The Gentle Giants of the Bushveld – Greater Kudu

Few animals look quite as impressive against the African landscape as a mature male kudu. With their tall stature and magnificent spiraled horns, kudu bulls are one of the most recognisable antelope in the bushveld.

Those impressive horns can grow to well over a meter in length when measured along the curve, and they continue to develop as the bull matures. The first twist forms while the bull is still young, with older males eventually develop the spectacular spirals we associate with mature kudu bulls.

But despite their size, kudus are surprisingly athletic. When threatened, they can clear obstacles of around 2.5 meters high. Interestingly, they often prefer slipping quietly through thick vegetation rather than jumping unless they need to — which is part of what makes such a large animal so remarkably good at disappearing into the bush.

Seeing a mature bull standing against the mountains, with those enormous spiraled horns silhouetted against the landscape, is always one of those classic African scenes.

Following Their Nose – African Elephants

Watching an elephant lift its trunk into the air might look like a simple gesture, but it is actually gathering an incredible amount of information about its surroundings.

Elephants have an exceptionally well-developed sense of smell, and their trunks allow them to investigate scents carried on the breeze. By raising the trunk and sampling the air, an elephant can detect things such as food, water, other elephants and potential danger from impressive distances.

Their sense of smell plays an important role in almost every part of their lives, from finding resources to communicating and navigating their environment. So, when you see an elephant standing quietly with its trunk held high, it may be learning far more about its surroundings than we realise.

What’s That Face? – The Flehmen Response

A lioness curling back her upper lip and pulling what looks like a dramatic grimace always makes for a fantastic photograph! This behaviour is known as the flehmen response, and although it may look amusing to us, it serves a very important purpose.

Lions use the flehmen response to investigate interesting scents, particularly those left behind by other lions. By drawing scent molecules towards a specialised sensory organ located in the roof of the mouth, they can gather additional chemical information about the animal that left the scent behind.

It can help lions learn more about the individuals moving through their territory and even provide information relating to reproductive status. In the bush, there is often an entire story hidden in a scent that we cannot even detect.

Tiny New Arrivals – Yellow-throated Sandgrouse

It is baby season on the reserve, and even some of our smaller residents are welcoming new additions. Yellow-throated sandgrouse are beautiful ground-dwelling birds that are wonderfully adapted to life in open, dry environments.

One of the most fascinating behaviours associated with sandgrouse is how males can help transport water to their chicks. Specialised belly feathers are able to absorb and hold water after the adult visits a water source. The male can then fly back to the chicks, where they drink the water directly from his feathers.

Their chicks are precocial, meaning they are already remarkably well developed shortly after hatching and able to move around with their parents. Spotting these tiny youngsters amongst the grass is a special reminder that spring is just around the corner.

Golden Hour on the Plains

Sometimes the best moments on safari are the ones you never planned.

We were sitting on a large open plain watching blue wildebeest bulls chase one another around, full of energy and seemingly determined to prove who owned which patch of grass. As the sun began dropping lower, the entire scene changed. The light turned warm and golden, the wildebeest were scattered across the plain, and we realised we had the perfect backdrop for something a little different.

So, naturally, it became time for a photoshoot!

With a tiny flower picked from the grass, wildebeest wandering in the distance and the last orange light of the day behind us, we captured one of those wonderfully simple safari memories.

Wildlife photography does not always have to be about getting the perfect photograph of an animal. Sometimes it is about capturing what it felt like to be there — the light, the landscape, the laughter and the people you shared it with.

And sometimes, a herd of wildebeest makes the perfect background.