Back in Africa after two long years of unnecessary lockdowns and insanity. Some friends and I went back in November of 2021 finally, and I think I've never experienced an Africa trip much like it. We went up to Mpumpalanga Land, Skukza - where we saw "all the normal stuff", but they were doing things I've only imagined they'd do, or seen on National Geographic.
I saw a wild dog hunt, a hyena stealing a monkey a leopard had caught, hyenas eating leftovers, a one week old elephant, dung beetles rolling shit and lion cubs messing with each other. But lets start with this CLEARLY Louis Vuitton model below..
Also, I quite like this picture of a gentleman yawning, though it looks like he gives of a powerful roar in the rain!
I have a million photos of these cubs. Some are sneaking on their mom, some are wrestling and some are sleeping in fun positions - however this is maybe my favourite of the younger of the brothers wanting to play some more and pulling his older brothers tail. After this photo, the older brother stands up which makes the little one fall over - and I have some more of him trying to get up again which is almost illegally adorable.
And speaking of adorable - how about this little guy, just a week old and barely dares to come out from under his/her mum.
I have tons more from this Africa trip, but I just love this picture of this Hornbill. I really enjoy the hornbill, and can't help but think of Zazu from the Lion King.
Just ooOone more lion!!
There was also quite a bit of hunting on this trip (I shot animals with my camera only), but the animals themselves were quite occupied with the hunt. Below is a leopard who in the second picture isn't too pleased I was too close while she was enjoying her lunch. Sorry for the potato quality on the picture...
OK... I promise, final lion now. These two cubs keep sneaking up on their mum as a hunting practise - they spent so long trying to be as sneaky as possible, and as they pounced on her she didn't even flinch - she had 100% check on what they were up to while she was "at work" (scouting a hunt).
So the cubs gave up trying to startle mum, and just went in for some cuddles instead - which she took with a stride, even though she was busy scouting for "groceries". That's a mum-trait throughout the species on this planet - allowing a cuddle regardless of how busy things are.
And speaking of "jobs", this gentleman below has a job of rolling poo. It's a bit like any human job - you fight the others around you to roll the biggest ball (or have the biggest pay check). The ball of poo is an allegory for how I imagine an alien race would look at us much I look at the dung-beetle; randomly collecting papers so that we get status to show how much papers we have - so does the beetle - he rolls his ball in the hope of having the biggest ball. The lady-beetle sees the size of his poo ball and sort of attaches herself to it, to which the male beetle rolls his poo and his woman back home in a triumph to success and status.
But let's finish on this stately creature - peering through the bushes with his glorious horns and "war paint" between his eyes. Extraordinary.
Thanks for tuning in (even if it's just my mum and my fiancee) :)