Beauties!
Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus
These are the same cheetah brothers as featured in the previous post.
This image was captured in the Masai Mara conservancy, south west Kenya, East Africa.
View this and similar images on my Flickr site — Duncan’s Flickr Page
©2015 Duncan Blackburn
Quick and Deadly!
An earlier post – “Brotherly Love” – contained an image of two cheetah brothers after an unsuccessful hunt of an Impala ram.
These images show one of the brothers in full flight attempting to run down the Impala. The two extremes of his stride show that in the first image the back paws are in front of the front paws; while the second image shows the opposite extreme of the cheetah’s stride when at full speed. All four feet are off the ground and his body is fully extended!
In this particular instance he was quick but not deadly!
Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus
The cheetah is a large feline (family Felidae, subfamily Felinae) inhabiting most of Africa and parts of Iran. It is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx. The cheetah can run faster than any other land animal— as fast as 112 to 120 km/h (70 to 75 mph) in short bursts covering distances up to 500 m (1,600 ft), and has the ability to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in three seconds.
The cheetah is a unique felid, with its closest living relatives being the puma and jaguarundi of the Americas. This cat is notable for modifications in the species’ paws, being one of the few felids with only semi-retractable claws. [Ref: Wikipedia]
This image was captured in the Masai Mara conservancy, south west Kenya, East Africa.
View this and similar images on my Flickr site — Duncan’s Flickr Page
©2015 Duncan Blackburn
Relaxing!
Lion Panthera leo
When you are at the top of the food chain, you can afford to relax in the afternoon sunshine!
This image was captured in the Masai Mara conservancy, south west Kenya, East Africa.
View this and similar images on my Flickr site — Duncan’s Flickr Page
©2015 Duncan Blackburn
Brotherly Love!
Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus
These two brothers are seen taking a “freshening up” break after an unsuccessful hunt of an Impala ram. This behaviour can also be construed as mutual commiseration after the failure and the prospect of sleeping hungry that night.
The cheetah is a large feline (family Felidae, subfamily Felinae) inhabiting most of Africa and parts of Iran. It is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx. The cheetah can run faster than any other land animal— as fast as 112 to 120 km/h (70 to 75 mph) in short bursts covering distances up to 500 m (1,600 ft), and has the ability to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in three seconds.
The cheetah is a unique felid, with its closest living relatives being the puma and jaguarundi of the Americas. This cat is notable for modifications in the species’ paws, being one of the few felids with only semi-retractable claws. [Ref: Wikipedia]
This image was captured in the Masai Mara conservancy, south west Kenya, East Africa.
View this and similar images on my Flickr site — Duncan’s Flickr Page
©2015 Duncan Blackburn
Pride Bosses
Lion Panthera leo
In the previous post I mentioned that the particular lion pride shown there was ruled by two males. These are they!
This image was captured in the Masai Mara conservancy, south west Kenya, East Africa.
View this and similar images on my Flickr site — Duncan’s Flickr Page
©2015 Duncan Blackburn
The Nursery
Lion Panthera leo
The lion, also known as the African lion, is one of the five big cats in the genus Panthera and a member of the family Felidae. The undisputed kings of the wild!
I recently visited the Masai Mara in Kenya, East Africa, with the intention of spending some quiet “out of season” time with the three Big Cats viz. lion, leopard and cheetah. The scene here is some of the female and cub members of a fourteen strong pride. This pride is ruled by two males. We were to encounter this pride on a number of separate occasions in the Mara and were extremely fortunate to witness some hunting activities.
This image was captured in the Masai Mara conservancy, south west Kenya, East Africa.
View this and similar images on my Flickr site — Duncan’s Flickr Page
©2015 Duncan Blackburn
Languishing!
Leopard Panthera pardus
The leopard is a member of the Felidae family with a wide range in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa, West Asia, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia to Siberia. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List because it is declining in large parts of its range due to habitat loss and fragmentation, and hunting for trade and pest control.
On an early morning game drive we encountered this beautiful female leopard enjoying the warmth of the morning sun. She had made herself comfortable on the top of an old termite mound, and was quite unperturbed by the presence of our vehicle or by the the clicking of our camera shutters!
This image was captured in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve, adjacent to the Kruger National Park, South Africa.
View this and similar images on my Flickr site — Duncan’s Flickr Page
Head Scratch!
Lion Panthera leo
The lion is one of the five big cats in the genus Panthera and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger. Wild lions currently exist in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia.
This particularly beautiful lioness was enjoying an afternoon rest in the warm sunshine. This image was captured in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve, adjacent to the Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Rock Fig
Leopard Panthera pardus
The leopard is a member of the Felidae family with a wide range in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa, West Asia, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia to Siberia. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List because it is declining in large parts of its range due to habitat loss and fragmentation, and hunting for trade and pest control.
A recent visit to Rock Fig Lodge on the Timbavati Private Game Reserve, adjacent to the Kruger National Park in South Africa produced some dramatic leopard sitings. This image is of the namesake mother leopard currently parenting a single male cub.
The black-and-white medium just seems appropriate for this dramatic early morning image!
Refreshing!
African Elephant Loxodonta africana
Water is a pre-requisite for life — and no more so than in the heart of Southern Africa! This small group of elephant have come down to the river for a refreshing and life-sustaining drink.
This image was captured on the Chobe River, near the town of Kasane, northern Botswana, Southern Africa.
Duncan's Nature Photography 