About us:

From the middle of the Okavango and beyond this site brings you the latest bush news, photography and conservation issues while also focussing on day to day life in the bush!

With a combination of decades of bush passion and living and working in the bush, the authors of this site aim to immerse the reader in everything to do with the bush.

Thank you for taking the time to look at this page and please come back for updates!

Nic Proust

How it started

The concept of bush 24 came about on one quiet night spent out in the Okavango on the 14th March 2013. In fact it was not so quiet – there were 2 male lions roaring just across from camp and I was quite keen to drive out and try and find them. But, to be honest I did not know the camp that well and there were nerves of what might happen should I go on this mission through some hardcore terrain to find them in the dark – so, I rather excitedly lay in my ‘tent’ thinking about starting up a page where I could share information about the conservation issues that are important to me as well as share some of the many images I take while operating throughout these wild areas. I then thought ‘bush 24’…it seemed short and catchy and I liked it because it was similar to one of my favourite news websites so the name made sense. Just as I was developing ideas about what this page would further entail, I heard a surprising: ‘Nic!! Nic!!…are you awake?’ …one of the guides who had been stationed to look after the closed camp in which I was staying, had also heard the lions! I didn’t need more than a seconds thought before I was up and we were off to find them!

Location

Predominantly based out of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park and beyond to the other wild areas of Africa, the authors of this website currently live and work in the bush and experience the lifestyle first hand.

nicproust

A female elephant charges a lion that dared not mo

A female elephant charges a lion that dared not move away fast enough as she tried to protect the youngsters in the herd.

This took place yesterday at Kalwezi, the most famous photographic location along Botswana's Chobe River.

Three lions caught an injured warthog and fed just off an elephant path that comes to River. Most photographers left the area thinking the sighting was over. The elephant kept charging then holding back then charging again.

At first the light was harsh but after about 20 minutes we took our position as the boats cleared up and snapped away as this incredible scene unfolded. I have a few shots I'm happy with but this one stood out after a quick selection and brief edit.

My 200-500mm lens captured the moment nicely, starting a crazy 24 hour period of wildlfie photography that has rounded off some great viewing early in a season already full of action.

#elephant #charge #lion #Kalwezi #Chobe #Botswana #nicproustsafaris #thisischobe #desertdeltasafaris #classicescapes

The alpha male of the cyamadongo troop shields his

The alpha male of the cyamadongo troop shields his eyes from bright light to take a closer look at a few fellow primates.

This troop of Chimps lives in a fragmented part of Nyungwe forest in south western Rwanda.

With the great work that African Parks is doing, there will soon hopefully be a restablished corridor that will allow connectivity between this troop and the approximate 500 other chimps that exist in the greater Nyungwe forest area.

#Chimpanzee #Cyamadongo #Nyungwe #forest #Rwanda #primate #AfricanParks #visitrwanda

Variable sunbird posing at Nyungwe. Photography in

Variable sunbird posing at Nyungwe. Photography in forests is always challenging under low light conditions. I pushed the ISO up and had a clean background. Very little post production done other than contrast, shadows and a bit of a crop.

#variablesunbird #sunbird #Nyungwe #Rwanda #bird #birdsofinstagram #visitrwanda #AfricanParks

Zebra Magic along the Boteti This is one of the m

Zebra Magic along the Boteti

This is one of the most spectacular migrations where you get to see thousands of zebra making their way down to quench their thirst along the ephemeral Boteti river, the extension of the Okavango, where during good rainfall years, water flows on down towards the Makgadikgadi. The area supports so much wildlife that come down to drink as the day warms up.

Some of the herds rest up along the river most of the day and only head back into the bush and towards the feeding grounds at sunset. They kick up the dust as they walk along...with the sun setting in the background it creates some magic!
#Zebra #Sunset #Migration #Boteti #makgadikgadi #Botswana

A yellow billed stork nonchalantly walks past an o

A yellow billed stork nonchalantly walks past an old buffalo bull.

With a little more than a glance up at his feathery friend he carried on feeding, tolerating each others presence on the flood plains of the Chobe river.

#stork #buffalo #desertanddelta #Chobe #ClassicEscapes #Botswana

A female leopard pauses to catch her breath before

A female leopard pauses to catch her breath before dragging her quarry into the relative safety of some thick vegetation.

We drove out east this morning and worked around the Paradise Pans area and found many leopard tracks. Eventually our patience paid off after some alarm calling Lechwe and Impala signified the presence of a predator in the area.

Suddenly we spotted a leopard dragging a Red Lechwe she had just killed.

It's been quite a crazy 24 hours with some great all round viewing with lion buffalo interactions and hippos fighting!

As I write, 3 lions are hunting outside camp!

#leopard #kill #Moremi #Botswana

An Osprey shot down and grabbed this fish out of t

An Osprey shot down and grabbed this fish out of the water during a sunset walk yesterday. I didn't see the actual catch as a tidal wall hampered my view but I still managed to catchup and get a few shots of this obliging bird!
#Osprey #Duba #RedSea #SuadiArabia

Standing at more than 4 stories high the incredibl

Standing at more than 4 stories high the incredible architectural design of the Qasr-al-Farid, is just one of Hegra's more than one hundred tombs which were carved into sandstone around 2000 years ago at the height of the Nabataean empire.

This one stands alone and is the most iconic of this world heritage site in NW Saudi Arabia outside the fascinating town of Al Ula. The area is surrounded by date palm plantations and is steeped in thousands of years history due to its important location on the incense and spice route of the Arabian peninsula.

This is a must see destination if you come to Saudi Arabia and it is the second biggest city of the Nabataeans after Petra, one of the seven wonders of the world, which is found in southern Jordan.

I managed to pop out for a quick tour before sunset to appreciate some of the wonders of this relatively little visited area, but one that is sure to gather momentum as a prime tourist destination in years to come as part of the Saudis vision 2030.

#QasralFarid #Hegra #AlUlA #RCU #SaudiArabia #Nabataean #Vision2030 #MadainSaleh

Like a scene from another era, but shot this yeste

Like a scene from another era, but shot this yesterday!

Najran in Southern Saudi Arabia, close to the Yemen border is like no place I've ever been. The combination of the traditions, the culture and the genuine people culminate into an experience I never expected. Definitely the most unique part of Saudi I've seen so far.

This moment was all about luck. When you have the day off and find yourself slowly walking around a big park in the city finding subjects to photograph (and bird watching) and then randomly meet some friendly people... well just let the day take you where it wants to!

In just a few hours I ended up making a bunch of friends for life and sharing a day immersed in wonderful Najran hospitality with moments I will never forget. From arabic coffee, to sharing music, to the magnificence of the old town to horse riding and finally to dinner at an army generals house (and all that went with that) - well the experiences were only outdone by the personalities of the people hosting them!

#Najran #horseriding #culture #horseracing #horse #sunset #SaudiArabia #saudi #Saudi_Arabia #tourism

Wadi Walking in Saudi With the mercury rising an

Wadi Walking in Saudi

With the mercury rising and another day of marathon walks in search of the Arabian leopard and other wildlife, it was a treat to find this deep pool of water in a valley which in arabic is known as a 'wadi'.

We missioned along, setting up camera traps at key points and then made our way back for a swim in this otherwise very arid area - it was such a treat - a real oasis in camel country!

#wadi #najranhighlands #hiking #panthera #SaudiArabia

The holy grail of African Owls - Sokoke Scops owl

The holy grail of African Owls - Sokoke Scops owl from the Arabuko-Sokoke forest near Watamu on the Kenyan coast.

We jumped on a boda (motorcycle) and rode our way into the cynometra woodland areas of the reserve to try our luck to find them. After a grueling ride and much trekking to some known sites, we caught up with this obliging pair of owlets. It was a hard slog but totally worth it when you have them gazing down at you like this!

#owl #Sokokescopsowl #owlsofinstagram #ArabukoSokoke #Watamu #Kenya #scopsowl

Augrabies Falls last Tuesday Been huge amounts o

Augrabies Falls last Tuesday

Been huge amounts of water with the excellent rains we have been having so took a little drive up to the Kalahari for a few days. It's looking so green!!

#AugrabiesFalls #waterfall #Sanparks #NorthernCape #SouthAfrica

Moonset on a starry night at Satara! Nothing like

Moonset on a starry night at Satara!

Nothing like gazing up at the Milky Way on a cold, crispy evening in the bush as a hyena whoops and some jackals cry - reminding us our place in the hierarchy out here!

#moonset #Stars #MilkyWay #Satara #Kruger

Two bosses of the Sweni! - walking in tandem, eac

Two bosses of the Sweni!

- walking in tandem, each patrolling their own river bank and seemingly unaware of the others presence!

This adult male lion is not quite in his prime and is one of the Shish young males which look to be a coalition with a big future if things go well (with Kruger's white Male lion). They had killed a buffalo and after a good feed the one male walked confidently for a drink while on the other side of the river bank a dominant male baboon walked confidently keeping tabs on the situation!

Just spent a few weeks in Kruger and Kalahari and going through all the images...this one stuck out as one of the most unique and was a bit lucky that I could get both these boys through a gap!

#lion #baboon #Sweni #Kruger #SouthAfrica

Beautiful snowy scenes outside Cape Town with snow

Beautiful snowy scenes outside Cape Town with snow-covered orchards and Fynbos making for some stunning vistas in the Matroosberg mountains near Ceres!

#Snow #Ceres #CeresSnow #CapeTown #Matroosberg #dji #mavicpro #aerial #SouthAfrica

A thick-billed weaver constructs his nest using pa

A thick-billed weaver constructs his nest using papyrus in the Okavango.

The peak of the breeding is now over and some species are either raising young or attempting to raise another brood.

Here though multiple males were competing for the attention of females. It was amazing to see how they weave their complex nests in just 2 to 3 days - a quick turn around needed to impress females with their polygnous mating habits as they work tirelessly constructing multiple nests in a season!

#weaver #thickbilledweaver #bird #birdsofinstagram #Okavango #Botswana #CampMoremi #Moremi #ClassicEscapes #bush24 #safsri #Desertanddelta #Africa

This cute little critter is known as an eastern ro

This cute little critter is known as an eastern rock elephant shrew or eastern rock sengi!
They are very entertaining to watch and are affectionately known as one of the 'little 5'! They are not related to shrews and are in fact their own family and are found only in Africa!
This particular species is restricted to Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa as well as in places like the Motobos (Motopos) where I photographed this one at World's View in Zimbabwe, pretty much the center of this species range!

#rock #elephantshrew #sengi #WorldsView #Motopos #Motobos #Zimbabwe #little5

Photographed this beautiful, relaxed Serval one ev

Photographed this beautiful, relaxed Serval one evening in the Borana conservancy as it stared off into the distance listening intensely to something behind us... 5 minutes later and it ran off... Suddenly a pride of lions emerged...one by one 20 of these big cats moved past us on the hunt! Luckily for the serval it picked up on them before they got too close!

We were also using a red filter on the smaller cat and not shinning directly in its eyes, allowing the situation to play out as naturally as possible!

Fortunately these days with the improved ISO capabilities I was still able to get a relatively sharp shot in low light!

#Serval #cat #Borana #Laikipia #Kenya #Africa

Had a perfect shower the other day ! 😎🙏🏼

Had a perfect shower the other day ! 😎🙏🏼 📷 @dekroonsteven for the snap

This is just one of hundreds of incredible waterfalls in the Cape and amazingly just a few days ago a leopard was even seen right in this area! Can you imagine a leopard in this pic rather than its prey?😉 #CapeTown #waterfall #secretspot #mountains #Koggelberg #SouthAfrica

Pokot Girl The beautiful Pokot are a tribe that c

Pokot Girl
The beautiful Pokot are a tribe that consists of about 1 million people in western Kenya and Eastern Uganda. While the majority live in Kenya, they can be divided into two main groups related to lifestyle - the Hill Pokot from the rainy highlands and the Plains Pokot.

This young woman is from the Hill Pokot people who live adjacent to the Great Rift Valley. A Nilotic people who were thought to have moved south from Ethiopia some 2000 years ago, these tribal people live both a farming and pastoralist lifestyle.

Access to this particular group is almost impossible but we were part of an incredible trip with Tropic Air across the north of the country and arrived to an incredible scene where we witnessed the beauty of just one amazing tribe on this huge and diverse continent!

#Pokot #Girl #Woman #Tribe #Kenya #GreatRiftValley #TropicAir #PhilWestSafaris #Culture #Africa

Nothing quite like the affection shown between a p

Nothing quite like the affection shown between a pride of lions after a good meal!

This pride of 2 females and 3 cubs put on a show, grooming one another right next to our vehicle. They had killed 2 adult male Red Lechwes earlier in the day and just around the corner lay two sets of horns, almost interlocked. We missed the kill but it makes me wonder if the males had been fighting and that they were possibly caught unaware!

The viewing in this part of the Okavango has been insane this dry season and with the way the Okavango has been flowing of late this area promises to be great for game viewing over the next few years ...until the waters take another turn in this incredibly unpredictable landscape!

#lion #pride #Khwai #NG18 #Okavango #ClassicEscapes #SableAlley #NaturalSelection #safari #Botswana

Good night from the Khwai in Botswana!! Been an ac

Good night from the Khwai in Botswana!! Been an action packed few days that were only outdone by their sunsets! I had to wait quite a while for this hippo to give me a yawn but fortunately he obliged at a good moment, with a backdrop of endless wilderness..what a place!

#Khwai #hippo #sunset #Botswana

Something from another world - a giraffe-necked we

Something from another world - a giraffe-necked weevil goes about life on a Dichaetanthera cordifolia leaf (I had to look that up😉!) What a find though...if you are in the Mantadia National park this species is a good bet especially when the sun is out otherwise it's a lot harder to find!

We hung out with this big mature male (neck much longer than females) for a while before letting him continue on his way... #giraffeneckedweevil #Mantadia #Madagascar #insect

Madagascar Flying Fox! My guide said let's leave

Madagascar Flying Fox!

My guide said let's leave the flying foxes for midday. What a great call that was as we photographed them with backlight - you wouldn't be able to get this affect in the early morning or late afternoon - such beauty in its wing patterns!

#Madagascar #FlyingFox #Bat #MCC #Tmac #Manafiafy #FortDauphin #MadagascarClassicCollection #bush24 #Africa

Two collared nightjars become one as they cuddle f

Two collared nightjars become one as they cuddle for warmth!

With some incredible camouflage, these two nocturnal birds also probably look like a bigger more threatening creature to a would-be predator.

Had it not been for the inside knowledge of our guide we would have never seen this little wonder of nature!

A big thanks to @andrecloete76 for having me join you for some incredible sightings!! I owe you 1!!😎 #nightjar #collarednightjar #Andasibe #Madagascar #bird #birdsofinstagram #camouflage #cryptic #bush24

Eye to eye with a lemur murderer!! The Fossa is th

Eye to eye with a lemur murderer!! The Fossa is the apex predator of Madagascar...specializing in hunting lemurs, this long tailed predator is extremely agile in trees and is a real nightmare for the primates!

They are tricky to see but depending on where you go and what month, odds of seeing this elusive species can be increased!

I had a bit of luck and having him pose like this with this fierce expression is a sight I will not forget!

#Fossa #predator #Madagascar #safari #Kirindy

Tonight's magic at the Avenue of Baobabs! I had m

Tonight's magic at the Avenue of Baobabs!

I had my angles planned for the sunset and was hoping for a wagon drawn by some Zebu to pass by to get a nice shot.
Almost out of nowhere though, this lovely family appeared - they were going about their daily life and asked for their photo.
They were not asking for money though - they just wanted their photo taken to see themselves among the baobabs. These trees are sacred in these parts so it made sense. I took a pic and they were so happy with it and they walked off. I then thought about asking them if they could stand in the area I wanted a subject and they were only to keen to oblige. I told them I would give them a 'pourboir' and they were even happier!

What a magical scene and what I love about them is they are totally natural - no pretention, just salt of the earth, good people like so many I have come across on this incredible island!

This shot was taken with my phone but I had my dslr as well!
After the 'shoot' I decided to give them a really nice tip.
My reasons are not original but this kind of tourism is what we need to save these one of a kind areas on this great continent. Madagascar is full of them and they are mostly seriously under threat. By traveling here and extending your budget where it matters one can help in a small way that can lead to bigger things in country thatis desperate for it. This place is seeing people thrive compared to those around them. Tourism will not only empower an area but is key to promoting and protecting biodiversity!

Oh and sorry about yet another baobab shot :--) #baobab #Madagascar #Baobaballey #morebaobabs #malagasy #Morondova #Africa #photography #ecotourism #salutvasa

Can't get enough of these baobabs! Adansonia za i

Can't get enough of these baobabs!

Adansonia za in southern Madagascar. This is a mini baobab avenue but in the area there were about 100 that I could see. An area almost devoid of tourists, its incredible that these places exist.

Although more touristy I am looking forward to heading off to the famous Grandidier's bobabs tomorrow in the west of the island near Morondava, a wonderous place that I can't wait to see!

#baobab #Madagascar #Spinyforest #FortDauphin #adansoniaza

A Verreux's Sifaka peers out from an octopus tree!

A Verreux's Sifaka peers out from an octopus tree!

First lemur down...113 to go! In fact it depends who you ask because you get a different total but amazingly there are over 100 lemur species in Madagascar.

I'm here in the deep south in the spiny forest area...mostly wiped out for sisal plant cultivation, this habitat just like so many others on this crazy island is found here and no where else and almost all the species are endemic and just hanging on to survival on an island where the human population growth does not look like it's about to slow down sadly.

Add a spiny chameleon, a Za baobab, many birds and a few other weird and wonderful species and all I can say is it's been an incredible first evening of exploring Madagascar's unique biodiversity.

Ended off with 3 lemur species for the day including two that are nocturnal, the grey brown mouse lemur and the white footed sportive lemur.
What a place!

#verreuxssifaka #sifaka #lemur #mandrareriverlodge #mcc #Madaclassiccollection #tmac #magalena #themalcolmainscoughcollection #Madagascar #Africa

Back in one of my favourite places - the road is p

Back in one of my favourite places - the road is particularly bad at the moment but the journey to get to this most mystical of places was so worth it!

#Bainesbaobabs #NxaiPan #adansoniadigitata #NxaiPanNationalPark #baobab #Landrover #Landroverdefender #defender #4x4 #Botswana

Even with the hardships of having to fend for hers

Even with the hardships of having to fend for herself in the wilds of the greater Kruger, I could not believe how perfect this female cheetah's coat was. And not a scratch on her face either - just one incredibly beautiful cat!

I actually snapped this pic about 12 years ago and came across it recently. It reminded of this amazing moment we had. One of my guests also had incredible camera equipment and back then I was using a Nikon D70 with an average lens. My guest lent me his fixed Nikon 300mm 2.8 and it allowed me to capture this magic moment I would have never been able to get otherwise. Even the blurred green in the background is naturally captured. Very little post production and very little cropping - my guest was so kind and after seeing the pic insisted that I should use his lense for the rest of the day!

#cheetah #bigcat #acinonyx #nikon #MalaMala #Kruger #cat #bush24 #Mpumalanga #SouthAfrica

Disa uniflora! Maybe the most beautiful orchid in

Disa uniflora!

Maybe the most beautiful orchid in the world? It's the national flower of the Western Cape and proudly worn as the emblem on our Western Province rugby Jersey!

I shot this one late yesterday afternoon in low light conditions as a mist came over. The flowers are stunning but the river I found them growing along was equally as magnificent. It felt like another world up there!

Amazing nature is around us everywhere but I feel we have been especially blessed with the incredible variety in Southern Africa!

#Disa #Disauniflora #orchid #flower #WesternCape #CapeTown #WesternProvinceRugby #TableMountain #CapePeninsula #SouthAfrica

A leopard feeds on a giraffe making for an interes

A leopard feeds on a giraffe making for an interesting combination of animal hides in one shot!

This was an amazing sighting where an old giraffe died outside camp and provided a feast for so many animals.

Firstly there were vultures. Then there were a number of hyenas and 2 newly independent leopards which took turns and often all fed together - have some other pics.

More hyenas joined and we counted 15 one morning. Their activity attracted an old lioness that got attacked then chased off by another pride. By this stage the leopards had moved far away. Then yet another bigger pride of lions came in with a big male meaning it was now 3 sets of lions, 2 leopards, about 15 hyenas and well over 150 vultures that had all had turns feeding on the kill.

I remember listening to the lion and hyena fights at night. By this stage the lions eventually left, as so many hyenas had moved in chasing them off and then fighting among themselves - it turned out to be 2 clans fighting with about 30 hyenas in total.

I will never forget that week back in 2007 - a memory from my days at Mala Mala!

#leopard #giraffe #pattern #kill #MalaMala #bush #safari #guide #Ranger #Mpumalanga #SabiSands #SouthAfrica #bush24 #animal #nature #mammal #big5 #blastfromthepast

Standing next to a true giant! Jumbo is a big boy

Standing next to a true giant!

Jumbo is a big boy to say the least. I first met him 19 years ago when he was a lot smaller!
Today he is a true giant and is the tallest and biggest elephant of the herd. He was born in 1983, a year after me and as hard as I tried I could just not keep up with the same growth rate as him!😋 He has maintained a great temperament over the years even though he was 'rescued' from the culling days in Hwange and would have undergone severe stress at a young age.
Initially the herd was part of an elephant back safari operation but I am so happy to tell you that these days they do not undergo such stresses caused by such an activity and they live much more freely than before because they have stopped riding elephants.
You still do get a chance to meet them though, when they receive their special 'elephant' snacks - a relationship they seem to love and part of the deal I am sure they wanted to continue!

And a big thanks to the man behind me who cartainly made a slightly nerve wracking situation a calm one!

#elephant #giant #WildHorizons #ElephantCamp #ClassicEscapes #VictoriaFalls #Zimbabwe #Zim #conservation #donotrideelephants #loxodontaafricana #homosapien

A wild dog pup takes a break from one of the most

A wild dog pup takes a break from one of the most amazing 'training' sessions I have ever seen dogs go through!

Some of the adults and yearlings chased the youngsters through a section of long grass playing tag for about half an hour. They would hunt the pups chasing them at full speed, tackle them and then let the pups chase them. Much of the time all you would see were silly jumps and every now and then the odd ear as they endlessly raced through the grass.
We were in awe watching the sighting as the sun slipped behind the teak forests across the way..the next morning though, the pack would make one of the most exilerating kills you can possibly see as they chased a herd of impala across a huge floodplain known as Puku Flats. We were right behind them all the way and watched the whole scene unfold, a chase that went on for 1.5km before they dispatched the unfortunate antelope!!! #wilddog #pup #Chobe #Botswana #thisischobe #dog #desertanddelta #dds #ClassicEscapes #privateguide #guide #nature #safaris

A snarl of displeasure! I photographed this big m

A snarl of displeasure!

I photographed this big male leopard a couple of days back as he lay up in a tree with his impala kill nearby.
A hyena lurked around and he did not enjoy it coming into the area - he also didn't enjoy the loud sneeze of a guest on a vehicle next to us and this is the moment I captured!

Apparently he is often seen and while is overall very relaxed, he does not like certain people. Apparently one ranger always used to cause him great unhappiness so much so that it was best not viewed by him. We were asking ourselves what would cause such behaviour - perhaps it was his smell or could it be a visual thing (even while seated inside a Landrover)? Either way I have noticed before how these cats definitely show a variety of bahaviour towards different people.

#leopard #pantherapardus #senegalbushmale #malamala #itsallaboutthewildlife #fierce #snarl #bigcats #cats #big5 #Kruger #Mpumalanga #SouthAfrica

Midnight on Langebaan lagoon! With the town illum

Midnight on Langebaan lagoon!

With the town illuminating the background, a flash of torch to light up the boat a little and a 30 second exposure, very little had to be done in post with the vignetting happening naturally. Thanks @jacquesproust for the inspiration 😎

And to top it off I am a Taurus! Can you spot his horns?

#churchhaven #boat #Langebaan #sailing #SouthAfrica #taurus #pleiades #sevensisters #longexposure

Bats!! How cool are these little guys all clumped

Bats!! How cool are these little guys all clumped up and roosting under the roof of an old, disused hut?? It was very hot so they were panting. In the colony were also a few that didn't make it...hanging, fixed in position never to fly again. They are such amazing creatures.
Anyone know which species this is?? #bat #bats #tarangire #AsiliaAfrica #Tanzania #Africa

Pangolin!!! What a treat to catch up with this mos

Pangolin!!! What a treat to catch up with this most elusive of night creatures. And amazing work by the guides to find it. Here I was lucky enough to get a shot of it as it foraged around at night.

With all the bad news of them coming under pressure from poaching it was amazing to be in a location where they can be regarded as fairly common, unlike most of the rest of the range within which you find them.
Here this very relaxed individual allowed us to follow him for close on an hour not at all perturbed by our presence! It was incredible to watch its behaviour in detail and I was over the moon to get this pic of him coming towards me.

A pangolin researcher also joined us and we learnt a lot about this species, the second time I have ever seen one. She told us that they continue to thrive here! What great news!

And here is an interesting pangolin fact that you might not know. When males urinate, they lift their legs just like dogs!

#pangolin #Africa #stopthetrade

What a privilege it was to be back at Mala Mala an

What a privilege it was to be back at Mala Mala and what made it just the best visit was we were guided by my brother!
The sightings were spectacular as the hot, dry conditions meant huge numbers of animals gathered around the remaining water. And with that the predators were in attendance!

We saw many lions, wild dogs, hyenas and even a cheetah all close to the Sand River, which had incidentally just started flowing for the first time in months!

Of the big cats though, it was the leopards that once again stole the show! We were blessed with a few sightings but none will top the time we spent with the Island Female and her 2 cubs.
The first sighting was incredible with the female nursing the 2 cubs on a rock right next to us - it was almost dark though and we were swarmed by some bees desperate for any moisture they could find, which meant dozens landed on us! - the second sighting gave us some great photo opportunities and I couldn't resist cropping in to show how cute this little cub was! Its lucky to see young leopard cubs like this and just amazing how relaxed they are around vehicles!

#leopard #cub #MalaMala #big5 #bush24 #Kruger #Greaterkruger #Kruger #KrugerPark #Mpumalanga #Southzafrica

We saw this beautiful cat in perfect light late ye

We saw this beautiful cat in perfect light late yesterday! I took this shot after a failed hunting attempt on some springbok, as she lay about pondering her next move. What a specimen, she's in great condition!
I cropped the shot about 50% and forgot to even do a basic edit!...still though it shows just how lovely the later afternoon light was!

#cheetah #acinonyx #Tswalu #sunset #bigcat #Kalahari #NothernCape #SouthAfrica

Eventually!! Been trying to get a decent shot of a

Eventually!! Been trying to get a decent shot of a Sitatunga for years and last week I got the opportunity at last!

It took me 2 years to learn how to find and spot these antelope. But still then with most sightings being from the air they always remained out of reach until guide and long time friend Tizzar spotted one in a clearing while guiding us at Camp Okavango.
This is a hotspot for this antelope especially at this time of year and Tizzar took us to one of these openings in among the huge expanses of papyrus.
He calmy said 'There is Sitatunga'. I looked across and just thought it's a Red Lechwe. It was such a big bull that it took me a while to believe we were watching this rare animal out in the open! We even managed to get off the boat and sneak closer before it slunk away into the reeds as if it never existed!

This antelope is thought to be very rare to uncommon in the Okavango and they are notoriously hard to spot with some estimates at only 200 or so for the whole area.

Sometimes though you need to also use anecdotal data though to get a better understanding of the population such as via guides sightings and realize that they are widespread and doing well in many areas across this enormous landscape. Also findings from scenic flights from the local helicopter company have had them record aggregations of upto 12 or more under ideal conditions. Scenic flight totals found close to 25 in one flights.
At this location we eventually recorded 5 individuals here alone, and with this species being able to live at high densities according to a study in Kenya at up to over 50/km2, then you realize that this population in the Okavango os actually quite big!

I would love to do a camera trap study on this population! From what I have seen my bet would be there are well over 1000 in the Okavango but perhaps even as many as 1500-2000 or more. This is also because current methods used to calculate Sitatunga totals have partly relied on aerial surveys and you just cant easily spot them when they are in the thick papyrus!

#Sitatunga #Okavango #Botswana #ClassicEscapes #CampOkavango #desertanddelta #helicopterhorizons #study #research #nikon #500mm

A Palmnut Vulture takes off from the shores of Lak

A Palmnut Vulture takes off from the shores of Lake Tanganyika at sunset. A majestic bird in beautiful light!

It was great to see good numbers of this species which are a lot rarer in the southern parts of this continent!

#palmnutvulture #vulture #LakeTanganyika #Greystoke #Mahale #Tanzania #Tmac #bird #birdsofinstagram #Nomad

A wise old chimp...our closest living relative! W

A wise old chimp...our closest living relative!

What a privilege it was to spend some time with our closest living relatives. Here a chimpanzee sits framed by a branch, looking peacefully across at us.

This is one of a troop of 65 or so great apes that finds their home in the Mahale National Park in western Tanzania. There are estimated to be about 700 in the area while about 2000 apparently exist across the country, many of which are still found outisde protected areas and are under threat from humans.

This park has Lake Tanganyika as its western border and no fences to its east. There is some hope that a wildlife corridor can be maintained towards Katavi making this one of Africa's great wildderness areas. I did however see alarming amounts of recently cleared land for agriculture so the hope is that it can be done with some sort of planning for everyone's benefit.

From Greystoke though, you can access these chimps. They will come into camp if you are lucky but on other occasions you have to do some serious climbing up the mountain to even catch a glimpse of these special beings!

The troop has been the longterm study of a group of Japanese researchers over the past decades and their now largely habituated nature is the main reason we can have such intimate viewing into the lives of these incredible animals.

Observing their behaviour and hearing stories about everything from rape and murder to the caring side of their daily lives reminded me so much of ourselves and the drama that plays out in our communities. It was quite amazing and seriously eye-opening!

A big shout out goes to the guides, trackers and whole team which combined with one of the most perfect locations in Africa makes this location a contender for one of the best experiences across the continent!

#chimp #chimpanzee #Greystoke #Mahale #LakeTanganyika #Tanzania #ape #greatape #primate #rememberinggreatapes #Nomad #NomadTanzania #tmac #safaris #privateguide

A young caracal hisses aggressively in a futile at

A young caracal hisses aggressively in a futile attempt to scare off a big male lion!

The little one is one swipe (or bite) away from certain death but unseen in this shot is possibly the bravest mom in all of Africa... A scene plays out where she puts her body on the line to defend her cub, while the other cub hides out nearby. It went on back and fourth with the feeling that these were the last moments of this little ones life!

BUT amazingly and seemingly against all odds the youngsters survived! I have a full photo series of this incredible interaction, one of the best sightings of my life!

The question remains though...why did the lion decide to spare its life?

Nature always gives us surprises and perhaps the predators of the Ngorongoro interact differently to the 'rules' we have drawn up for what is supposed to happen when a lion meets a smaller cat!

#lion #caracal #interaction #Ngorongoro #travelandbeyond #craterlodge #Tanzania #Tmac #davidandgoliath #kingofthejungle

A curious Red-tailed Monkey feeds off the end of s

A curious Red-tailed Monkey feeds off the end of some palm leaves as a troop of vervet monkeys play below - photographed along the shores of Lake Tanganyika in the Mahale National Park.

#RedtailedMonkey #Greystoke #Mahale #LakeTanganyika #Tanzania #monkey #primate #ape #nomad #Tmac #NomadTanzania

What a beautiful Lion!! 😍 We followed this big

What a beautiful Lion!! 😍

We followed this big male as he walked with intent across a huge open area. There were more lions some distance off but before he got to them something caught his attention. It played out to be one of the most incredible sightings of my life!
The sighting involved a herd of Thompson's Gazelles, 2 Crowned Cranes and 3 Caracals!
I'm just putting all the images together!👌🏼 #lion #Ngorongoro #NgorongoroCrater #Tanzania #Tmac #Andbeyond #kingofthejungle

How's this for a large bill? The magnificent Silv

How's this for a large bill?
The magnificent Silvery-cheeked hornbill photographed in Tanzania's Lake Manyara.
Similar to the Trumpeter Hornbill in appearance it has a larger bill and in this area is very common in the groundwater rainforest areas of the northern part of the park.

#hornbill #silverycheekedhornbill #LakeManyara #Manyara #Tanzania #andbeyond #tmac #birdsofinstagram

Eye to eye with a lioness!! This lioness was very

Eye to eye with a lioness!! This lioness was very interested in us and approached the sunken hide we were in! I snapped a few pics before we slammed the hide flap shut!! A few nervous laughs later and she disappeared out of sight. She had climbed onto the hide! Fortunately she didn't end up sleeping there as it would have been an annoying few hours with us trapped inside! 10 minutes later we were out!! I loved my 2 days at Dinaka! A gem of the Kalahari and a place to watch out for! Big thanks to Kobus and Fran!

#lion #sunkenhide #ethicalphotography #Dinaka #Kalahari #KerandDowney #Botswana

A Coqui Francolin blends in well with his surround

A Coqui Francolin blends in well with his surroundings in the deep Mopani tracts of the Linyanti. His late afternoon call rings out across this endless expanse of wilderness as the sun sets. As the last light filters through an adjacent stand of Kalahari Appleleaf, I snap this shot of a beautiful bird in the softest light. Relying on his camouflage to avoid detection I watch in silence enjoying this moment of being alone in nature!
#coquifrancolin #nature #birdsofinstagram #Linyanti #WildernessSafaris #Botswana

'I said I'm walking down the street with my Nikes

'I said I'm walking down the street with my Nikes on'

We really enjoyed this elephants sense of fashion. Definitely the coolest kid on the block!
#elephant #chobe #Botswana #desertanddelta #Nike #style #fashion

As the dust settles and the temperature drops down

As the dust settles and the temperature drops down to freezing, the first of the Zebra stirs from the river bed to make a nightly journey back to the feeding grounds of the nutrient rich Makgadikgadi grasslands.
Winter temperatures are low and the dry season starts to take its grip as more and more animals come down into the area.

With a few different zebra migrations converging into the area at this time of year, researchers have started to uncover some of the mysteries surrounding these animals by fitting them with tracking devices!
Findings have shown that some zebra undergo an incredibly long journey all the way to the Namibian border putting their annual trek at the longest of all land mammals migrating in Africa.

I shot this photo at sunset with some guests on Safari at Leroo La Tau on the banks of the Boteti. This place is a somewhat hidden gem! I will return to the area at the end of October when daily temperatures will be reaching over 40 degrees and the struggle for water and survival reach epic proportions!
#zebra #sunset #makgadikgadi #Botswana #ClassicEscapes #LerooLaTau #DesertandDelta #dust #backlight #research

My art teacher once told me to redo my work becaus

My art teacher once told me to redo my work because my 'colors were too bright and unnatural'. 25 years later if I could show her this photo she might have not made me restart my little project!
Nature never ceases to amaze - it sure is the biggest blessing to grow up and be able to appreciate the wonders of the world around us.
Here in all its glory the annual wild flowers of a special part of arid South Africa are showing like they haven't shown in years!

#nature #diversity #wildflowers #flowers #Namaqualand #Nieuwoudtville #Papkuilsfontein #NorthernCape #SouthAfrica

Ghosts in the darkness! Just back from the Khwai

Ghosts in the darkness!

Just back from the Khwai and we saw this pride of 11 lions in the road one night while on the way back to Nokanyana. 'Nic why are we driving down this road for the 7th time?!!' ...because the lions will eventually get active😈 It was 7th time lucky and they gave us a real show as they went on to hunt and almost catch an impala in front of us before disappearing into the Moremi.

#lion #ghostinthedarkness #Khwai #Mababe #Nokanyana #Okavango #Botswana

Haven't been able to do this for years!! Finally w

Haven't been able to do this for years!! Finally we are getting good rains in the Cape and the waterfalls are pumping!

Is this the year that the Cape Town drought ends? Sure looking like it!
We found this amazing waterfall which you climb into and watch as a fine sheet of water mesmerized the city view below.

#waterfall #selfie #CapeTown #drone #droneselfie #mavicpro

A big yawn after waking up from a deep sleep! The

A big yawn after waking up from a deep sleep! The Lion's tongue is a formidable tool and if you look closely you can see the fine papillae!

#lion #tongue #roar #yawn #Linyanti #Kingspool #Botswana

Nice to catchup with an old friend! When I first

It's sometimes tough being a young leader, but thi

It's sometimes tough being a young leader, but this little elephant calf embraced the challenge, following and often leading her matriach mom and elder sibling!

This is Thornybush, an area that until recently, was separated from the Kruger National Park. Seeing it being once again incorporated into this huge conservation area has meant that the elephants have returned in huge numbers. Initially being controlled by management and with only a few dozen in the area we are now seeing hundreds of these giants making use of the excellent veld conditions after the good summer rains. We watched this little herd over a few days and on our last day they joined many other herds making for a real spectacle!

#elephant #leader #matriach #calf #herd #Thornybush #RoyalMalewane #RoyalPortfolio #MASafaris #TMAC #Kruger #SouthAfrica

A stormy brunsvigia sunset in the Namaqualand! Ju

A stormy brunsvigia sunset in the Namaqualand!

Just a bit of rain and the drought stricken Namaqualand comes to life. There is no other place on earth with the bulb diversity and perhaps no other place on earth with such a spectacle on right now. We enjoyed this wonder of nature on our own...no other humans around and a brewing storm in the distance.

The road trip was certainly worth it!

#brunsvigia #tumbleweed #amaryllidaceae #sunset #desert #storm #Namaqualand #SouthAfrica #northerncape #nature #flowers #natgeo

Elephant Paradise - the Okavango forms part of a h

Elephant Paradise - the Okavango forms part of a huge wilderness area conserving well over 150 000 of these gentle giants!

#elephant #sunset #Mombo #wilderness #Okavango #KAZA #Botswana

Secret Delta! We found this amazing formation of

Secret Delta!

We found this amazing formation of the natural world! Can you spot our car in this vast expanse? We were parked here and had no idea this marvel of nature was right beside us until I put my drone up to get a view of our surroundings. This place is one of a kind. What a treat to experience it in the wet season, an area notoriously tough to access!

#delta #aerial #drone #mavicpro #dji #Makgadikgadi #Botswana #secretspot #nature #instanature #naturalworld #awesome_earthpix

Sunset (selfie) in the Kalahari! First time to exp

Sunset (selfie) in the Kalahari! First time to explore the beautiful Samedupi pan. Amazing to be the only human here and seeing it after the rains with all the wildlife. Hard to believe in a few months it will be a mere dust bowl!

#sunset #Kalahari #samedupipan #Botswana #landrover #defender #drone #mavicpro

An egret stands alert, textured into the edge of t

An egret stands alert, textured into the edge of the eternal swamplands of the Amazon.

#egret #snowyegret #nuts_about_birds #Amazon #Manaus #texture #Brazil

Hanging out with a giant. If only there was some w

Hanging out with a giant. If only there was some way to listen to all the stories this tree could tell!
A true highlight of the natural world - California Redwood at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.
#redwood #California

Lots of storms have been brewing across northern B

Lots of storms have been brewing across northern Botswana as the hold of the dry season is broken. Isolated thundershowers have brought some intense rain, so much so that I could hardly see the road when driving the one day! For now some areas have had decent rain while others are still almost bone dry.

Here I waited out in the open for an hour to try and get a shot with my favourite tree, the Baobab! Of some 200 attempts this one worked out!

#patience #lightning #storm #Boabab #NxaiPan #Botswana

Been adventuring around in my Landy across parts o

Been adventuring around in my Landy across parts of northern Botswana. Being dwarfed by the gigantic Baines' Baobabs has to go down as an absolute highlight in this little gem of an area called Nxai Pan National Park! #Baobab #landrover #Nxaipan #Botswana

A martial Eagle gives us a death stare as we drive

A martial Eagle gives us a death stare as we drive by, probably thinking we wanted to steal it's fresh warthog kill. This was an incredible period in the Mombo area of the Okavango, a time when we had predator and raptor viewing that was out of this world...will never forget the skies full of birds of prey and cats and dogs around every corner!
#martialeagle #eagle #bird #raptor #natgeo #birdsofinstagram #nature #Okavango #Wildernesssafaris #Botswana #bush24 #Africa

The sepia tones of the dry season! Buffalo and el

The sepia tones of the dry season!

Buffalo and elephant crowd the water sources. With little food on offer, it's a wonder how the big beasts of Africa's savannas manage to sustain themselves at this time of year.

Did you spot the third species? A hippo finds shelter in a pool (can just make it out in the bottom left corner)

#savuti #savutichannel #Linyanti #Botswana #sepia

Have you met the seal whisperer of Hout Bay?? This

Have you met the seal whisperer of Hout Bay??
This guy is crazy but his relationship with these seals is something to behold. Such an amazing sight to witness and so close to this magical city. Our relationship and coexistence with wildlife is key - not only for a functioning, healthy planet but for our enjoyment! #seal #sealwhisperer #citysafari #CapeTown #SouthAfrica

'..scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by a

'..scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight'. Victoria Falls never ceases to amaze one with its beauty. Still today, as described in 1855, these words ring so true!

#victoriafalls #masafaris #Zimbabwe

How cute is this newest member of the Kruger cheet

How cute is this newest member of the Kruger cheetah population?

We had such a special sighting yesterday morning seeing this female with her 3 young cubs. The sighting was sensitive as we didn't want to disturb this little family as young cheetah cubs are so vulnerable but still it was good enough to get some shots of a magical moment!
#cheetah #masafaris #Kruger #oursingita #sharingafrica #SouthAfrica

It was a rare moment being allowed a glimpse into

It was a rare moment being allowed a glimpse into the largely secretive life of an Okavango yellow mongoose as a mom tended to her youngster with such care!

In this part of the world they usually run off very quickly and are almost always on the move. While there is one recognised species across the subregion their colour morphs vary extensively and this is probably largely dependent on their habitat!

Here we came around the corner in the Chitabe concession and noticed a little head peaking out of a hole on the side of the road. We gave the situation some time and got wonderful insight into some behavior that is rarely witnessed. It was amazing to see the caring side of an animal that is a good hunter in its own right and apparently is a species that even causes problems with the sheep farmers in parts of the Karoo as they have been known to attack and bite away at the new born calves.
#mongoose #yellowmongoose #viveridae #Chitabe #Okavango #Botswana

Locking eyes with a legend! It's sad to say good

Locking eyes with a legend!

It's sad to say good bye to the Bicycle Crossing male who died today at the incredible age of more than 15. A great age for a wild male leopard! Thousands of people had the privilege of seeing one of the most relaxed and famous leopards the world has known.
During the prime of his life If he wasn't killing buffalo calves from a herd he was mating with many different females or warding off other big males!
His legacy lives on and probably forever as his genes have no doubt been spread to end of the Sabi Sands and beyond after almost a decade of adulthood!

#leopard #legend #BicycleCrossingMale #MalaMala #itsallaboutthewildlife #Kruger #SouthAfrica

A Malachite Sunbird hops across onto a Protea. The

A Malachite Sunbird hops across onto a Protea. The Western Cape lacks the big game viewing of the savannas but it's secrets are just as charming!
#sunbird #malachite #protea #birdsofinstagram #Fynbos #CapeTown #SouthAfrica

How big is this tusker??...a warthog lives life on

How big is this tusker??...a warthog lives life on the edge as it sneaks past these giants!

This must be one of Africa's greatest living elephants! Not sure if anyone knows this individual but it may be one of the great tuskers of the Kruger known as Masthulele 'the quiet one'. However his left tusk looks a little different to the picture I've compared it too, so hoping to find out any more information.

It is so great to be back in the world famous Kruger National Park...been some amazing sightings and on top of that some exciting things happening in conservation circles here, even amongst the normal doom and gloom!

#elephant #warthog #tusker #giant #Kruger #KrugerNationalPark #SouthAfrica

Not your average cleaning crew! This male impala p

Not your average cleaning crew! This male impala patiently allowed his oxpecker friends deep inside his ears before the tickles got too much...he would then flap them profusely before sprinting off! He then returned to the exact same spot in the middle of the open area, once again allowing for the process to repeat itself!
#impala #oxpecker #cleaningstation #Chitabe #Okavango #macollection #Wildernesssafaris #Botswana

A dazzle of zebra make their way back into the mop

A dazzle of zebra make their way back into the mopani after quenching their thirst. Being largely absent each summer, they usually migrate back into the the area in big numbers from about May, coming in to take advantage of the nutritious grass available. By September, the food has usually mostly all been eaten and most of them return back to the Savuti Marsh and beyond to the Mababe depression.

#zebra #dazzle #Linyanti #Kingspool #Wildernesssafaris #blackandwhite #sepia #Botswana

Giraffe in the Kalahari on a new moon! You don't s

Giraffe in the Kalahari on a new moon! You don't see giraffe too often but when you do they are often in groups or 'journeys' of up to 30 or more! Whether different journeys or the same one, we have had some good giraffe viewing in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. This pic was taken during last year's wild dog pup rescue!

#giraffe #journey #sunset #newmoon #Kalahari #KalahariPlains #CKGR #Botswana

A beautiful lioness of the Chitabe pride keeps a w

A beautiful lioness of the Chitabe pride keeps a watchful eye on her two cubs as the first rays of the morning sunrise catch her eye!

There is an incredible story behind this very succesful pride, which involves an incident of human-wildlife conflict that happened back in the days before the area became a prime game viewing destination - reports are that fishermen stole meat from a zebra kill they had made, killing the silver eye female's mother. The Silver Eye female or Mma Leitho was only a cub back then and survived the horrible human inflicted ordeal..I first saw Mma Leitho at the age of 13 years and the last time I saw her she was strong. With her and her aunt now being the very old age of 16 and 18 years these old females have lived an amazing life in a harsh world that lions face!

If that story is not amazing enough this lioness of the same pride has had two sets of cubs, 3 months apart, while at the same time abandoning her surviving cub that was luckily picked up by the core of the pride! For now she prefers to live a solitary life with her two daughters of 7 months of age, which unlike the last cub, she is looking after very well!

#lion #Chitabe #Okavango #Botswana

A Leopard stands up to get a better view of some z

A Leopard stands up to get a better view of some zebra foals well hidden within the herd!

I am elated to see this behaviour for my first time ever. We had been watching this young male sleeping in the long grass and were about to leave when this average sighting suddenly turned into 2.5 hours of magic!! More from this story to come...but currently on safari in Chitabe and the viewing has been pumping. We have not even been able to go more than a couple of kilometres from camp over the last 2 days as a result.
Got a site visit to Duba Plains tomorrow then back here for more incredible viewing!

#leopard #safari #Chitabe #Wildernesssafaris #Magalena #Okavango #Botswana

A hyena comes to investigate our camp site hoping

A hyena comes to investigate our camp site hoping for scraps!

Camping out at full moon in Khwai was such a treat and a night to remember. With lions roaring from all directions and 6 species of owl calling within in 10 minutes of one other, camping out in the camel thorn forests of this part of Botswana is an incredible experience.
After hearing the roars of lions fairly nearby we quickly set up camp and drove out to follow up. We managed to get a brief glimpse of one and so we headed up to the calcrete road and waited for him to pop out there. At the exact spot we turned off, we found 2 of his brothers walking along. All of them gave a series of roars before meeting up and walking in a westerly direction, almost brushing past our car as we got full frame wide angle shots of these huge cats. It was amazing especially as the full moon provided such a magical feel and the adrenaline pumped as they were so close to our open vehicle.

Getting back to camp and having a late dinner, we were visited by the same or a number of different hyenas. They mostly kept their distance before moving off (much to the displeasure of all the plovers in the area). Here in this shot, taken just after midnight my friend @Chase_wells climbs into his tent (after getting just about the same image) and looks up to see a hyena heading his way. The hyena keeps his pose for most of my 8 second exposure where I also painted in some light with a torch! To top it off the Southern Cross constellation of stars stands out in all its beauty on the top left side of the image while the burning embers of our fire give off their last glow!

#hyena #fire #braai #camping #acacia #SouthernCross #stars #longexposure #bushlife #Khwai #Botswana #Okavango #Africa

Beautiful Okavango sunrise from this morning! The

Beautiful Okavango sunrise from this morning!

The annual flood of the Okavango is reaching its peak in the south western delta at the moment with this area of water (creating the reflection in this shot) having only just come in over the last two weeks. Even though the veld is looking in great condition and still with a lot of water around in the pans, it is exciting to see the flood waters rising in the middle of this normally very arid area!

If you look to the left of the image you can see a truck. That's where we spent the night, in paradise although not with the best of sleeps. My friend has a trucking company and was delivering some supplies and horse feed to one of the camps...so when offered, I couldn't turn down the offer of such an adventure. Camping out was fun and we only had a hippo and an old buffalo to contend with, both of which kindly gave us our space but still provided enough excitement!

#Okavango #Sunrise #Botswana

An elusive caracal sneaks past my vehicle hoping n

An elusive caracal sneaks past my vehicle hoping not to be detected as it slinks along the bushline.
As my car was still on I managed to climb out and onto the side to snap a shot without it noticing. Have tried so many times with this species (as they used to be common here), so I'm happy to get this one in focus!

Photographed at night in the West Coast National Park near Cape Town
#caracal #lynx #wcnp #CapeTown #SouthAfrica

The legendary Kikelezi female leopard takes a brea

The legendary Kikelezi female leopard takes a breather before carrying her kill (a Duiker antelope) up into the safety of a tree as 2 hyenas watch in hope that she me makes a mistake! As usual they were out of luck... #leopard #kill #MalaMala #KrugerPark #SouthAfrica

Today we say our good byes to this beauty, the leg

Today we say our good byes to this beauty, the legendary Kikelezi female leopard that so many of us grew to love! She was an amazing animal that raised many cubs and was an incredible hunter. She made it to the great age of 15 years and 7 months in one of the biggest predator hot spots in Africa before she was taken out by lions sometime yesterday. Many years ago we found her on one occasion when she was badly attacked and still she survived against the odds for almost a decade longer in a place that many don't make it. There is no doubt she is one of the most relaxed and viewed leopards ever - she will be missed but she leaves a legacy behind, many cubs that will ensure this extremely successful royal bloodline of this part of the Sabi Sands never dies!
Keep tabs as I will post a more in depth story with lots of pics and anecdotal records of her life on bush24.com

#leopard #legend #Kikilezifemale #MalaMala #bush24 #SouthAfrica #KrugerPark

Sunset in the Okavango The beauty of dead leadwoo

Sunset in the Okavango
The beauty of dead leadwood trees creates some magical landscapes in one of the most beautiful locations in the world, the Okavango! Looking forward to the approaching dry season!

#sunset #leadwood #deadtrees #deadtreeisland #Moremi #Okavango #Botswana

A leopard cub peaks through the foliage of a rain

A leopard cub peaks through the foliage of a rain tree at Mombo. This little one has now grown up and just had her first cubs!
This is Okavango royalty with her being from the legendary Legadima leopard lineage!!
This is Maru's cub and Maru is the daughter of Legadima. These cats have struggled in the area in recent years due to the high concentration of predators around as well as one big male leopard called Mmolai. Mmolai translates to 'killer' due to his tendency to kill leopard cubs!

#leopard #Mombo #bigcat #Okavango #Botswana

How to be an elephant 101 Mom teaches her little

How to be an elephant 101

Mom teaches her little calf the most important lesson of its life...how to use its trunk!

It was pure joy watching this little one learning - they are not born with the ability to use their trunk and usually flap it around comically as they strengthen their muscles and learn the fine art of how to master this odd appendage. Even when they drink, unlike the adults, they have to bend down on their knees and take water directly in to their mouth. Here though, it was clear that this super intelligent youngster watched how it's mom would pick grass and try to mimic her...unsuccessfully!

#elephant #baby #malamala #krugerpark #lifeslessons #SouthAfrica

A young female three-toed sloth looks out over her

A young female three-toed sloth looks out over her flooded home in the Amazon! This incredible area changes so much from season to season as the water rises by more than 10 metres at this time of year, flooding the forest habitat - this means most species have to move to the high ground or climb all the way up into the tallest trees!

Just out from an epic five day adventure in the heart of the Amazon - viewing was a challenge but sightings were great with the real highlight taking place on the last morning

#sloth #primate #amazon #forest #Brazil

Looking like a river of the finest cup of tea, wat

Looking like a river of the finest cup of tea, water flows down the slopes of Brazil's Atlantic Rain forests across perfect white beaches and into the warm ocean making for a real colour spectacle. Beaches here can also be black from sedimentation but in this instance the water apparently gets its colour from the vegetation it flows through! This is Lopes Mendes, one of the most beautiful and isolated beaches and is situated on the island of Ilha Grande in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state

#river #lopesmendes #beach #palmtrees #gopro #ilhagrande #riodejaneirostate #Brazil

Elated to get this shot of a Red-breasted Toucan o

Elated to get this shot of a Red-breasted Toucan of the Atlantic Rain forests - Ilhabela (island off eastern Brazil)! I have been trying so hard to photograph, let alone see the magnificent bird species of the thick rain forests and finally lugging the 7kgs of camera equipment around has paid off! I knew wildlife viewing would be tricky - add the marauding insect species that just love my gringo blood and take advantage of me every time I pick the camera up - this is no doubt the most challenging photography I have experienced!! It will make going back to Africa's savannas in June seem like a breeze! For now though preparing for a week in the Amazon from Saturday!

#toucan #redbreastedtoucan #AtlanticRainForest #Ilhabela #Brazil #nikon #instanature #instabird

Isn't nature just so spectacular?? Found this beau

Isn't nature just so spectacular?? Found this beautiful flower (banana family) along a waterfall walk on the Brazilian island of Ilhabela. This biome, known as Atlantic forest is under threat but over 80 percent of the island is protected which is great because the species diversity in these parts is just incredible!

#flower #banana #Atlantic #forest #Ilhabela #Brazil

A giant stands tall over the Okavango...but only j

A giant stands tall over the Okavango...but only just!! This is the current status of Baobab trees in northern Botswana...they are just hanging on but many of them have been wiped out in the last 5 years alone. Take the Vumbura concession for example, when I first visited the area in early 2012 there were two Baobabs left, both measuring over the 14-16m circumference in length, trees of hundreds of years old if not over a thousand or more. The one tree was knocked down at the time but the other was still doing ok with relatively minimal elephant damage. We put some logs around it to help to protect it but the relentless 'attacks' by elephants meant it fell over just a couple of years later. There are now no more of these amazing trees left in the area.

This shot is of a Baobab in the south western Okavango in the Abu concession showing the damage from elephants. It's in an area that no one really ever goes to and has more than likely fallen by now. To get to this tree you pass locations with names like double Baobab and Triple Baobab. They are just names these days because in the last 5 years they have also all dissapeared.

In northern Chief's Island I photographed and measured most of the Baobabs and have a fairly good database of the trees there now as well as in other areas. Some Baobabs seem to be left alone but once elephants start stripping their bark away, a tree that took a thousand years to grow can be reduced to a hole in the ground in 2 years.

What is worse is that you don't see very young Baobabs around, no seedlings or even trees up to 50 years. There is a big gap and they are not doing well in these parts.
Should we interfere though and do our best to save them? After all it's in a wild area and we should let nature take its course. Or should we? If you follow the thinking about elephants and their impact and our impact on elephants then you quickly realise that the dissappearance of these trees is largely our fault... #Boabab #tree #conservation #Okavango #Botswana

Two favourites in one shot - an elephant sneaks up

Two favourites in one shot - an elephant sneaks up on a majestic sable antelope before chasing him off!
Photographed in the north western Okavango, where just like the roan antelope of the south western parts of this delta, these sable favour the open flood plains and are quite relaxed!
#elephant #sable #antelope #majestic #Vumbura #Okavango #Wildernesssafaris #Botswana

A water lily of the Okavango!! Found right across

A water lily of the Okavango!! Found right across this huge area it is amazing how something so beautiful can be so abundant ... they are found in large numbers, almost crowding many of the channels and back waters in this magical place!! #waterlilly #flower #Okavango

'Natural Frame' An elephant and a buffalo come to

'Natural Frame'

An elephant and a buffalo come together to provide the perfect natural frame as a hyena makes its way down to a water hole to quench its thirst!
As you can see the animals were literally queuing up to get water resulting in some spectacular interactions. So glad the rains came...the viewing is not as intense with all the water but life is easier, especially for the smaller animals which would wait for hours to get their turn at the waterhole, only to be cjased away by someone bigger everytime they got close!

#hyena #elephant #buffalo #naturalframe #MantshwePan #Savutichannel #Linyanti

How green and stunning is the flooding Okavango???

How green and stunning is the flooding Okavango???
You will not believe this place at the moment! The area has had well over 800mm of rainfall and there is more to come. We have almost reached double our annual rainfall...so much for last year's terrible drought...that is long gone! And still being in early March there is likely still more rain on the way!
I snapped this shot out of a plane on the way back from the Linyanti and it is just incredible how much water there is considering the annual flood from Angola has not yet arrived. If we get a sizeable flood who knows what will happen but even a small flood will be interesting as the high levels and soaked ground means that any water that arrives will just add to the already high levels which are already higher in places than last years flood! This will result in a nice flow through the system adding more water to places like Lake Ngami as well as down the Boteti and filling the pans of the Makgadikgadi. It is so rare to have water like this...even with all the logisitcal challenges we are all thrilled...what a time to see this place! #flood #Okavango #delta #aerial #Botswana

Look who came back again...this Eland is providing

Look who came back again...this Eland is providing us with a lot of entertainment....this time he decided the bird bath water was worth drinking but for an animal that size it was merely a sip...and probably not worth it as he has now lost a lot of friends for tampering with the local watering hole! My dad snapped this pic last week while hiding in the boat house...did the antelope know he was being watched? Wait for the update 😉 #eland #antelope #WCNP #CapeTown #SouthAfrica #bushstories

Two days ago we were on the way back from checking

Two days ago we were on the way back from checking the flood water level of the Savuti Channel...the bush was thick and the light was fading but somehow we still managed to spot this beautiful cat, his face just catching the last rays of light in the long grass. We approached and it wasn't too long before he put on a show, climbimg a tree and posing perfectly for us! Here he curiously looks down from a top a kalahari appleleaf tree. 5 minutes later he moved over to the other side, just out of clear view and started making submissive calls. We realized there was probably another leopard in the area!
We then drove around the tree and spotted the remains of an adult male impala in another appleleaf. We searched some more and caught a quick glimpse of another leopard. We then realized that this was MmaDibuka and her healthy young boy!! The male is only just over a year old but he is so big already. These leopards are Linyanti royalty and I will write some stories about the family tree of these amazing cats sometime! #leopard #cub #Big5 #Savuti #Wildernesssafaris #Linyanti #Botswana

Time lapse of a huge storm rolling in!! Have a loo

Time lapse of a huge storm rolling in!!
Have a look at the most stunning storm that came over the Linyanti yesterday afternoon. This is an offshoot of cyclone Dineo that hit the African continent a few days ago and is still producing some incredible weather and cloud formations! #storm #timelapse #gopro #Dineo #cyclone #KingsPool #Wildernesssafaris #Linyanti #Botswana #Namibia

Have a look at this incredible storm that just cam

Have a look at this incredible storm that just came over camp here on the border of Botswana looking across into Namibia! It almost looks fake!! This seems to be part of an offshoot of cyclone Dineo from looking at the weather over the last few days and I also took a time lapse of it coming in. Will try and share it tomorrow! #storm #cyclone #Dineo #KingsPool #Wildernesssafaris #Linyanti #Botswana

The Savuti Channel is flowing once again!! ..this

The Savuti Channel is flowing once again!! ..this shot was taken from the Bottleneck Bridge area a good 12km downstream from where it enters from the Linyanti Swamp - and look how wide it is! After all the excitement of watching it slowly flow eastwards before eventually coming to a halt last October, the excellent rains so far have caused a sudden huge rise in both the Linyanti Swamp and the channel and this has meant that although it is only February we have already seen a big push that has matched last year's in terms of distance but with the channel being much wider! This is amazing news for an area which had seen such a decrease in water levels in recent years. For what it's worth im betting the flow will reach Savuti Camp at least by later this year (June ;)) but if we get more good rains and a good flood from Angola then perhaps it can even reach the Marsh? #Savuti #Savutichannel #Linyanti #storm #WildernessSafaris #Botswana

Saw this beautiful Martial Eagle yesterday while c

Saw this beautiful Martial Eagle yesterday while conducting a bird count in the Linyanti concession.
The birding had been great with specials such as Bradfield's Hornbill, Arnot's Chat, Fawn-coloured lark, many African Golden Orioles and few others being located in the cathedral mopani...but it was near the end when the real highlight emerged - this magnificent specimen with its catch of a monitor lizzard! It flew off but not before I managed to snap this shot. I cropped it a little to show its beauty; the spots and size being the defining characteristics of one of Africa's most impressive raptors! #martialeagle #eagle #raptor #birdwatching #KingsPool #Linyanti #Wildernesssafaris #Botswana

Incredible scenes here on the border of Botswana a

Incredible scenes here on the border of Botswana as we look north across into Namibia's old Caprivi region with storms brewing and thunder echoing across the flood plains!
The drought stricken countyside has transformed into a tropical wonderland as Woodland Kingfishers and all sorts of other birds call in excitement at the peak of the breeding season. It is incredible to see how the area has transformed from a leafless wasteland into a paradise you seldom see in this part of the world. The worst drought in northern Botswana in some years is over and there is a lot more rain to come!
Incidentally on arrival back in Maun yesterday we had to abort our landing, swerving away from some large storks that settled on the runway at the worst moment possible! We were all nervous but quickly realized excellent work by our pilots meant the situation was well handled! #KingsPool #Linyanti #Botswana #summerstorm #storm #WildernessSafaris

A motion shot of a male impala in rut mode! As the

A motion shot of a male impala in rut mode! As the summer rains fade away and the dry season sets in, many male antelope begin the annual rut. They are in peak condition and as their testosterone levels soar, they engage in fights with other males with usually those that are victorious rounding up females for a quick mating session before quickly finding the next one available. This requires huges amounts of energy and while fights to the death are not common they do happen. The biggest problem though, is they let their guard down and looking at the kill data in a number of areas, there is one common trend...male impalas tend to feature at the top of the list of most predators at this time of year! As we start getting to the time of year where we will approach the rut (April-July in the Southern hemisphere), keep your ears open for the crazy male impala making their snorting sound throughout the day and well into the dark of the night!! #impala #rut #antelope #motion #bush24

A lion cub stalks across its mom towards us...a ga

A lion cub stalks across its mom towards us...a game for now but a skill it is developing for later on in life and one hopefully rather reserved for animals than humans 😉! #lion #cub #bigcat #MalaMala #GreaterKruger #Sabisands #SouthAfrica

A leopard in the golden light taken on drive durin

A leopard in the golden light taken on drive during a lowveld winter's afternoon some years back! This male was an absolute beauty and one of our favourites to photograph - the Son of the Kapen Female named after the core of his mom's teirritory, which was a tributary river that fed the Sand River and onto the Sabi. #leopard #MalaMala #greaterkruger #bigcat #SouthAfrica

Some 2016 highlights! While the year threw a mixed

Some 2016 highlights!
While the year threw a mixed bag of emotions for many people and many that I asked found it a bad one, for much of the wildlife it was far more challenging and with the dry conditions that prevailed the herbivores suffered. With the weakening of some, others gained and it was great so see huge healthy numbers of predators especially in the Linyanti and Chitabe areas. The last year or so will especially be remembered for the many intimate moments with wildlife, like this precious Barred Owlet we rescued. Sunsets were great, storms were even more exciting and close encounters kept the adrenaline pumping! Exciting challenges lie ahead and as we get deeper into the wet season we enjoy the time of plenty for now! We can't loose focus though, as with the ever increasing human population, the wild areas we love so much need our tourism and protection more and more to sustain them! Make sure you get out as much as possible this year! #tbt #conservation #2016 #Chitabe #Linyanti #Botswana

Look who came back!! This big eland bull made an a

Look who came back!! This big eland bull made an appearance and peered over a bush at us, watching to see who was so interested in taking a photo of him!! He held his pose for a good minute before moving on to find more interesting things. Great having this guy in amongst the houses taking advantage of all the food and water available here!! #eland #antelope #instanature #Churchhaven #WCNP #LangebaanLagoon #CapeTown #SouthAfrica

Today it is time to celebrate 5 years in the Okava

Today it is time to celebrate 5 years in the Okavango!! It has been such a privilege to spend so many incredible moments in such a special part of the world. I thought it would be fitting to post this shot from the heart of the Okavango, taken on a dark and gloomy day as the rains came down all around us and we were forced to land on another airstrip.
To be able to celebrate this moment knowing the drought has finally broken also makes it all that much better! Incidentally I get to celebrate this milestone on leave in Cape Town but looking forward to arriving back in a couple of weeks to see one of the world's wonders in all its glory! #XigeraLagoon #flooding #Okavango #Wildernesssafaris #milestone #Botswana

These are some of the cutest little frogs around a

These are some of the cutest little frogs around and their faces have so much attitude! There are a number of species in this genus - a group of frogs we find in Southern Africa - rain frogs! As their name suggests they are more commonly heard and found when rain is imminent or has been falling. Along the usually dry west coast of South Africa this species, the Namaqua Rain Frog (Breviceps namaquensis) often emerge in the evenings when there is a lot of moisture, usually in the form of mist and especially in the Spring months! They often come out onto the roads so if you drive around at night you have to keep an eye out for them. This one we moved out of harms way before taking this shot and it was amazing to see how camouflaged it was once back in its natural habitat! #frog #rainfrog #breviceps #camouflage #wcnp #CapeTown #SouthAfrica

The beautiful Kikelezi female leopard! This pic wa

The beautiful Kikelezi female leopard! This pic was photographed one evening as she repositioned her duiker kill and stood up watching out and staring down at one of the hyenas that came to investigate.
This was taken in 2007 and I am pleased to say that she is still alive and well some 10 years later making her one of the most famous leopards in Africa and one of the most sought after individuals. She has raised many cubs and guests always hope to see her. She is so relaxed and if I am not mistaken must be 16 years old now?
#leopard #bigcat #big5 #malamala #kruger #SouthAfrica #Africa

Lion fight! ...or more of an argument and between

Lion fight! ...or more of an argument and between sisters!!
This shot was taken a few seconds after they caught a baby impala and made light work of it. These are the same lions as from the 'family pic' some days back and it just shows the other side of lion pride behaviour. A minute later these two calmly licked the blood off one another, once again showing the love and affection found between pride members... #lions #fight #malamala #sabisands #krugerpark #SouthAfrica

A female black rhino looks after her little (now e

A female black rhino looks after her little (now earless) calf that was attacked by hyenas!

Sadly, although there was some worry, no one could predict that the Botswana black rhino reintroduction project would be so negatively influenced by hyenas - specifically with regard to their impact on new calves born in the area we introduced them too!
This is now the second time we have had to intervene and amazingly the second time we have been able to save a youngster from certain death. Add a confirmed kill of another black rhino calf and then a couple more suspected deaths and it is clear the huge impact hyenas are having here! The project is going well overall and there is still much hope but hyenas are notorious throughout black rhino range for attacking and killing their calves so put rhinos in one of the highest hyena densities in Africa and this ofcourse will happen.
You might ask why interefere? Well in some ways we should let nature take its course but with black rhinos being so endangered and with investing so much time, money and resources into this reintroduction we need to interefere for now and as a result we have saved 2 calves. It is great to be part of a dedicated team and in this instance a big thumbs up to rhino monitor Pitso for his continued hard work and finding the destressed calf in a pitiful state. Also grest work by colleague Mike for dedication to the cause as well as researchers Kyle and Robynne as well as vet Caron!!
Watch this space for more news and will post a video but happy to report they have been successfully reintroduced from the boma back to their home with the calf is in a much better state! #rhino #rhinorescue #rhinodiaries #blackrhino #conservation #Botswana

Family time for this lion pride...and a good day t

Family time for this lion pride...and a good day to post such a pic! These cats are just amazing...its all love until food is involved! #lions #pride #kruger #krugernationalpark #family #SouthAfrica

Fishtrap on the Savuti! Just before the arrival of

Fishtrap on the Savuti!
Just before the arrival of the rains a month back the little remaining flow of the Savuti Channel slowed down causing it to break up into a series of drying pools. This attracted a huge variety of fish-loving bird species all taking advantage of the glut on offer.
There were hundreds of storks, mostly marabou but also good numbers of woolly-necked and yellow-billed as well as a couple of saddle-billed and every time a stork caught a big fish it would be harassed by one of the fish eagles keeping an eye in proceedings and hoping to pirate an easy meal! I counted 16 Harmerkops, a record for me! A good 30 white pelicans were joined by a handful of pink-backed pelicans, while egrets and herons were represented by great white, little as well as a couple of the local special, the slaty egret and then squacco and grey herons! Add one or two other species and the sighting was an absolute thrill for any wildlife lover let alone an avid bird watcher! #fishtrap #birdwatching #Savutichannel #Linyanti #Botswana

Season's Greetings to all!!...it is time to climb

Season's Greetings to all!!...it is time to climb higher, look forward to the future and see what the new year has in store!
Just want to say a big thanx to all those followers of bush24 especially those who always take time to interact and comment and thus form a place where we can all learn and share important conservation news.
Many people say 2016 was challenging...on a personal note it was for me too but it was arguably my greatest year ever and the lessons learnt will hopefully be able to assist in growing from strength to strength. As we have seen on this page, the wildlife of Africa needs our help more than ever and we cannot loose focus..just this year alone we have seen first hand the destruction of wildlfe through poaching, poisoning, corrupt behaviour, greed and drought and have been able to make a difference in a small way. Please keep checking in as we aim to spread conservation messages exposing the good and bad so that we can all make a difference!
Will mostly be offline until the new year as it is time for a holiday and a relax so that 2017 can be tackled even harder...here is wishing all of you the best for the year ahead! Regards from Nic and those who assist with bush 24 #lion #cub #seasonsgreetings #conservation #bush24 #Botswana #SouthAfrica

How is this for an unexpected visitor? This huge e

How is this for an unexpected visitor? This huge eland came up past our house to find some water and food. Fortunately our neighbours could provide water and it slaked its thirst before giving all the houses a walk by while he calmly searched for food. These are huge antelope and I managed to sneak behind a car to snap this pic before he spotted me...! #eland #Churchhaven #WCNP #CapeTown #SouthAfrica

A starry night shot in the West Coast National Par

A starry night shot in the West Coast National Park last night!
It sure is an exciting time to be in Southern Africa at the moment...the good summer rains across most of the sub region have given much needed reprieve for the wildlife while the wild areas outside Cape Town provide for some interesting viewing and with the late rising but waning moon not showing in the early evening the star viewing has been spectacular! This shot of the Milky Way taken with a long exposure on a particulalry still night! #stars #palmtrees #milkyway #WCNP #CapeTown #SouthAfrica

Where are all the cheetah coming from? This is unb

Where are all the cheetah coming from? This is unbelievable news for the Okavango as in an area that was just about devoid of them for the last many years has suddenly seen the influx of at least 6 in a short space of time.
Here an adult female catches some shade at Matotsi Pan after making a kill earlier in the day. Close to her lie 2 subadult females. These 3 females probably provide the backbone for the future cheetah population of the Mombo area and things are looking good for the coming years as they are all very healthy!
Just 5 years back and with the high water levels of the Okavango the area was dominated by lions and hyenas. Now with the dry conditions, this magical place has seen the cheetah population bounce back. In the 90's guide Peter Allison recorded an incredible 18 different cheetah in one drive! This is how dynamic the Okavango system is and how quickly change happens! #cheetah #Mombo #WildernessSafaris #Okavango #Botswana

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