Large carnivores are essential in Africa for ecological, economic, and cultural reasons, but human activities endanger them. Lions, hyenas, and African wild dogs are increasingly relegated to protected regions such as national parks. They must compete for the same food sources within these constrained locations. Of course, competition is nothing new. African wild dogs have […]
Tag: Spotted hyena
Top 25 Birds that Scavenge
Scavenging birds play a vital role in our ecosystems, they clean up carcasses before they have time to rot. Without scavengers, rotting carcasses would become hubs for harmful pathogens. Vultures specialise in eating carrion and are highly efficient at cleaning up a carcass. But many other birds, like crows and eagles, will also scavenge if […]
Leopard with an Impala kill in Maasai Mara
We were captivated by the sight of this Leopard with the Impala kill and we took our time to soak in the experience. When we circled for a different view, we noticed the huge size of the Impala. The immense strength of this Leopard to have hauled this huge Impala up this tall tree was […]
Mammals of Kruger Park
In my last post from South Africa, I will share some photos of mammals and reptiles we encountered in Kruger Park. Even though we did not find any surprising animals, it was exciting to see large numbers of common mammals. After the low densities we had experienced in Hluhluwe, Kruger Park felt like the Real […]
Egyptian Geese in Amoseli National Park
The swamps of Amboseli attract many species of birds to the national park. In fact many of them are full time residents of the park. And one species found in large numbers at the water’s edge feeding on the fresh grass shoots is the Egyptian Goose. This time, we saw a flock of Goslings along […]
South Africa: Rich in National Parks
During my (relatively short, I might add) lifetime I have had the privilege of visiting the majority of South Africa’s national parks and game reserves. What a wealth of natural heritage we possess! When people from abroad look at some of the work in my photographic portfolio, they are amazed at the diversity of wildlife […]
14 Incredible photos of African predators in action
Africa’s iconic predators—lions, leopards, hyenas, and wild dogs—are most known for being cunning, stealthy, and vicious. But these meat-eaters are often misunderstood. The fiercely loyal African wild dog lives in close-knit packs, caring for the babies of the matriarch and patriarch, communicating by touch, and nurturing those who are sick or injured. Vultures rarely attack […]
Hyena Myths Busted: Are They Really Hermaphrodites?
Ugly. Villainous. Thieving. The insults leveled at hyenas are so nasty you’d think they were running for office. These predators, inhabitants of Africa and Asia, have been maligned for centuries as grave robbers, witches’ steeds, and even “were-hyenas,” according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Hyaena Specialist Group. In hopes of clearing up some modern misconceptions, Weird Animal Question of the Week […]