Image by Luan Oosthuizen
It’s back to the bush we go with this week’s edition of the Week in Pictures! Transported back to the nooks and crannies of Kruger and Botswana that we love so much, this collection of photographs reflects the beauty of the wild and leaves you longing for a safari!
Some sad news on the Klaserie front is that the Ross Pride female who started out with 2 adorable cubs has only one remaining. It’s a tough life for lions, and these 2 breakaway lionesses do it all alone. Luan Oosthuizen from nThambo Tree Camp snapped these gorgeous pictures of mother and baby on game drive with both nThambo and Africa on Foot guests.
Image by Luan Oosthuizen
Image by Luan Oosthuizen
The Trilogy – the coalition of 3 big male lions that parades through the Klaserie – has been seen out and about, looking brutal as usual. An African wildcat was seen at Africa on Foot, representing the smaller cat population of the Greater Kruger, and a herd of buffalo was photographed enjoying the new presence of water after the rains. The birdlife in the Kruger is magnificent, making binoculars a necessity! Here, Luan captured a brown snake eagle in flight beautifully.
Image by Luan Oosthuizen
Image by Luan Oosthuizen
Image by Luan Oosthuizen
Down south in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin, Umkumbe Safari Lodge religiously churns out fantastic sightings and with rangers taking incredible photos, it makes for a fantastic Facebook feed! Photographer Mariana de Klerk visited recently and kindly shared some her outstanding photographs. A curious looking rock monitor, an elephant having a dust bath, a yellow-billed hornbill with an interesting meal, and couple of buffaloes in the dusk.
Image by Mariana de Klerk.
Image by Mariana de Klerk.
Image by Mariana de Klerk.
Image by Mariana de Klerk.
At Nokana Safari Camp, based in a private concession neighbouring the Greater Kruger, guests have the luxury of visiting the National Park itself, as well as a number of the Big 5 game reserves in the area. With game drive privileges in so many places, one is bound to see some unique wildlife activity. In Nokana’s back yard, this infant vervet monkey was captured latching tightly onto its mother. An elephant takes a drink at a reservoir in the Kruger National Park; a white-fronted bee-eater poses in lovely light, and the big cats came out to play!
All the big herbivores this week… and a little one! At nDzuti Safari Camp in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, the Klaserie River is keeping these water-lovers happy. A mother rhino was spotted with her young calf on game drive, while an elephant got a bit frisky with the vehicle. Hippos, as usual, stay cool under water during the day, exhaling loudly and grunting even louder.
Image by Jochen Van de Perre
Image by Jochen Van de Perre
Image by Jochen Van de Perre
Image by Jochen Van de Perre
Marakapula Reserve is an absolute gem. Luxury African-inspired accommodation right on the Selati River, and only a 2o minute drive to the Phalaborwa gate of the Kruger National Park. The reserve itself is Big 5, so there is no reason to go anywhere at all, but when South Africa’s most celebrated wildlife haven lies only a few kilometres away, why not venture out for a day trip? These spectacular shots were taken in the Kruger by photographer, Em Gatland, on a recent trip to Makubu Lodge in Marakapula.
Image by Em Gatland
Image by Em Gatland
Image by Em Gatland
Image by Em Gatland
Into the land of Botswana we go! Camp Savuti, superbly located on the Savuti Channel, offers some of the best game viewing in Botswana (which is saying a lot!). However, sometimes it’s the small things that catch your attention, and the scenery could make any photo look good. Here is a handful of some beautifully captured, slightly more ordinary members of the wild…
Image by Jochen Van de Perre
Image by Chloe Cooper
Image by Kevin MacLaughlin
Image by Kevin MacLaughlin
Mapula Lodge in the Okavango Delta is a birding paradise – as anyone who knows the Okavango Delta will tell you – and any time of day or night the sounds of the wild will lull you into a safari slumber. When you hear the high-pitched twittering of a wild dog’s call, you wake right up and get out on game drive! The African wild dog is the second most endangered predator in Africa, and it is an exceptional treat to see them in the wild. Here, Kevin MacLaughlin photographed a pack of wild dogs when he was lucky enough to enjoy the sighting.
Image by Kevin MacLaughlin
Image by Kevin MacLaughlin
Image by Kevin MacLaughlin
Image by Kevin MacLaughlin
Travel Butlers
Chloe Cooper