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Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa/Botswana
Lion (Panthera leo)
Eland (Taurotragus oryx)
Lion are the most majestic animals in the African parks. They are also very photogenic and sought after subjects to photograph by visitors to the African bush. There are many activities and aspects of lion to photograph like hunting, playing, feeding defending, patrolling, young ones etc. etc.

I am doing wildlife photography for 36 years on a serious basis and never witnessed a lion kill through my lens until this time… 
The group of eland gathered at a waterhole just before sunrise resulting in the pinkish light in the image. They were so busy drinking that they did not notice the lioness that approcahed them openly. Only when the fully fed female was already at full speed did they realise the danger but that was too late…one got caught…
It is easy for the lion to kill one of the hundreds of slow eland that came down from the sand dunes to the dry river for water during the very dry summer.. It is therefore not uncommon to see fully fed lion makeing another kill because it is so easy during the dry summer months.
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Jacana Chicken
Actophilornis africanus
Chobe River, Kasane, Botswana, Africa
The jacana is a wader, identifiable by long toes and long claws that enable them to walk on floating vegetation: their preferred habitat. This species is common in sub-Saharan Africa. They feed on insects, etc that they pick from floating vegetation on the surface of the water. What is unusal about the jacana, is their polyandrous mating system, meaning that one female mates with multiple males and the male alone cares for the chicks. If threatened by danger the chicks climb into the father’s feathers under its wings and he will then fly away with them hanging on.

The fact that I was sitting in a flat bottomed  boat, made it easier to move very close to the father and the chicks feeding. This little one fell behind and then turned around while standing on the huge water lily leaf,  and came directly towards my boat.  I could then take this photo at eye level. The image awakened two distinct emotions in me. First of all a bit of fun with the little bird with bended legs as it turned around and secondly a feeling of loneliness created by the vastness and vulnerability of the small bird of about two inches high, on a leaf on the huge, flowing Chobe River feeding on its own.
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Savuti, Chobe National Park, Botswana
Lion (Panthera leo)

Lion are the most majestic animals in the African parks. They are also very photogenic and sought after subjects to photograph by visitors to the African bush. There are many activities and aspects of lion to photograph like hunting, paying, feeding defending, patrolling, young ones etc. etc.
This female interact with her single very small cub and then decided to take a rest. She laid down on her back and looked back at me straight into the camera lens. She filled the frame of my 600 mm lens and I could even see the flies in her eyes..
Savuti, Chobe National Park, Botswana
Elephant (Loxodanto africana)

The sun was setting already when a large herd of elephant arrived at the waterhole where I was waiting for something to happen. The sun was from behind them and I had a long 600 mm telephoto lens on my camera in anticipation of smaller subjects.. There was no time to change lenses as the elephant started playing in the muddy but beautifully backlit water. I focused mainly on their trunks and the art created by them with the backlit muddy water as they splashed and blew…
This one was creating mud drops/balls flying around.
I am very satisfied with the results as these images are very unique.
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About Johan J Botha Photography

I have been an active Wildlife photographer for almost 30 years and am still enjoying every minute of doing so! Most of my wildlife photography is done in Africa, specifically South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Kenya, Zambia and Tanzania but I have photographed also extensively in Alaska, Antarctica, South America, Australia, Europe and the United States.

Contact Information

  • Johan Botha
  • info@johanjbotha.com
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