Safarichatter.com

Strong feelings bubble up when a conversation turns to poaching, and recently that would involve the poaching of rhino horn. The blatant slaying of rhino’s – be they pregnant cows or single bulls – the desperate will take anything. Southern Africa seems to be gaining a reputation amongst syndicates for the easy pickings, experiencing the [...]

Nothing in the Kalahari goes unnoticed, least of all by its inhabitants. And as the young Camelthorn tree  (Acacia erioloba) begins to make headway, filling out its branches and trunk, all manner of creature decends upon its vicinity, eager to take up a piece of its prized real estate. Out here the Camelthorn tree could [...]

I’m sure this ethical debate will always reveal a new thorn to twist into an old wound. Clearly, this subject will gain greater prominence as more people move towards an environmentally conscious mind. One which considers every facet of nature – it’s well-being and its protection. Both sides of this debate seem equally righteous in [...]

There is something very primal about our relationship to the snake; something from way back in our history when we lived closer to the land. Throughout our history texts have either depicted it as the villianous creature with evil intent, or as the symbol for life, power and spiritual continuity. Today the serpent is used [...]

Believe it or not – there are aliens in Africa. And they are many in number. They have travelled from distant places to settle among us, sometimes living unnoticed under our very eyes. They extract the natural resources in order to increase their number, and push existing residents out. These visitors are here to stay, [...]

The life of a predator can be unforgiving, so it is no wonder that the jackal has had to learn to be one step ahead of the game. Being one of the smaller canidae or dog/wolf predators, the jackal is extremely adaptable.
And it is not uncommon to find him trotting along a fenceline searching for [...]

Is the Zebra skin there to act as a fingerprint for the young or to generate confusion on the open plains when the hunting lioness are sniffed out by herd members?
Camouflage serves both the prey and the predator. And it’s evolution seems to compete against the competition in a duel of out-smarting. The zebra [...]

Not much can compare to a late afternoon thunderstorm in the bush… you can feel the atmosphere changing and this is noticed in the animals too. Life seems to grind to a halt when the clouds move over.
Suddenly the heavens open and the the thunder god arrives in all his might – his spears piercing [...]

Adrenaline action of a high calibre, mixed with a sense of achievement and renewal.
I took this photo during an operation to capture a young desert black rhino for relocation to another reserve in South Africa. Just above the rhino you can see the helicopter. The vet had just darted the rhino and we were deployed [...]

In situations like this you really need to respect the interests of the other group. This photo shows a herd of elephant passing by my vehicle without any irritation; how did I do this?
It has a lot to do with gauging a situation before it happens. I had seen this herd browsing further down, and [...]