It’s the week before the week during which no one knows the time of day or the day of the week. The holidays are upon us and things can get a little crazy if you get swept up in the merry madness, but if you escape to the vast, unchanging – yet ever-changing – wild, you can breathe deeply and listen to silence like it’s plain old May, June, or August. We’ve spent the last week delving into some of our favourite photographs capturing the simplicity and the natural beauty of the bush. It is certainly grounding and calming and awe-inpiring to reflect on these moments frozen in time, craftily framed and lit with golden light. Here are a handful of the images we’ve celebrated this week – thanks to the photographers for sharing them with us!
There’s no getting away from that look! Entirely engaging and enchanting, the leopard has captured the heart of every wildlife lover and it is a well known activity to seek out a leopard to photograph or just to gaze at. If there is any animal that a safari goer does not manage to see, we would bet on it being one of these elusive rosetted cats! Fortunately, for people who spend much of their time in the field, like Kevin MacLaughlin, the chances of spotting a leopard are fractionally higher! This moment was one that certainly stands out: the perfect form of this sleek cat in the fork of a tree, backed by a bright summer sky and green surroundings, finishing off the last of an impala feast.
A phenomenal shot by the talented Em Gatland who manages to capture and celebrate her bushveld surroundings with a unique finesse and interpretive eye. This image of a male kudu iconicises its spiralling horns and broad, felt-like ears. The entirety of the animal is stunningly elegant, gentle, and statuesque, but by looking at just a fraction of its form we are enchanted by the details and find ourselves marvelling at a creature that is so often overlooked on safari. Wonderful picture captured in the Greater Kruger’s Maseke Game Reserve.
This is what summer looks like in the vast and wild territory of Botswana. The Kalahari basin – dry and dusty – transforms into this vision in emerald once the sense summer rains have fallen, breaking the intense heat and nourishing the earth. The morphing of seasons happens without us noticing each detail, and somehow from one week to the next, Botawana’s khaki fields explode into thick, green jungles surrounding waterholes and hiding a host of wildlife species. We know it’s hot, but how could you not love this?
Liquid lake or shimmering skies to back up this enigmatic kori bustard? Photography can capture and iconicise each member of the animal kingdom and transform images into something else entirely. A silhouetted moment like this might never be seen the same way again, making this shot by Kevin MacLaughlin worth celebrating.
The dogs that roam wild on the African plains, hunting in packs, and facing facing persecution where they are not welcome. These predators are the second most endangered large carnivores in Africa after the Ethiopian wolf, and the tragic reality is that there are only about 4000 wild individuals left occupying much less space on the continent than they once did. They are very special to see while on safari, and as Botswana is home to a third of the total wild dog population, we’d recommend travelling to the Moremi or Savuti to spot these magnificent animals.
Holidays, is that you? It’s hardly believable that the silly season is upon us and the end of 2018 is in sight! There’s a whole year of moments never to be seen the same way again, and there have been some incredible and significant events to reflect upon. We marvel at nature and its unfathomable beauty and we acknowledge that we are especially fortunate to exist alongside some of Earth’s most impressive wild residents. It’s a time to be alive!
The light catches one of the most feared weapons of the natural world, creating a striking image filled with danger. The Cape buffalo’s reputation preceded it and many a guide will have a story or two about a close encounter with this treacherous animal. Don’t let its docile, herbivorous exterior fool you – the buffalo doesn’t offer second chances.
Caked in mud after a good wallow in a summer rain puddle, this endangered white rhino lay alongside its mate in the cool morning grass before the heat of the December day in the Lowveld crept in. This place used to be a sanctuary for this great, horned mammal, but now every day presents a poaching risk. Thank you to the anti-poaching rangers, responders, and rehabilitators who train to prevent poaching and who drop everything to attend to a disaster. We celebrate rhinos and salute those who fight for their freedom.
Elephants under a brilliant explosion of golden light, spilling from a mass of ominous cloud; this is a scene of harsh winter drought decorated by the colourful promise of rain.
