A few more photos from our last years trip to South Africa.

Maximum temperature in the Charente today 10C, minimum 6C. Rain measured this morning 6mm and still raining. 40mm of rain so far this month.  24km/h South-Westerly wind up to 59 km/h.

African buffalo or Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) with a calf.

A large herd of buffalo heading towards a river.

Greater kudu, male (Tragelaphus strepsiceros).

Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) lying in wait!!

African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) digging for water in a dry river bed.  They have had some rain since we left but the situation was serious while we were there.

Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus).  Just watching the world go by in relaxation mode...

and taking a walk.

South African giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa).

Sable antelope (Hippotragus niger).

Steenbok antelope (Raphicerus campestris) female, the male has horns.

Three generations of elephants playing in a small waterhole.

African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) or Painted dogs.

Burchell's zebra (Equus quagga burchellii).

The African common toad or guttural toad (Sclerophrys gutturalis). Wow, are they noisy, they were just outside our bedroom window!!

See also my

 Bird blog

06/01/2020 Returning to our trip to Africa last October..

Maximum temperature in the Charente today 10C, minimum 1C. Dry so far today, with frost here this morning. 13km/h south-westerly winds with gusts up to 30 km/h.

These animals were top of my 'to see' list. As before, I will not state exactly where animals were seen because of poaching risks. The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) is often nicknamed the Painted Dog. Incredibly, each individual dog has unique markings, which makes it easier for identification. They are sadly another of the world's endangered species.  A number of them have died from disease carried by domestic dogs, brought by their owners into game reserves. Rabies is one of the problems, and many others have died a horrible death as a result of being snared.  

 Wild dogs chasing away a hyena which has got too close to the pack.  The hyenas hang around them, hoping to steal a kill that the dogs may have made.

Here they are gathering ready to go hunting. When a pack member becomes ill, injured or elderly, restricting or even incapacitating their effectiveness as a hunter, the rest of the pack cares for and feeds them. 
 Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) in the background.

African elephant (Loxodonta africana) enjoy a water hole.

Here are others with a sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) and zebra (Equus quagga).

Blue-headed tree agama, (Acanthocercus atricollis). There seem to be several subspecies, not very clearly defined!

Lion (Panthera leo). This was one of three old males that we watched walking near to the road.  You can see how thin this one was. We suspected that the three (all in similar condition) were supporting each other to find food.

Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), also known as the laughing hyena.

Two young hyenas...

If you look closely you can see three cubs here with their mother. Females provide only for their own cubs rather than assist each other, and males display no paternal care at all!

The only proof I have that we saw a leopard ! (Panthera pardus pardus).

See also my

 Bird blog

16/12/2019 More of our trip to Africa and some of the animals we saw.

Maximum temperature in the Charente today 16C, minimum 9C. Dry so far today and last night. 31km/h South-Easterly winds with gusts up to 64 km/h!!

Savanna (or bush) elephant (Loxodonta africana) - a little too close!

As above - romancing...

I love you.

Elephant playing in one of the waterholes.  Due to the drought, most of these watering places are having water pumped into them from tankers.  Recent rains have fallen in South Africa but many places are still very dry

How low can you go......

I loved this series.

Giraffe (Giraffa giraffa).

Blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus),

Leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis).

Ostrich - female (struthio camelus).

Greater kudu male (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)

As above.

Zebra, I suspect this might be a Chapman's zebra (Equus quagga chapmani). Note the stripes to not go right down to the hooves.

Chacma or Cape baboon (Papio ursinus)...

As above.

See also my Bird blog I have many photos of birds and I will put most of them on this blog.

Photos taken while in Africa - because of poaching I am not stating where they were seen, we travelled to many places.

Maximum temperature in the Charente today 14C, minimum 0C. Dry. 13km/h North-Easterly winds with gusts up to 25 km/h!!

Impala, (Aepyceros melampus). An interesting fact about the Impala is that mothers can delay giving birth for a month if the weather conditions are harsh. 

Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) facing the camera and Hartebeest, (Alcelaphus buselaphus), with its back to the camera.

African buffalo or Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer).

Young South African giraffe (Giraffa giraffa).

As above.

White rhinoceros or square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum).  This animal is a hand-reared orphan returned to the wild after its mother was killed by poachers!!  Hopefully, it will have a better life than its mother

The rare occasion of elephant twins. African elephant (Loxodonta), they were only a couple of weeks old...

As above...

As above.

Male lion (Panthera leo). The female was hiding behind a bush. They were both fat and lazy ofter a meal of zebra...

As above.

Yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata), sometimes referred to as the red meerkat.

See also my Bird blog, I have many photos of birds and I will put most of them on this blog.