Birds Eye View by Noula Bouwer (photograph)

Todays photograph was sent to us by Noula Bouwer as is entiled “Bird’s Eye View”. A great photograph of a giraffe, Noula has submitted a number of really great photographs to our current photography competition. You can see more of her entries at November Photography Competition. Giraffe are non-territorial, social animals that travel in large herds that are not organized in any way. They live in the savannas of Africa, where they roam freely among the tall trees, arid land, dense forests and open plains … Continued

Game Drive photograph by Justin Cohen

South Africa is a wildlife paradise offering umpteen numbers of national parks and game reserves. Although each game reserve offers its own dimension to game viewing, one common factor ties them all together: the regal big five of the South African wild world – Elephant, Leopard, Rhino, Lion and Buffalo. Game Viewing in South Africa is done either in closed vehicles (mostly in the National Parks), in open safari vehicles in the Private Game reserves and both day and night game viewing is available in private reserves … Continued

Vervet Monkey – mother and baby by Trudi Naude

Submitted to our November Photography Competion by Trudi Naude, this photograph of a vervet monkey (Cercopithecus Aethiops) and her baby is entitled “Hold on tight”. Different types of vervets vary in colour, but generally the body is a greenish olive or silvery grey. The face, ears, hands, feet and tip of the tail are black, but an obvious white band on the forehead blends in with the short whiskers … Continued

Eagle in Flight – photographs by Dror Orbach

These two photographs caught my eye when we received them as I think they are quite spectacular. Taken during a holiday to South Africa last year, they were sent to us by Dror Orbach from Israel. Dror has quite the eye for taking great wildlife photographs … Continued

Dwarf Chameleon photograph by Jennifer Peers

This amazing close up of a dwarf chameleon was sent to us by Jennifer Peers as an entry for our November Photography Competition. Jennifer has submitted some of the most beautiful photographs (see previous featured photo here). According to the Wikipedia entry for Cape Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum), it is native to the Western Cape where it is restricted to the region around Cape Town. Continued

Bashful and Beautiful – Waterbuck by Dror Orbach

Todays photograph of a female Waterbuck was sent to us by Dror Orbach from Israel, taken on a visit to South Africa in 2008. The waterbuck is not aquatic nor much at home in water, but it does take refuge there to escape predators. The waterbuck is a large, robust antelope with large, rounded ears and white patches above the eyes, around the nose and mouth and on the throat. Only the males have horns, which are prominently ringed and as long as 40 inches. Continued

Meerkat photo by Jennifer Peers

One of the first entries received for our November Photography Competition is this great shot of a Meerkat (also known as suricate) submitted by Jennifer Peers – thanks so much for sharing this with us Jennifer, its very special! Meerkat adults take it in turns to stand on guard finding a convenient spot where they can watch for predators, such as eagles. If danger is sighted, the “guard” gives a warning bark, and the meerkats flee to the safety of their burrows. While sentries keep watch, other meerkats take care of the young … Continued

Jukani Wildlife – home of the cats

Bengal Tiger

I can’t say I have ever seen lions, cheetahs, leopard, caracal and tigers all ‘in one sitting’, and I have definitely not ever seen Bengal tigers, jaguar, pumas or serval cats, other than in pictures! Well at Jukani Wildlife Park you get to see them all, admittedly with a bit of coaxing from the guide and her meat bucket!

Jukani lies just outside Mossel Bay, with indicating signs off the N2 en route to Cape Town. On entering the Park, having paid an admission fee of R280 for two adults and two children, it is clear that the facility is well maintained and each enclosure appears to be of a suitable size for the creatures it houses. All of Jukani’s animals are wild, though many have been bred in captivity. The park exists to preserve the different species, and in some cases has taken in animals that have been abused and mistreated. Continued

National Parks week – get in for free

It’s official. This week, starting today 14th September, you can get into any (or at least the majority) of the South African National Parks (SANParks) for free. So, if you’re in Cape Town you have the whole of the Table Mountain National Park at your disposal, and, better still, if you’re up in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, the Kruger National Park is yours for free this week … Continued