As the sun set on the latter part of 2024 my wife and I found ourselves in a game reserve in the North West.
It is one of our favourite reserves, yet we had not been there in a while.
And even though it is already February 2025, I felt that a retrospective look at some of the highlights from that trip would not go amiss…
Although I will point my lens at almost anything with four legs and a face, or two legs and feathers, it is predators that most often attract my attention.
And when it comes to lions (or in this case lionesses) if they are active it is a bonus.
What visitors to reserves are often unaware of is the lions can sleep for between 18-20 hours a day, and are therefore not always conducive to good photo opportunities.
An early evening stroll…
This cub, together with some siblings was heading home (wherever that was) with the mother to hunker down for the night.
We were able to follow them for a long while before they went off into a thicket and following them was not an option as the light was fading fast.
During one of our game drives, we came across an elephant carcass that was being picked on by this jackal.
The jackal kept vanishing into the belly of the remains looking for edible scraps and as a result of its persistence, it eventually found something to chew on.
Can you imagine trying to describe a giraffe to someone who has never seen one?
They would never believe you.
It might go something like this:
Imagine a creature dreamed up by an artist with a knack for the absurd. Start with a horse, stretch its neck sky-high like it’s trying to spy on the clouds, and then give it legs so long they look like stilts. Cover it in a patchwork quilt of golden brown spots, and you’ve got yourself a giraffe!
Its purple tongue is almost as long as its neck (okay, not quite), and skilled enough to pluck leaves like it’s using chopsticks. It moves with an odd, slow-motion grace like it’s gliding in a nature documentary played in slo-mo.
Oh, and its head? It’s crowned with little horn-like nubs called ossicones, making it look like a royal of the animal kingdom.
Basically, a giraffe is nature’s skyscraper.
Equal parts elegant, goofy, and completely unforgettable.
The afternoon catches this lioness making her glow.
While the females slake their thirst, the male waits…
Bee-eaters doing what they usually do.
Just looking cute.
A small herd of elephants takes over at one of the waterholes.
Elephants do not like sharing water and will often chase off other animals in order to have the resources all to themselves.
Smaller animals like antelope and even predators will often leave of their own accord, however, larger animals like rhino and buffalo often take more convincing to make them leave.
What is interesting is the cooperation between elephant herds that will cycle in and out of the waterhole, giving each herd the opportunity to drink with the least altercation or interaction.
How many zebra do you count?
Answers on a postcard, please.
If you remove the legs as well as the head and neck then THIS is what a giraffe looks like.
This one was drinking at a waterhole that was lower than the ground our vehicle was parked on, hence the weird perspective.
A dazzle of zebra.
Yet another predator to add to my tally for the trip.
Buffalo, a bird and a game viewer…the epitome of an African safari.
Travel is the proud winner of this prestigious award from the digital British lifestyle magazine Luxlife. The award is for Best Travel & Experiences Blog 2024 – South Africa.
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