Trailcam Safari

I've recently returned from taking a party of guests into 'Big 5' country for an African safari experience as well as some camera-trapping - obviously!
We had a great time. The lodge was wonderful, the game viewing was sublime and our guide knew just when to back away from boisterous elephants. There were plenty of 'aaah sweeeet' moments with baby animals and also a few heart-stopping minutes when a large bull elephant gate-crashed our sundowner drinks. But it is experiences like these that make for a great safari.

Here are a few photos to illustrate what I mean:

......and his Dad:

One of the many elephants that caused some discomfort on the back of the open game-viewing vehicle....

.......and some that didn't:

This cheetah sadly didn't stay for too long......

......but this young Plains Zebra (Equus quagga) did:

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CAMERA-TRAPPING?.. I hear you all ask.

 Sadly, the images weren't quite of the same quality. Nevertheless my camera-traps certainly attracted the interest of a few mammals:

A curious Kudu bull (Tragelaphus strepsiceros).......

....and an African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) giving my camera a sniff:

A Waterbuck cow (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) drinking at the lodge's waterhole....

.... a Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus) that passed by during the early hours........

and a beast that was just too close:

Overall, I think my guests had a wonderful safari that they will never forget. I, too, had  memorable trip - but for other reasons. That will be the subject of another post!

Buffalo Bonanza!

I have to confess a warm feeling towards our African Buffalo (Cyncerus caffer). That's probably because I've never been chased by one. I've tended to see them from the safety of a vehicle or, if on foot, from a sufficiently comfortable distance (with plenty of climeable trees close by). So I enjoyed the last few weeks where I saw them on a few occasions and recorded them on my camera-traps.

The above photo was taken from our car as we drove through the Kruger Park. The late afternoon sun gave us some great photo opportunities - but I was happy just to soak up the peaceful mood. It was hard to believe that these peaceful bovids could be classified as part of Africa's "Big 5" - and believed by many to be the most dangerous mammal in Africa.

The mood was slightly different the following morning when we went for a walk with armed rangers. A  couple of old bulls suddenly crashed through the undergrowth giving us something of an adrenaline moment. But they soon ran off and we were reminded that the African bush is not the place to be too complacent.

I picked up buffalo on a camera-trap a few days later at a water-hole. I'd set the camera low down to hopefully catch some small carnivores and, as luck would have it, recorded mostly legs of herbivores. I just like the feel of this one...

And then a few days later where the bufalo seemed  to be a little possessive about the water resource:

And lastly, just a couple of days ago, where a small herd peacefully wandered past one of my cameras:

So, its been a couple of good weeks for me and buffs - and I still like them.