Namibian Safari
Namibia, a country in southwest Africa, is distinguished by the Namib Desert along its Atlantic Ocean coast. The country is home to diverse wildlife, including a significant cheetah population. The capital, Windhoek, and coastal town Swakopmund contain German colonial-era buildings such as Windhoek's Christuskirche, built in 1907. In the north, Etosha National Park’s salt pan draws game including rhinos and giraffes. To the west lies Sossusviei, a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes, located in the southern part of the Namib Desert.
Giraffe checking us out.
Mountain Zebras, different from the Plains Zebra. The Plains Zebra have a thin brown stripe between the black ones. The Mountain Zebra's stripes stop before the belly which is white. Also the Mountain Zebras are slightly larger than the Plains Zebra.
Giraffes Mom and Son !
Plains Zebras at a waterhole.
The Kori Bustard is arguably the largest flying bird native to Africa. It is a member of the bustard family, weighing up to 19 Kg. (40 lbs.)
Ostrich not impressed with this Hyena. Ostriches have a speed up to 70 km/h. (44 mph) The Ostrich put the run on him.
Spotted Hyena, also known as the Laughing Hyena. Adults measure 95–165.8 cm (37–65 in) in body length, and have a shoulder height of 70–91.5 cm (28–36 in). Adult male spotted hyenas weigh 40.5–55.0 kg (89–121 lb), while females weigh 44.5–63.9 kg (98–141 lb)
Plains Zebras have a small brown stripe between the black ones. They do not have a great temperament. Fights break out when crowding at the waterhole.
Mom Cheetah and her three Cubs getting some shade at high noon in Etosha National Park.
'Stars and Stripes'! Evening shot of Giraffes and Plains Zebras meeting at the waterhole.
Giraffe reaching for lunch. Giraffes are found throughout the dry savannah habitats of Namibia, including open grassland, woodland and scrubland and along ephemeral rivers. Their preferred food are Acacia, Combretum, Commiphora, and Terminalia species.
Damara Red-Billed Hornbill. They are generally large, at 42 cm (17 in) long.
Two male Giraffes fighting. They hit each other with their powerful necks. Often this is to the death.
Flighting male Giraffes. They also use their horns which are ossified cartilage.
Cheetah. The Cheetah is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, capable of running at 80 to 128 km/h (50 - 80 mph)
The Springbok is a medium-sized antelope. They are gathered together trying to get some shade.
Plains Zebras at the waterhole.
'Against All Odds' This Black Backed Jackal taking on dozens of Vultures over a carcass of a Springbok.
African Elephants, large and small.
Tough to get a drink for Giraffes. (Also, very vulnerable position)
We were so fortunate to come upon a Leopard in a tree at sunrise. The Golden Hour. Males weigh 37.5 to 52.3 kg (83 to 115 lb) only, and females 24 to 33.5 kg (53 to 74 lb). The heaviest known leopard weighed about 96 kg (212 lb), and was recorded in South West Africa
Leopard yawning in the early morning. Note he is missing his lower incisor. Still formidable.
Pink Flamingos at Walvis Bay in Namibia
The Oryx, a large antelope is Namibia's National Animal. Size: 189 to 240 Kg. (395 to 530 Lbs.)
Spotted Hyena at the waterhole. They are quite large and are some of the most dominant predators and scavengers of our grasslands, with males weighing between 40 and 55 kg (88 and 121lb) and females a bit larger at between 44,5 and 63,9 kg (98 and 141lb).
Black Faced Impala is a medium sized antelope in Namibia. The Black-Faced Impala is threatened in most of Africa. They stand up to 96 cm (36 in) tall at the shoulder, and weigh up to 76 kg (168 lbs)
Territorial fight with Jackals. Quite the set of teeth. They weigh 6–13 kg (13–29 lb) and stands 38–48 cm (15–19 in) at the shoulder.
Black Backed Jackal. I really liked the Jackals ! Feisty for their size.
Wildebeest, a large sized antelope. It is also called a Gnu. The typical weight is 110–180 kg (240–400 lb). Males stand about 111–121 cm (44–48 in) at the shoulder, while the height of the females is 106–116 cm (42–46 in).
Mountain Zebra at sunset.
Early morning shot of a Leopard in a tree.
Fighting male Giraffes They made snoring and hissing sounds. In the end, the smaller giraffe backed off.
Cheetah interrupted from his nap ! Not a happy kitty !
The Yellow Mongoose aka Red Meerkat They say they are safe from snake bites due to the thick fur - also very quick.
Giraffes have high adult survival probability, and an unusually long lifespan compared to other ruminants, up to 38 years
'They Chew All Day' . Giraffes, like cows, are ruminants. Their stomachs have four compartments to digest their food.
The greater kudu is a woodland antelope found throughout Nambia, Africa. Despite occupying such widespread territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas due to declining habitat, deforestation, and poaching.
Mountain Zebra (no small brown stripes between the black ones).
Springbok A slender, long-legged medium sized antelope, the Springbok reaches 71 to 86 cm (28 to 34 in) at the shoulder and weighs between 27 and 42 kg (60 and 93 lb)
Lounging Lions - female Average weight for females is between 100 -140 kg (220 lb). Lifespan 15 years in the wild.
Lounging Lion - Male Sometimes males can weigh up to 250 kg (550 lb) in some regions where they find good preys and environment. Lifespan an average of 12 years.
White Rhino (with his horns intact) (Etosha Park Rangers often cut the horns off to save them from poachers.) Female rhinos average a weight of about 1,500 kilograms, which is equivalent to just over 3,300 pounds. Males, on the other hand, average about 2,150 kilograms, or 4,630 pounds.
Dik-Dik Dik-diks, a small antelope, stand about 30–40 cm (12–15.5 in) at the shoulder, are 50–70 cm (19.5–27.5 in) long, weigh 3–6 kilograms (6.6–13.2 lb) and can live for up to 10 years
Springboks
Bathing Elephants in the waterhole. No room for anyone else.
Mr. Leopard still in his tree. A bit later in the day. Speed: 58 km/h (Running) Lifespan: 12 years – 17 years on average
Close up of a herd of Wildebeest !
Warthog. The common warthog is a medium-sized species, with a head-and-body length ranging from 0.9 to 1.5 metres (2 feet 11 inches to 4 feet 11 inches), and shoulder height from 63.5 to 85 cm (2 ft 1 in to 2 ft 9 1⁄2 in). Females, at 45 to 75 kilograms (99 to 165 pounds), are typically slightly smaller and lighter in weight than males, at 60 to 150 kg (130 to 330 lb).
Sign at the Tropic of Capricorn - with lots of graffiti. The Tropic of Capricorn (or the Southern Tropic) is the circle of latitude that contains the subsolar point at the December (or southern) solstice. It is thus the southernmost latitude where the Sun can be seen directly overhead.
African Elephant The height of an African African Elephant An Elephant is about 2.5 to 4 meters, (8 to 13 feet) tall. The African elephants weighs up to 2,268 to 6,350 kilograms (5,000 to 14,000 pound) The skeleton of an elephant weighs about 16.5 % of its total weight.
Pink Flamingos
Heading all at once for the waterhole. They are running.
Stampeding Elephants. When they finish cavorting at the waterhole, they take off in a great hurry.
One of my favourite places in Namibia - Sossusviei. Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes, located in the southern part of the Namib Desert, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park of Namibia.
Sossusviei Dune 45 -Its fascinating shape and accessibility makes it the most photographed dune in the world. If you look closely, you can see many brave souls climbing this famous dune.
Sossusviei Deadvlei Close to Sossusvlei, Deadvlei is a clay pan characterized by dark, dead camel thorn trees contrasted against the white pan floor. The pan was formed when the Tsauchab River flooded and the abundance of water allowed camel thorn trees to grow. However, the climate changed and the sand dunes encroached on the pan, blocking the river from reaching the area. The trees are estimated to be approximately 900 years old, however they have not decomposed due to the dry climate.
Sossusviei Big Daddy - Big Daddy is the tallest dune in the Sossusvlei area. This magnificent dune is situated between Sossusvlei and Deadvlei and at 325 meters (1,066 feet) it dwarfs the other dunes. Should you want the ultimate bragging rights, take a lot of water and trek to the top of Big Daddy where you can look down onto Deadvlei. At 325 meters, Big Daddy may be the highest dune in the Sossusvlei area, however it is not the highest in the Namib Desert. This honour is given to Dune 7, which has been measured at 388m (1,273 feeet). Dune 7 earned its name by being the 7th dune along the Tsauchab River.
The Suiderkus (1976) shipwreck on Namibia's Skeleton Coast. A relatively modern fishing trawler, the Suiderkus ran aground near Möwe Bay on her maiden voyage despite a highly sophisticated navigational system
Our Safari Vehicle named 'Denis'. There are nine seats, but a maximum of four photographers. Best of all: the top lifted up to give us unrestricted views. Note our luggage in pulled behind in the trailer.
Leaping Leopard !
Fur Seals Cape Cross, just outside of Swakopmund, is home to the largest seal colony in Namibia and — depending on which source you believe — Southern Africa/the Southern Hemisphere/the world. Seal numbers total as much as 200,000 at certain times of year, and there are plenty of ways to get up close and personal with them. Very noisy and very smelly.
Mom Cheetah has just spotted a herd of Springbok. Slowly she crawled to a better position and then she took off. AMAZING. The Springbok had a good lead, but tripped. End of story.
Cheetah on original burst to down a Springbok. A cheetah can accelerate from 0 to 103km/h in 3 seconds and can reach speed of up to 128 km/h (80mph) in short burst.