Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Wildlife of Zambia-Zimbabwe

Wild African dogs ( Lycaon) have long ears,
They hunt in pack of 10 to 12 with a success rate of 80% vs. 30% for lions
There are probably only 3000 left in Africa
like Hyenas they can eat bones and regurgitate meat to pups
Male Cape Buffalos can kill a lion. They are solitary or....
or in large herds of hundreds
Kudus have decorative horns of more than 1m.
Impalas can jump 3m.high and 11m. in length when frightened
The African Fisheagle carries a catfish to his nest
watched by smaller birds like the Carmine Bea Eater...
and the Lilac Breasted Roller.
The giraffe is vulnerable when drinking
Sable antelopes run away when they see...
...mating zebras
The male waterbuck watches....
the mother Puku nursing and...
moving with her baby to join....
her waiting partner

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Polar Bears of Churchill

In the tundra by the Hudson Bay, near Churchill, Canada
Polar bears wait for the sea to freeze and go hunting seals
we take huge rovers
and ride on uneven terrain
Polar bears are huge and the largest carnivore
they come close to the rovers...
...Offering photo opportunity
very close ....
Young male bleeding from a fight
y
We were lucky to see them fighting...
let us fight
I got you..
watch out!
I am the biggest
Look at me...
How powerful!
they roll on the soil
and roll again
they look like teddy bears.
Females keep the pups far from the male....
who may eat them
When they enter the town, they are anaesthetized


packed in strong net....
and airlifted far away by helicopter

Monday, November 7, 2011

Elephants and Hippos from Zambia, Zimbabwe

Led by a female, they walk for hours to get water
a right handed elephant with shorter right tusk
We saw him again at sunrise raising his trunk
This elephant with leggings...
convinced his young brother to swim across the Zambese river
and they start the 1 km. long crossing
the trunk above the water to breath...
They arrive at suset
not afraid of people, he walks to our tent!
they are very protective of their babies
particularly when they drink
they have long eyebrows
and breasts of human size
and can reach high branches
They share the river with hippos
who try to intimidate us in the boat
..even by a beautiful sunset