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Unlike the majority of game lodges that I visit,
this was to be a totally new experience for me.
I was woken at 04h00 so that I could join the Safari Live crew
on their early morning game drive
that was leaving at 04h30…
The moon was still bright in the sky as we left camp
A “selfie”.of sorts…
I was tucked in between the ranger and the cameraman.
The vehicles are not designed to include visitors,
but being involved in the TV industry, I understood that I had to keep
my head down and stay out of shot.
There is nothing quite like an African sunrise…
Let the broadcast begin.
Brent Leo-Smith starts the morning off,
by welcoming a world-wide audience to a live drive.
Via their dedicated channel, the world gets to see what were seeing in real time.
Such is the power of modern technology,
that viewers can ask questions,
and get them answered immediately.
This interaction also works in reverse.
Brent forgot the meaning of the name of one of the Leopards,
and the answer was instantaneously forthcoming from the on-line community!
Up to this point, the most interesting “photo opportunity”
had been the cloud formations.
But all that was to change in a heartbeat.
A pair of Cheetah brothers had been spotted close by
Unlike the leopards in the reserve,who have been given names,
these boys are nameless…
Why? Because there are only two of them
Suffice to say that only the one brother was prepared
to “pose”…the other one decided that being behind a bush,
out of sight, was the better option.
Adult Zebra are not usually on a Cheetah menu,
so these were safe and as there were no youngsters in the herd,
both ‘boys’ walked past.
There was a lot of dust and noise,
but not much predator/prey interaction
The tree of life?
Not too certain about that fact,
but this specimen did catch my attention
Not a species that I see too often…and my only “spot” on the drive.
This Side-striped Jackal was seeking respite from the heat
in the shade of a bush.
There is nothing as heart stopping as the first sighting
of a Leopard during a game drive.
Even if it is camouflaged by branches
But patience and persistence paid off,
and eventually Inkanyeni (meaning Light)
decided that it was “safe” to come out
This is her son, Vutomi ( meaning Life)
He was part of a pair of siblings,
but as his sister has not been seen for a while,
there is speculation that she might have died.
Give a boy a stick…
and he will be entertained for hours.
In this case it was a large piece of bark,
and it only held his attention for a short while.
Both Inkanyeni and Vutomi had recently eaten
(we saw the remainder of an Impala in a tree close by)
so heavy panting (to cool down) and relaxation was on the cards
In the meantime, mom had relocated
to some shade not too far away
And then to a branch in a tree…
And finally to the shade behind a log.
Broadcast over, it was time for us to head back to camp
While we were out looking for game,
the team back in the Final Control studio
were making certain
were making certain
the images and audio were being broadcast
to their world wide audience
to their world wide audience
Drive and breakfast over…
it was time to head back to my room for a nap.
But first I had to publish this posting.
Job done, nap time beckons
http://wildearth.tv/cam/wildearth-safaris
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LIVEsafariLIVE/?fref=ts
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV6HJBZD_hZcIX9JVJ3dCXQ
“Travel & Things” relies on Pentax and SanDisk,
supplied by
who distribute these products in South Africa.
I started using Pentax equipment in 1974
and I have been a loyal Pentaxian ever since.
When last did you actually print a photograph?
“Travel & Things” images are printed
at their store in Cresta.
Great service, friendly staff
and more importantly awesome prints.
To find their current specials
or to locate a store nearest to you:
Europcar, the official car rental supplier
to “Travel & Things”
This is how I get about when I am in Johannesburg.
Travel & Things is sponsored by:
Extreme Bike Stealth.
The new way to travel in the city.
http://www.extremebike.co.za
Travel & Things is written on a
Cool Ideals is my service provider of choice.
They enable me to ensure that my articles
and images are sent fast and effortlessly.
Not to mention all the other benefits that FTTH offers…
Like stability and affordability!
www.cisp.co.za
GammaTek is my powerbank supplier of choice.
One of my problems is often lack of battery power
if I have been using the camera on my phone.
I have tried many “powerbanks”,
but the majority drain before they can fully recharge my device.
This is where this Powerbank has the edge…
it can recharge my phone up to 7 times,
before it needs to be recharged.
To find out more:
All images are the copyright property of 
and may not be used without permission
and may not be used without permissionFollow me on Twitter: @davidbatzofin
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