Below are some stunning shots taken in the African bush in the Nyamakunze area (Southern Africa). These are taken this month, in July at various times of day. They include leopards, giraffes, steenbok, cheetah, hippos and even a guineafowl.
A female giraffe enjoys the sunrise overlooking Winnis’ Clearing while a red-billed oxpecker alights for a morning feed. f2.8, 1/2500, ISO 1000
The beady eye of the Camp Pan male as he begins to feed on the impala kill he had just robbed from the male cheetah. f3.2, 1/800, ISO 1000
Not a brilliant photograph, but it’s still great to get two of the Big 5 in one frame. A male leopard approaches a grazing white rhino. f2.8, 1/500, ISO 3200
The mother cheetah and her cubs had left an impala kill to the vultures and we had to search hard to find them again in the afternoon. f3.2, 1/1250, IS0 640
The male cheetah as he begins accelerating after a fleeing impala herd. He swerved through some bushes and we lost him entirely, following the impalas but with no sign of the spotted cat. f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 800
The mother cheetah and one of her cubs striking similar poses as they digest their impala meal from the morning. The cub is in the foreground, recognisable by its smaller frame and mane on the back of its neck. f3.2, 1/1000, ISO 1000
The Tamboti cubs had a long week; secluded in the Inyathini drainage line, their mother would leave them for long periods while she went on many unsuccesful hunts. Eventually she was able to bring down a young impala and the three leopards fed well for two days. Full bellies meant excess energy, and the cubs were in a playful mood on this morning. Here they see if a Jackalberry sapling can take both their weights. It didn’t! f4, 1/640, ISO 1600
It amazes me how the cubs of leopards and lions don’t do each other more damage in their play-fights. One only has to look at how sharp the extended claws of the cub on the left are to realize that they are already serious weapons! f4, 1/500, ISO 1600
A pair of Steenbok. The smallest antelope on Londolozi, these territorial little animals are often to be seen feeding together, but are notoriously shy, dashing away when they realise they have been seen. f4.5, 1/4000, ISO 640
A young giraffe is nuzzled by its mother while a much darker female looks on. This calf still had its umbilical cord attached, telling us that it was still very young. Giraffes give birth standing up, and the calf can weigh 100kg and be 2m tall at birth! f2.8, 1/1000, ISO 640
A helmeted guineafowl. Ubiquitous around South Africa, the guineafowl is an often overlooked bird but is strikingly handsome. f5, 1/2000, ISO 640
A displaced hippo bull reclines in Lex’s Pan, no doubt grateful for the cloudy weather that helped keep his sensitive skin cool. f4, 1/500, ISO 1600
We were in the deep south looking for male lions when we rounded a corner and bumped into the Makhoitini male leopard, out on patrol and scent-marking after the overnight rains. We were barely with him for 5 minutes before he melted into the grass. f2.8, 1/1600, ISO 160
A lioness from the Sparta tries an unorthodox tactic and approaches a wildebeest and some impala across the short grass of Carcass Clearing. Not expecting anything to happen, we were amazed when she burst into a full charge, kicking up incredible puffs of dust as the herbivores fled for their lives. She didn’t catch anything and soon returned to the pride to spend the day in the shade. f10, 1/500, IS0 320
Despite being full from an unknown meal, the leopard had apparently not missed an opportunity to catch a scrub hare unawares. f3.2, 1/1000, ISO 320
Photographed by James Tyrrell
Rich Laburn is filmmaker, photographer and writer who is based at Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa. Spending his time capturing scenes of the wild and communicating the beauty of the African bushveld, he runs the Londolozi Blog as a way to entertain and engage people wishing to visit these wild lands.
