Week in Pictures: Moments of Mad Beauty

This week in pictures we’ve been astounded by the breathtaking landscapes serving as backdrops to our hungry predators and innocent herbivores. There are moments of mad beauty and strange angles caught on camera by photographers Jochen, Em, Kevin and Chloe. This week in pictures certainly celebrates the exquisite natural beauty of the landscapes, surpassed only by the enchanting beauty of our wildlife. When both wildlife and landscape share a cohesive beauty, the results are dramatic. Eerie silhouettes, statuesque cats and bold moments present themselves in their entirety in these week’s collection of photos. Have a great weekend. We hope you hungrily devour and digest this wealth of camera action!

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp

What a tumultuous and eventful week its been for these camps. Watching 8 endangered wild dog pups merrily enjoying their clan life out in the open woodlands has certainly kept everyone enthralled. Unfortunately, nature dealt a cruel hand when a ruthless eagle swooped down and killed one of the pups! Nature can be tough.

In other news, Ross Dam the graceful leopardess and her male cub were spotted on a kill! There have been plenty of leopard sightings of late, which proves again that the Klaserie is a big cat heaven. In sticking with the cat theme, the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses were seen licking their emotional wounds after a showdown with the bolshy Mapoza male lions. The Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses are a dominant and formidable force on the Klaserie turf, but they were certainly knocked down a few notches when the Mapoza’s fought with them and stole their kill.

With all the carnivore action of late and the timeous delivery of photos and videos of each event; we thought we’d showcase the other happenings in the Klaserie. These are the sightings that happen simultaneously while the big showdowns are happening in the foreground. All sightings need to be celebrated, so here are our favourite photos from the week.

Elephant Takes a Nap Giraffe Calf Hyena Laughing Lilac Breasted Roller Elephant Burying Head Giraffe in Sunset Giant Eagle Owl Waterbuck in Evening Light

Ezulwini River Lodge and Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge

An unknown leopardess was spotted in the reserve a couple of days ago. When young leopards begin to wander in search of potential den sites and new territories, rangers will often see unknown leopards on their traverse.  Areas with a high density of prey are always a drawcard for big cat predators!

A ageing bull visited the confines of River Lodge and happily feasted on the abundance of vegetation surrounding camp. Young guests in camp experienced the viewing of a lifetime and eagerly watched the elephant drink from they crystal clear pool water.

An absolute highlight for Ezulwini has been the setting up of hidden camera traps in the Balule. The cameras are located in a high traffic wildlife area and the footage has been insightful and amusing. Hippo have investigated, elephant herds have bashed the trails cam and lions have simply sauntered past in the dead of night!

As per usual, the Balule is alive with wildlife activity at the moment.

Ezulwini Giraffe Sunset Unknown Leopardess Ezulwini Ezulwini Vulture in Tree Zebra in Balule

Botswana Safaris and Camps

Xobega Island Camp have spotted crocodile, hippo and a plethora of birdlife. This is pretty much the standard with Xobega. There’s a resident crocodile that hovers in the water close to camp and the pods of hippo cruise through the wide waterways surrounding the island.

John Chase Safaris sets up camp in remote areas, offering guests a world of wildlife wonder. Elephants and plains game are always in abundance in these areas.

John Chase Safaris Elephant Ground Squirrel John Chase Safaris John Chase Safaris Sunset Blacksmith Lapwings in Flight Okavango Delta Sunset Moremi Zebra