The Cheetah’s territorial display.
I’ve been trying to post to themes on our South Africa trip, but I still have some photos that didn’t fit in. We had the opportunity to get up close and personal with most of the animals we saw throughout our trip.
White Lion at Shambala displays his teeth.
Most of the time photographing wildlife is done at some distance. Depending on the animal and the environment that may be as close as a few feet, but more likely twenty feet would be considered close and 50 to 300 feet not unreasonable. While most of the animals we photographed were free running on game preserves, there were some that were captive and allowed for closer shots. The male White Lion above is at Shambala and is fenced in at the owners property along with two females. They’re fed and cared for, but are certainly not pets. Their human interaction consists of being fed from a distance and being hopeful that one of those tasty looking photographers will fall into the enclosure.
Bull elephant expresses his displeasure at our presence.
Our latest travels took us to South Africa with the intention of getting some wildlife photographs. Although I’m fairly well travelled, this was the first time I’ve been on the African continent and I was looking forward to the trip. Our schedule included time at the private game farms of Ukutula and Shambala, as well as a visit to the Pilanesberg National Park and Game Reserve.
Phil Ryan Photography 