White lions
Last week, after working sporadically in The Timbavati area of The greater Kruger for about 28 years (since long before the fence with The Kruger National Park came down!) I had my first sighting of the famous white lions of The Timbavati. As you can see from the white lioness asleep alongside a normal coloured male lion, the colour difference is obvious. Although their coat colour suggests that these are albinos, they are in fact leucistic. This is a colour mutation related to albinism but not as extreme and while their...
Dark Safaris
I conducted two special safaris in July. One was to Uganda and the other was a "rite of passage" hiking trip through big-game country with my twin boys. I promise to post more about these wonderful safaris soon, but you may already know that I contracted malaria. The doctors in Cape Town refused to believe me that I had malaria and insisted on proof from a blood test. The blood test for malaria is notoriously inaccurate and my results came back negative, so the doctors would not treat me for...
Back in my element
I have just returned from another extraordinary safari. Whenever I first arrive in the bush after an absence, I experience a wave of tremendous emotion - perhaps a sense of home-coming. We had great sightings of Painted Dogs hunting as well as of Lionesses with playful young cubs but I think that this handsome gentleman won the hearts of many. However it always the elephants that seduce me. Most of the time they leave me feeling very calm. And I love the artwork that they create and leave everywhere. Here is just one...
What a start to a fantastic safari
Every safari is wonderful and each is unique but where else in the world can one be fly -fishing at sunrise and watching lions devouring a buffalo at sunset? That is exactly what we did on the first day of my recent safari with Jacqueline & Grant Day. We were landing ( & releasing) four and five lb trout as the eastern horizon turned red. And when the sun set on the same glorious day we were watching a pride of fourteen lions feeding on a buffalo. When I sort-out video editing, I'll...
Lion Passion
The safari season is upon us again and that makes me shiver with excitement. As an introduction to the season I dug up my favourite photo from last year. Last year while on a safari deep in the central Kalahari we came across a pair of mating lions. When the female is sexually receptive lions will mate every 20 to 40 minutes for several days. They do not hunt or eat during this time and do not move very far. They were close to our camp and as a result we had...