta africana
Elephants require enormous territories for populations to remain healthy and ultimately to survive. Along side the better known threat of the illegal ivory trade, habitat loss is a huge problem; both from human settlement and more recently from the warming climate in the region. As desertification occurs in some areas, the available forage becomes too poor to sustain populations. If an Elephant population becomes 'trapped' in too small a territory (including many protected areas) they cause much damage to woodland and scrub and this can have serious knock on effects in the ecosystem. There are wildlife reserves in Africa where the culling of Elephants is considered a necessary solution.

African Elephant
Loxodonta africana

Lioness
Panthera Leo.
Lions are the only social species of big cats. They have evolved to live in prides as a solution to finding enough food to sustain them. Working together on a hunt they are capable of killing far larger prey than if they were alone. In some areas, lions have learnt to specialise in hunting certain species; as in Botswana's Savuti region, where there is a pride which has learnt to specialise in predating adult elephants! The plight of the lion is greater than many are aware of. Other big cats such as the Bengal Tiger and Snow Leopard are famously endangered and their cause has had much publicity, and rightly so. But the Lion is in dire straights too. The cat is extinct in 26 African countries where once they roamed, and have dissapeared from 90 per cent of their historic range. There are now thought to be only 20,000 lions in the entire continent and are officially considered "critically endangered" in West Africa on the IUCN red list of endangerd species.

Nile Crocodile
Crocodylus niloticus

African Lion
Panthera leo

Gray Lourie
Corythaixoides
Another common name for this avain hair product advertisement is the "Gray Go-away Bird" because of their raucus, nasal call "KWAAAAAAY"!

Plains Zebra
Equus quagga
One of two remaining species of zebra in southern Africa. The Plains Zebra is identifiable from it's cousin, the Mountain Zebra, by it's 'shadow stripes' between the prominent stripes on it's coat.

Blue Wildebeest or Brindled Gnu
Connochaetes taurinus

African Elephant
Loxodonta africana

African Elephant
Loxodonta africana

Male Lion
Panthera leo
This was one of two brothers resting in the afternoon heat. Lions are primarily nocturnal or crepuscular, meaning they become active at twilight. Most lion hunts fail, despite their power and skill. They rest for much of the day to conserve energy and to avoid the heat.

Hadeda Ibis
Bostrychia hagedash

Common Warthog
Phacochoerus aethiopicus

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African Lioness
Panthera Leo
Lions are the only social species of big cats. They have evolved to live in prides as a solution to finding enough food to sustain them. Working together on a hunt they are capable of killing far larger prey than if they were alone. In some areas, lions have learnt to specialise in hunting certain species; as in Botswana's Savuti region, where there is a pride which has learnt to specialise in predating adult elephants! The plight of the lion is greater than many are aware of. Other big cats such as the Bengal Tiger and Snow Leopard are famously endangered and their cause has had much publicity, and rightly so. But the Lion is in dire straights too. The cat is extinct in 26 African countries where once they roamed, and have dissapeared from 90 per cent of their historic range. There are now thought to be only 20,000 lions in the entire continent and are officially considered "critically endangered" in West Africa on the IUCN red list of endangerd species. For more information: https://www.panthera.org/cat/lion

Vervet Monkey Cercopithecus aethiops

White-backed Vulture
Gyps Africanus

Giraffe
Giraffe camelopardalis
Differentiating a male giraffe from a female in the wild is done through observation of the horns or 'ossicones'. Both male and female giraffes have these protrusions on their heads formed of ossified cartilage and covered in hair. The ossicones of a male are often bald at the top from fighting with other males whereas those of the female tend to retain hair cover all over.

Plains Zebra
Equus quagga

Giraffe
Giraffe Camelopardalis
Red Billed Oxpeckers are tolerated by larger game as they help to rid the animals of ticks and other parasites.

Gabar Goshawk
Micronisus gabar

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Tockus leucomelas
Hornbills tend to mate for life. Once she has concieved, the female makes a nest in a natural tree cavity, sealing herself inside with a mixture of her own droppings and food remains. All that is left once complete is a tiny slit, through which the male feeds his partner. Once the egg has hatched the male continues the routine until the female breaks the wall of the nest to help the male feed the chick. The chick will reform the wall of the nest and the routine will coninue until it is ready to fledge.

African Elephant
Loxodonta Africana

Savannah Baboon
Papio (Ursinus) cynocephalus

Lioness
Panthera Leo

Plains Zebra
Equus quagga

Lion
Panthera Leo

Thick-tailed Bushbaby
Otolemur crassicaudatus
Often found around human settlements, this bushbaby was after our barbecued burgers.

African Elephant
Loxodonta africanus

Citrus Swallowtail butterfly
Papilio demodocus

Black-crowned Tchagra
Tchagra senegalus

African Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
Buffalo can be aggressive and dangerous, especially when they are few in number or on their own.

Lion
Panthera Leo
Here she is stalking a Wildebeest. As with the majority of hunts, she failed. The Wildebeest was spooked and moved off. Unlike some of the faster wild cats, Lions rely on being able to get very close to their prey through stealth, before giving chase to their prey. They can only run at full speed for short distances before tiring.

Plains Zebra
Equus quagga

African Elephant
Loxodonta africana

Plains Zebra
Equus quagga

Lion
Panthera Leo

Greater Kudu
Tragelaphus strepciceros.
Shy and flighty animals, I took this shot early morning at a water hole before making a small noise with the camera. The Kudu was spooked and so was a nearby Honey Badger, also notoriously flighty.

Hededa Ibis
Bostrychia hagedash

Vervet Monkey
Cercopithecus aethiops

Plains Zebra
Equus quagga