Lion’s leap, by guide Brendon Cremer. Photographed at Duba Plains, Okavango, Botswana. “We photographed this young sub-adult together with the rest of the pride shortly after we found them finishing off the remains of a lechwe they must have killed during the night. The pride was moving through the network of open plains and the ever increasing water channels that a filling daily as the flood waters arrive in the delta. This afforded us some great photographic opportunities such as this one as the pride jumped one by one over some of the narrower deeper channels.”
Buffalo herd chases lion, by guide Carl Walker. Photographed at Zuka, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. A buffalo herd interrupted a mating pair of lions. The pride male took offense at this and attempted to charge the herd males. They were oblivious to his growling and paw-thumping and chased him off.
Knee-deep, by Dana Allen. If you are a Red Lechwe (Kobus leche) the flood waters of the Okavango are your friend. Not only do these antelope thrive on aquatic plant species but the knee-deep marshy water provides them with excellent protection from predators who are unable to match their speed and agility in this aquatic environment.
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Re: Top 25 Wilderness Photos of the week
**Inquisitive chimp, by Andy Biggs. Photographed in the Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania.
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**A new generation, by Brendon Cremer. “A new generation of African jacana feed along a water lilly bank on the Chobe River, Botswana.”
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**The Chase by Frederick van Heerden. Photographed at Etosha National Park, Namibia. “On a freezing cold morning in Etosha we found a pride of lions at a waterhole. A herd of 500 zebra arrived. The lead zebras suddenly came to a dead halt, and uttered a warning snort. The whole herd froze… they did not look left or right, just straight at the lions, not daring to move. Three of the lionesses got up, had a drink of water and lay down again on the opposite side to the zebra and pretended not to be interested in the masses. With a desperate thirst for the refreshing early morning water, the zebras finally started edging forward with extreme caution. Suddenly a heavily pregnant springbok ewe walked past the lions (maybe three meters from them, if even that far)….”
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**The Chase 2, by Frederick van Heerden. Photographed at Etosha National Park, Namibia. “This was simply too tempting for the three big cats, and within seconds they jumped up at an incredible pace to set off behind the little ewe, chasing her into the dam. I have never seen any living creature accelerate so fast from standstill to full speed as that springbok ewe. I could hear my own heartbeat from all the adrenalin flowing (…flying) through my veins as I witnessed this incredible spectacle.”
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The Chase 3, by Frederick van Heerden. Photographed at Etosha National Park, Namibia. “I was confident the ewe had now lived her final day, but to my amazement she was gaining distance between herself and the lions. Through the water, she made an exit on the other side of the dam where the zebras were standing. She switched direction and ran straight towards the motionless crowd. The chasing lions were now heading straight for the herd! Like an erupting volcano they all jumped around and started galloping away from the danger. Hundreds of them…stripes everywhere… this was excitement at its best!”
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Re: Top 25 Wilderness Photos of the week
**Elephant tussle, by Craig Young, photographed in the Kruger National Park, South Africa.
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**Giraffe herd, by guide Andy Biggs. Photographed in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.
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The art of camoflague, by guide James Suter. “These animals have the uncanny ability of disappearing right before your eyes.” Photographed at Singita, Kruger Park, South Africa.
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**Wildebeest battle for dominance, by guide James Haskins. Photographed at Nxai Pan, Botswana. “Rutting males will protect territory and females from intruders. They will not typically engage in ritualized challenges when with the females, instead resorting to a run and head-butt.”
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**The feast, by Grayson Dicks
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**Fever tree lioness, by guide James Kydd. “This lioness climbed the fallen tree to look for some of her pride that were missing. The incredible luminous fever tree forests of Lake Nakuru provide an ethereal backdrop for the wildlife in this part of Kenya.”
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Relaxed aardvark by guide Marco Tonoli. Photographed at Tswalu, Kalahari, South Africa. “Not only does the Aardvark facilitate the supplementary feeding of other species during the harsh winter months, but old excavated mounds may also be utilized by various species as hideouts. Termite mounds that have been opened by aardvark provide a safe refuge for many species, especially if the mound has been cleaned out by an aardvark and no longer houses termites. With harsh winter nights and scorching summer days, an underground refuge is vital to the survival of many desert species. Nesting within the mounds provides a safe microclimate, especially for the small shrews that are sensitive to temperature changes.
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**Cheetah hunting, by Pia Derickx. Photographed in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
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**Meal time chaos, by guide Lee Whittam. Photographed in the Lamai Wedge, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania. “This was part of a group of 30 plus hyenas devouring a half-submerged topi.”
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Ambush, by guide Lee Whittam. Photographed in the Sabi Sands, Kruger Park, South Africa. “This young male was ambushing his brother early one morning and put on a great show for us as we followed him.”
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**Golden Tsessebe, by guide Brendon Cremer. Photographed at Duba Plains, Okavango, Botswana. “A Tsessebe stands alert in a low lying mist as the sun slowly rises and gently starts to warm the vast plains of the Duba Island and the moody mist slowly burns away.”
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**White lions of the Timbavati, by guide Chad Cocking. Photographed at Motswari, Kruger Park, South Africa. Seeing these white lions in the wild was a childhood dream come true, but sitting at a waterhole one afternoon waiting for them to come and drink, and then having them line-up so perfectly was more than I could ever have wished for!
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Moth wing, by Grayson Dicks. Photographed in the Kruger Park, South Africa. There is evidence that eyespots in moths and butterflies are an anti-predator adaptation, either to startle or scare off predators, or to deflect attacks away from vital body parts. Eyespots may also play a role in sexual selection.
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**Young buffalo grazing at sunset, by guide Calvin Kotze. Photographed at Ulusaba, Sabi Sands, South Africa.
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**Lion on a zebra kill, by Alistair Swartz. Even an adult male lion must be vigilant while feeding: meal-time is also the perfect place for one’s enemies to lay an ambush. Photographed in the Kruger Park, South Africa.
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**Blue-eyed elephant, by guide Richard de Gouveia. Photographed at Sabi Sabi , Kruger Park, South Africa. There are few records of blue-eyed elephants. This seems to be an effect of partial albinism, where some residual pigmentation has remained.
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**Leopard and winter dawn, by guide Jason Glanville. “Perched on a termite mount this young female leopard was scouting for prey at day-break.”
source: **Top 25 Photographs from the Wilderness #12 – News Watch
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