Collected Moments of Survival

Its no secret that I am an avid admirer of Big Cats. But I have a special place in my heart for the cheetah. Their vulnerable status and their ability to survive against the odds makes them my favourite animal. As such I spend much time "hunting" them down in all the corners of the earth so that I can bring new and exciting artworks to light for your enjoyment. Here's a little information you may not know about the Cheetah. The African cheetah, scientifically known as Acinonyx jubatus, is one of the most revered and iconic predators on the African continent. Known for its incredible speed and striking appearance, the African cheetah possesses a combination of physical attributes that make it a truly unique and magnificent creature. However, despite its revered status, the African cheetah is currently facing the threat of extinction, and numerous conservation efforts are being made to protect this extraordinary species. Endangered Status and CITES Red Lists The African che...

I have now been in the Kalahari for three weeks and sadly I have not done one blog entry, despite the fact that every day there is something new to show.  This has to stop and from now there will be more about my travels each week. I'll just jump in with yesterday but may end up reflecting a little more on days gone by.  Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a very different kind of game viewing experience. Distances are long and the roads are not always the best in the world but each and every day there is something else. Yesterday, despite the fact that I did not see too many animals of the feline persuasion that I could photograph there were many other opportunities. And the oddest one so far, was the black back jackal. We came upon 5 individuals who were looking a little testy with each other. After much looking through binoculars and camera lenses I finally worked out what the reason was for the gathering. There was a bundle of fur lying under a tree. Despite desperately trying...

Kalahari Kreetures I Kalahari Kreetures II Kalahari Kreetures III It is 5.30am and the sun is edging its way onto the Eastern horizon of the Makgadigadi Pans. We do not have far to drive. Just a couple of kilometres from Jack’s Camp is a group of habituated Meerkats, the reason for the trip to Makgadigadi. Finding a Meerkat in the wilds of Africa, or more specifically, Southern Africa is not an easy task when time is limited and expectations are high. Certainly there are Meerkats spread all over the Western climes of Southern Africa but the crucial factor determining a trip dedicated to them is that they should at least sit still long enough to be photographed and not be hightailing it off in the opposite direction at the approach of a vehicle. Each time I explore for a new experience the dilemma of my impact on the intended target has to be considered. Habituation of wild animals is a hot topic with the decision of when exactly is habituation taming and when is it not. It is the dilem...

October in the Kalahari is hot. Not just mildly hot, it is scorching. As such tents and other accommodation without air conditioning are stifling by midday. The only option is to find a spot in some sort of shade, make sure the little bit of air movement can catch you and then sit still. My plan is to wet my kikoi (a wonderful piece of cloth bought in Zimbabwe some years ago), take a bottle of water that I have frozen in my equally wonderful Engel fridge, place the bottle on my lap, throw the wet kikoi over my head and wait for the heat of the midday sun to pass.  Yellow Mongoose and Cape Cobra The Mongoose stays just out of reach of the Cobra Sometimes, through some divine intervention, I manage to nod off and the time passes quickly. Today I am rudely awakened not only by the strident screeching of some starlings but by some urgent words. “If you want some shots you better get up fast”. The kikoi gets thrown to one side and without thinking I grab my camera. And then ...

Being ready should be the watch word for every wildlife photographer out there. Seasoned photographers (such as myself) know that at any moment anything can happen and as such a photographer will sit with camera at the ready, on standby mode while periodically changing the camera settings as the light changes. However, Murphy is always occupying the seat next to yours and you are lulled into complacency. Whenever conditions are such that you know that any self-respecting big cat will be tucked away into the deepest thicket they can find to get away from the searing heat of a Kalahari November day, that lethargic complacency will be at its most prevalent. And then it happens! Three subadult cheetah appear suddenly from nowhere, the light is atrociously bright, the heat waves are making a mockery of the lens stabilisation system and of course no super telephoto lens will have (or need to have) a polariser or ND filter so as to reduce the reflections being thrown at it by the gli...