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Game Warden

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Samburu, Kenya

 

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Shaba, Kenya

 

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Tsavo West, Kenya

 

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Tsavo West, Kenya

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Nice series @@Patty, I especially love the monkey's face. They are so adorable when tiny.

 

You've been all over Africa; I remember your reports on "another" forum - are you planning a return?

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Thanks, graceland! We've primarily been to Kenya plus a couple of times to Tanzania and once to SA & Namibia. Our long distance travels have been on hold for a while due to a combination of geriatric pets and our relocation. We recently completed our house renovation (and are still married!) and just celebrated our first year here but now we've built up extreme wanderlust and are working on a plan to take a full year off and travel (not sure when and where yet).

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post-49296-0-71928100-1427886487_thumb.jpg

 

Photographed in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, on 21 August, 2014 at 12:24 pm, with a Sony RX1 R camera.

 

ISO 100, 1/500 sec., f/5, 35mm, handheld Manual exposure.

 

In an ecology course this would be ‘Female Acinonyx jubatus Nursing Six Cubs’. When I was there I thought to myself, ‘Picnic Lunch in the Shade’.

 

We were entirely alone with this cheetah family, on the lower side of a gently sloping hill with few distinctive landmarks, although gifted Masai trackers were see it differently.

 

No other vehicles. The safari van had my guide, Anthony, a Chinese graduate student and myself. A light breeze was blowing but it was otherwise silent.

 

We'd been driving around in search of a raptor I'd spotted when we came upon this savanna crèche.

 

Anthony shares with me a revulsion at disturbing the domestic life of wildlife, thus maneuvers his van so as to obtain satisfactory photographs with what we hope is minimal disruption.

 

This 35mm image portrays the peaceful setting more effectively than close-ups with a super telephoto lens.

 

There were six cubs, which we counted as they crawled around while repositioning themselves. The cub on the mother's head was a kiss-a-holic, bestowing buss after buss on his mama.

 

Seeing this scene again is such a pleasant memory. Safaris have a way of healing life's bruises. Love how her tail curls around in front of her brood.

 

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michael-ibk

Beautiful picture. Is this Malaika?

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~ Hi, @@michael-ibk!

 

True confession.

Until joining Safaritalk two weeks ago and subsequently reading trip reports, I had never realized that big cats in Africa were often given names.

In my limited safari experience, no names were ever mentioned by anyone.

Thus it was news to me that there was a particular mother cheetah known as ‘Malaika’.

Hence I have no idea, @@michael-ibk.

Other Safaritalk members familiar with Masai Mara wildlife might recognize distinguishing features and thereby make an identification, or not.

The cubs were very young on 21 August, if that helps to pinpoint the mother's identity.

We saw them stumbling and gamboling. Anthony was certain they weren't very old. I have no experience in assessing cheetah cub age.

In any case, many thanks for your very kind comment.

Tom K.

Edited by Tom Kellie
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michael-ibk

You´re welcome, Tom. If it is Malaika I saw her one month later than you in September, she had lost one of her six cubs by then and lost another one afterwards, I think she is now down to four. I haven´t heard of another cheetah with six cubs last year, so I presume it would be her. Seeing her and her offspring was a big highlight of my Kenya trip. She was featured in several trip reports lately (including mine).

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~ Thank you, @@michael-ibk!

 

Consider me better informed, thanks to your explanation.

Masai Mara and environs are so large that I hadn't realized that a cheetah mother with a brood of six was exceptional last Summer. Had I realized that at the time, I would have felt doubly blessed to have seen her.

My meeting with Malaika — if that indeed be her — was as tranquil an encounter as one could desire.

As I wrote in the photo description, we were the sole visitors that afternoon with no other safari vehicles in sight.

It was a domestic scene of memorable calm. The cubs mewing cries were audible on the breeze, albeit faint.

From what you've kindly explained, mine must have been a fairly early sighting. The cubs' eyes were open but their coordination remained uncertain, with plenty of stumbling, not unlike myself.

There are also images taken with a super telephoto lens showing intimate detail of the kiss-a-holic cub and his mama.

You've raised my cheetah consciousness up a notch, @@michael-ibk. Many thanks for that.

I've returned to Kenya for two safaris since then, but neither time was back in Masai Mara.

In four weeks I'll fly back to Nairobi from here in Beijing. If my itinerary happens to include Masai Mara, I'll be more aware that she's out there.

Whenever I fulfil my duty to write a trip report about that safari, I'll be sure to highlight her, thanks to your explanation.

With Appreciation,

Tom K.

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My how they have grown...

 

Malaiika's cubs toying with an impala she took down to teach her cubs the fine art of hunting and retrieving a kill in Feb. 2015

 

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Many more on the trio's trip report; she was definitely a highlight of the safari!

 

 

 

http://safaritalk.net/topic/14099-lions-leopards-and-the-lipault-ladies/

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  • 3 weeks later...

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Comfort Through Connection




Photographed on 2 August, 2011 at 8:36 am in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, with an EOS 5D Mark II camera and an EF 300mm f/4L IS telephoto lens.



ISO 100, 1/1000 sec., f/4, 300mm focal length, handheld Manual exposure.



~ This image was taken on my first safari. Watching this scene unfold enthralled me, as I had no idea that such wonder was a daily reality in parts of Africa.



There were several babies, plus a lioness. The morning light, singing birds, patience of the lion for his offspring, and gently windblown grass all caused me to fall in love with safaris.



A love which remains stronger than ever...




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A leopard cub in SLNP last year in August. The mother supposedly had 2 but we could only see 1 of them.

 

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A leopard cub in SLNP last year in August. The mother supposedly had 2 but we could only see 1 of them.

 

Nw2JeT3.jpg

 

~ @Novelectro:

 

What eyes it has!

Gorgeous!

Thank you for sharing it.

Tom K.

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Thanks, Tom. Always been fascinated with Leopard's eyes. They seem to always be different.

 

I enjoyed your battle scarred lion very much.

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Thanks, Tom. Always been fascinated with Leopard's eyes. They seem to always be different.

 

I enjoyed your battle scarred lion very much.

 

~ @Novelectro:

 

Leopard eyes are so intelligent. They're endlessly thinking, planning, analyzing.

Every time I'm face to face with a wild leopard, I powerfully sense the intelligence behind the eyes.

Thank you so much for the kind comment about the lion photo, which was taken on my first-ever morning game drive, in August, 2011.

Tom K.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Peter Connan

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Nikon D7000 + 500mm f4 1/640th @ f4 and ISO450, post processing done by @@PCNW (I just can't even get close).

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  • 3 weeks later...
Tom Kellie

Nikon D7000 + 500mm f4 1/640th @ f4 and ISO450, post processing done by @@PCNW (I just can't even get close).

 

~ @@Peter Connan

 

The glow surrounding the elephant is a fine effect.

It's as though it were bathed in a faint umbra of charged gold.

Thank you so much for providing the settings so that we might have a better notion of how the image was made.

Tom K.

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Tom Kellie

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On the Go!



Photographed at 10:35 am on 7 February, 2014 in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, using an EOS 1D X camera and an EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II super-telephoto lens.



ISO 100, 1/800 sec., f/2.8, 400mm focal length, handheld Manual Exposure.



*****************************************************************************************************



How I love the energy of baby elephants when they get it into their minds that they want to run!



This little pachyderm was part of a small group in fairly open grassland which we saw near the outset of an all-day game drive.


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Peter Connan

 

Nikon D7000 + 500mm f4 1/640th @ f4 and ISO450, post processing done by @@PCNW (I just can't even get close).

 

~ @@Peter Connan

 

The glow surrounding the elephant is a fine effect.

It's as though it were bathed in a faint umbra of charged gold.

Thank you so much for providing the settings so that we might have a better notion of how the image was made.

Tom K.

 

 

Tom, the surrounding glow unfortunately has much more to do with @@PCNW's editing than with my photography. And how she does it, I have no idea...

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Tom Kellie

Tom, the surrounding glow unfortunately has much more to do with @@PCNW's editing than with my photography. And how she does it, I have no idea...

 

~ @@Peter Connan

 

That's very generous of you to emphasize @@PCNW's digital artistry.

Thank you for telling us that. Her technique is subtle, with nuanced heightening of the luminosity.

It took your fine image to a higher level.

Were I not a Safaritalk member, such refined photography would not be part of my life, as here mobile phone snapshots are inevitably the images of choice.

Convenience rules...quality a needless frill — or so it seems around me.

Your photography, whether of the night sky, animals or of South African birds, inevitably inspires me, showing what's possible, if one quietly puts one's mind to it!

Tom K.

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Tom Kellie

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Panthera leo Trio with Acyranthes sp.



Photographed at 3:28 pm on 7 February, 2014 in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, using an EOS 1D X camera and an EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II super-telephoto lens.


ISO 100, 1/800 sec., f/2.8, 400mm focal length, handheld Manual exposure.


*****************************************************************************************************


After leaving the Mara River we drove for about ten minutes. Anthony turned left saying that there were lions — a sizable pride gathered around an older male.


These young Panthera leo, Lion, walked past the characteristic Acyranthes sp., a type of amaranth adding a mild reddish-purple hue to the scene.

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Vysakh R Nambiar

attachicon.gifEllieBaby1A.jpg

 

Nikon D7000 + 500mm f4 1/640th @ f4 and ISO450, post processing done by @@PCNW (I just can't even get close).

This is very nice.

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  • 1 month later...
Tom Kellie

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Things Are Looking Up



Photographed at 8:47 am on 9 February, 2014 at Lake Nakuru, Kenya, using an EOS 1D X camera and an EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II super-telephoto lens.


ISO 800, 1/1000 sec., f/2.8, 400mm focal length, handheld Manual exposure.


*****************************************************************************************************


Our route around Lake Nakuru National Park took us to the double-fenced west perimeter where a forest provides shade and a habitat for birds and small mammals.


This Vervet Monkey mother with her infant was looking upwards, as if to gauge whether or not to climb higher. The baby's upside down pink face contrasts with the rough tree trunk bark.

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Wash time, Kgalagadi TP

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Rwanda 2012, infant of Kwitonda group. We were lucky to visit in a baby-boomgallery_49445_1309_1989015.jpg

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