The area is home to many ancient large Baobab Trees.
In Namibia, the Savannah Buffalo is found only in the Caprivi region.
One of the 'Big Five', buffalo have a reputation for being extremely dangerous, especially when wounded.
I think that these beauties are Wattled Cranes - this region is a bird watcher's paradise.
Baby Vervet Monkey - there are a few troops in the reserve, also Baboons.
Bateleur - an Eagle.
A Hippo peers from behind a bush - awesome creatures!
A closer-up shot - just got to love those lips ... :)
A road sign warning to beware of Elephants ...
I told you to beware - this display caused me to flash on a previous Hair-raising encounter with an Elephant.
An African Fish Eagle sits on a branch over the river.
Roan Antelope.
Yellow-billed Egret on a burned tree stump.
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I wonder if you consider yourself as fine a photographer as you are. I look forward to your pictures and explanations. I remember the last elephant encounter. It's hard to look at a baby vervet monkey and know they are also captured for pets. I was going to remark on hippo lips, too, but I have gone on and on already.
ReplyDeleteThank you kindly Joanne - mmm I don't think I'm a fine photographer because I couldn't be bothered with F-stops and other technicalities ... I just try to capture images ...
DeleteYes, I must admit I felt a bit heartsore when I saw the free Vervets - I thought about my own Fur People ...
I agree with Joanne--you are an EXCELLENT photographer!! The animals look almost like they were posing for you!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Fran ... hehe yeah, the Jumbos make me nrevous when they pose ...
Deletenrevous? ... hehehe ... what nxet?
DeleteI remember that scary close call you had with those elephants. And seeing all these gorgeous photographs of the large, jumbo, animals and the smaller ones too, of course, makes me so very happy that I came upon your blog a long time ago now. I know some really good blog photographers by now, and you are certainly one of them, but no one else that I know has these kind of animals posing for them.
ReplyDeleteThank you Inger - it's such a thrill to know that my images can affect people all over the world ... it makes me appreciate the life around me more because I'm constantly looking for things to show ...
DeleteI love your close encounters. In each picture, the animals seem to come out for you, to see you. The baobab is majestic.
ReplyDeleteThanks Fazlisa - yes, Baobabs overwhelm one with their presence - I have a Baobab at home but it's a baby compared to the ones in the Reserve ...
DeleteBucket list out - Mahangu on! Thanks for sharing the link to your 'Close encounters of the Jumbo kind' - some rather scary moments there! Our Ellies here in the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park are puppy-tame in comparison. Your photos are natural and capture the moment.
ReplyDeleteJust plain awesome.
Thanks Maggie - yes, the whole Caprivi area is beautiful ... so many stunning trees too - Botswana's on my bucket list ...
Deletegreat shots, you really capture a quality of ...individuality
ReplyDeleteThanks Monica ... glad you like them :)
DeleteBeautiful pics. They always remind me of the few times I've been lucky enough to go on safari of my own.
ReplyDeleteI was on a safari in Nakuru National Park, Kenya, and at the waterfront there were many beautifully coloured flamingos and so many water buffalo too. I think common sense and tourist guides tell people to steer clear of such big, wild animals. Yet I saw tourists on self-guided tours, drive right up to the water, get out and get as close as possible to these animals. My heart was in my mouth (do I have that saying right?) as I watched from afar. Truth be told, I could not look in case anything bad happened. Thankfully nothing did by the time I got out of the area.
About the only animals that go real close are baboons and monkeys who managed to get into the car I was in and steal something. I got it back when they dropped it, lol.
Hehehe Penny ... baboons especially can be very naughty - in Namibia they generally avoid human contact ... I think people are the scariest creatures of all ... :)
DeleteLOL. I've certainly met my share of scary humans. I'm sure the animals in the wild have met even more.
DeleteGreat pictures. In your opinion (since you have been in the bush many times I consider it well informed) would you say the elephant or hippo is more dangerous. I know it would depend if babies are around. I was surprised to learn moose can be very dangerous when I was out in our northwestern states.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bill - I'm reluctant to classify either animal as being more dangerous ... it depends on the circumstances - Hippos often tip over dugout canoes and kill the occupants ...
Delete... then there's other animals like crocs, leopards, rhino etc which are also capable of killing or severely injuring humans ...
Sorry a bit late with this comment. I was laid very low over the weekend with a tummy bug; not fun!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are amazing and I see you have two of my favourite birds. The Bateleur I could watch for hours with its flying skills, and I never tire of listening to a Fish Eagle. That Elephant look like it has been in a fight with two tusks broken. As for the Baobab gosh that brings back some memories, they are such unusual trees. We had a small one in our garden in Joburg which we planted. I wonder if it is still there, if it has grown, or if it has decided it is just too cold. It survived quite a number of years while we were there though. My one regrwt when there is that we never went to Okavanga Swamps. The problem mainly being that the tourist costs were too high for our rand salaries! Have a good week. Diane
Awww ... I hope you've recovered Diane ...
ReplyDeleteThat was my first sighting of a Bataleur - what a striking bird hey. Yes, I never tire of listening to the Fish eagle's call too ... I remember that years ago some-or-other Radio Station used it as their call-sign ... perhaps they still do ...
I hope your Baobab is still alive - it's probably a large specimen by now, but still a baby ...
Hi Graham .. I first saw a Bateleur in Rhodesia at a farm where they protected orphaned or sick birds and animals .. baby elephant, a warthog, amazing place ..
ReplyDeleteLove the fish eagle songs .. and baobabs always amaze me ... while the game reserve looks wonderful .. far enough away from other Okavango or Namibian parks ... I've been lucky I've been to the Okavango three times, and to the Skeleton coast once .. very fortunate I've been ..
Glorious photos - and yes they are very good shots .. love the memories they bring .. and I don't think I've seen hippo lips quite so clearly before ... cheers Hilary
Thanks Hilary - hehehe I don't know why but when I look at the Hippo I imagine a large pair of sunglasses on it ... :)
DeleteGreat post, Graham! I enjoy your exploits all the more having just seen some of these species myself in Kenya. Is the roan antelope related to the eland? Some similarities, I think.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the beautiful work, my friend!
Thanks Jeffrey - I take it you're back Home safely ... you'd love Namibia too ...
Delete... I don't know of any relationship between Eland and Roan but I think the Roan is the second largest antelope after the Eland ...
I just LOVE the hippo shot! What an amazing post. I remember well the signs of elephants in Chobi. When I saw them while we traveled through the area, I wondered if anyone else was doing the trip on a motorbike! I'm off to click your link and read about your encounter with an elephant. Greetings from Jo, Tanzania.
ReplyDeleteGreetings Jo - I often see Bikers and Cyclists in the strangest places ... maybe I've even passed you and Grant on the way ... :)
DeleteLovely post Graham. The lasttime I went through this area we had to go with a military escort in a convoy as there was still fighting going on there and we could hear gunshots in the distance. This is largely such a lovely unspoilt area.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joan - yeah, I remember those days too ...
DeleteI don't know if you saw it but, do you know the name of the Spider in my previous post "... and in other news ..." ?
Those cranes are beautiful aren't they, and what a wonderful pic of the Roan antelope - I've only ever seen them once - at Victoria Falls National Park, about a century ago :)
ReplyDelete