My World Earth News: safari

Showing posts with label safari. Show all posts

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Photographer captures amazing images of lions after submerging himself in watering hole for three months

Wildlife photographer Greg du Toit was so determined to capture the perfect image of wild lions drinking he sat submerged in their watering hole for three months.

The defiant photographer had endured a year of failed attempts at getting the right picture after building hides and digging trenches near the animals' drinking spot.

In a final desperate effort, the 32-year-old decided to take the plunge and climb into the murky pool with his camera and ended up contracting several tropical diseases.
He began a long-term waiting game where he sat semi-submerged for 270 hours to get the big cats on film.

But as these never-before-seen pictures show, his hard work - three hours per day for seven days a week in the water - was definitely worth the wait.

It came at a huge price for the photographer who was diagnosed with Bilharzia and contracted several parasites which he soaked up through the dirty water in the drinking hole.
Mr du Toit was also diagnosed with deadly malaria twice after contracting it through mosquitoes breeding in the pool.

Green and feeling sick from his ordeal, the South African visited doctors who were shocked at seeing the worst test results they had ever recorded.

'The doctors panicked when they noticed that my red blood platelet count was sky high,' Mr du Toit said.

'The first real symptom was blood in my urine, which is when I went for blood tests. The blood test confirmed that I had Bilharzia.

'It's caused by a type of flatworm which had spent part of its life in water snails and the other part in my liver. It left me weak and in bed for weeks.'

He added: 'The high red blood platelet count signalled that I was carrying a lot of parasites. This included numerous species of internal worm parasites and a particularly nasty external worm parasite known as Hook Worm.

'This worm was actually visible under the skin of my foot and would move at night. It became a game to find the worm in my foot each morning.'

After a long stint sick in bed recovering, Mr du Toit was finally given the all clear following courses of powerful antibiotics, pesticides and by spraying liquid nitrogen on the parasites visible under his skin.
The photographer, who was living in south Kenya's Great Rift Valley, was then able to enjoy the fruits of his labour.

His stunning images captured at the watering hole in the Nguruman Hills in Kenya, three miles from the closest Masai village, give a rare and powerful insight into the lives of lions.

And during his several weeks spent with only his head-and-shoulders above water, Greg also managed to capture several other African species making their visits to the beauty spot for a refreshing drink.

One spectacular picture, taken from Greg's unique 'frog's eye view', shows two lionesses lapping gracefully at the 20 sq metre pool's edge.

Another shows a whole pride of lions joining in the watery action as they cool off only metres from watchful Greg who was just 'one leap away' from the colossal predators.

'There were times when I was shaking with so much with fear I had to stop what I was doing and breathe to get myself calm.

'I had to get the camera steady so I could get the pictures I had waited so long for,' he said.

'The lions knew there was something in the water but we think they only recognise humans when they are upright on legs so they took little notice of me and my camera.'

Mr du Toit also captured zebras, warthogs, baboons and much of Africa's huge variety of birdlife in his stunning images.

He added: 'It was worth it 100 per cent and I would do it all again, worms and all.'

The photographs will feature in the March issue of the BBC Wildlife Magazine.

Determined: Mr du Toit, 32, decided to climb into the pool after several failed attempts to capture lions at the pool. His efforts saw him contract Bilharzia, malaria twice and several parasites - and land a spot in the March edition of BBC Wildlife magazine

Unique: A family of warthogs cool off at the pool in the Nguruman Hills, Kenya, as Mr du Toit looks on

Pride: These lions were only a leap away from Mr du Toit and were aware that there was something in the pool

Determined: Greg du Toit's persistence paid of as he captured this image of two lionesses venturing to the pool in search of a drink of water

Friday, January 29, 2010

Magnificent lion awoken from catnap by his pride and joy's gentle roar

Mane attraction: The enormous lion wakes from his slumber as his cub emits a tiny growl

Nestled under the magnificent mane of his father, the little lion cub gives a growl so gentle it would fail to startle a passing gazelle.

But when he grows up he'll be able to roar just like daddy.

Not that this particular parent looked in the mood for exercising his vocal cords. Or indeed any other part of his mighty frame.

He had been trying to enjoy a catnap when his offspring was disturbed by the approach of a Land Rover carrying tourists on safari in Tanzania.

One of the party, Martina Neumann, took this remarkable photograph. She said: 'It was very funny to look at because the lion was so grumpy and tired that it reminded me of many of my friends when they were new dads having to cope with their children.

I bet he didn't thank us one bit for ruining his brief moment of peace.'

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Tourists left stunned as lioness attacks buffalo - right in the middle of a traffic jam

This stunning series of pictures shows the moment a water buffalo becomes a road-hog.

But the tourists driving through Kruger National Park in South Africa could hardly blame the poor creature, who was more concerned with the tail-gating lioness than other traffic on the road.

The convoy of cars came to a halt to watch - but the passengers then found themselves part of the action as the two beasts lumbered on to the road, oblivious to their gaze.

The dramatic action at the Kruger National Park, in South Africa, was captured on film by tourist Muhammed Patel.

The 24-year-old business owner arrived at the scene just moments after the battle began at 10am that day.

He said: 'It was just like watching a wildlife documentary unfold before your very eyes, except this time we were in it too.

'They were just feet from the cars, but neither of them seemed to notice the people, they were just determined to fight each other.

'I have never seen a lioness so determined to kill this bull even though she was all alone, and the cheeky pride male was just watching from the grass.

'Eyewitness accounts of events earlier that morning indicate their were approximately six female and two male lions at around 7am stalking a herd of buffalo.

'Apparently this buffalo bull had been targeted and isolated and then attacked by the six lionesses, but he managed to overpower them all.

'All six were injured by the raging bull and lions were being flung around for fun.

'Except this girl clearly hadn't taken the hint and was still trying to bring him down, both of them looked exhausted and they were both injured.

'There must have been three separate attacks by the lioness while we were there and the whole thing lasted for seven hours, we just didn't want to leave them.'
The drama unfolded on the Orpen Road which is the main route through the world famous park.

Muhammed, who was holidaying at the park with his family, said: 'We were at the scene til around 5:30pm as we had to head back to camp where we were spending the night.

'We sacrificed our hunger and thirst as we knew this was a great opportunity to witness an attack and would not for one second leave the scene.

'I have seen leopard and cheetah hunting but not a lion, and never anything this close up.

'I felt sorry for the buffalo as it was injured by the morning attack but was excited to see how nature works at its best.

'There were three attacks that occurred while we there, it was like an attack would happen and then they would get tired and it seemed to us mutually agree to have a break before another attack took place.

'There was a male that appeared when the first attack took place but he just sat back and watched while the lioness battled away.

'At the time we left the buffalo had still survived but went down an embankment into a valley covered in long grass and thick bush.

'There were no sightings the next morning, but I'd like to think the bull got away.'