South African Adventure -- Very Long with LOTS of Pics!!
Alright, here we go!
For those that don't know, I recently went on a 17 day trip to South Africa with Brian Barczyk to help in the filming of his new documentary. I've got literally thousands of personal photos from that trip, not to mention dozens of others taken by professional photographers that were with us. All the pictures here are my own, and taken by me (unless I'm the one in the picture, and then my camera was used by someone else in the group). It was really hard to choose out just a few, so I ended up with a lot...but still just a fraction of the ones that are my "favorites".
This collection is a sampling of my favorite photos and memories from the trip, shown in the order that we encountered them. I'll offer a few words to describe the pics, but the really good stories can be found at WildBrian.com, along with information on the upcoming DVD/Blu-Ray if you're interested in knowing more about that. Check it out!!!
So...on to some pictures! Grab your favorite beverage and get comfortable...
Black mamba that stars in one of our stories
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...mamba_star.jpg
A beautiful puff adder
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...puff_adder.jpg
Me hooking the puff adder
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...puff_adder.jpg
A wild baboon taking advantage of a swimming pool
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...aboon_pool.jpg
Wild vervet monkey
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...ld_vervets.jpg
Some elephant love!
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...-elephants.jpg
I really can't get enough of these guys...
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...-elephants.jpg
Friendly little meerkat named Trouble
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...14-meerkat.jpg
Brian doing an interview with elephants in the bush
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...-elephants.jpg
Absolutely devastating scene of a recent rhino poaching
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...7-poaching.jpg
Right after seeing the poached rhino, we encountered the heart-warming sight of this mother and her newborn calf
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...03-28-hope.jpg
A friendly and silly otter named Moses
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...4-07-moses.jpg
Brian with a hyena...this picture is in serious need of a Caption!
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...4-13-hyena.jpg
Me with the hyena...silly thing loves to lick ears!
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...4-16-hyena.jpg
Leopard face
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...27-leopard.jpg
A honey badger named Honey
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...-34-badger.jpg
A cheetah named Ntombi
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...01-cheetah.jpg
Hippo yawn
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...-07-hippos.jpg
Hippo butts
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...-11-hippos.jpg
Young rhinos
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...-12-rhinos.jpg
Oops!
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...05-19-flat.jpg
Brian and Peter Birch being silly with a camera
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...5-20-silly.jpg
I'm honestly not sure how Brian gets into these situations...this is a mongoose
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...7-mongoose.jpg
Rhinos started stalking Brian and our guide, Rich, while they were trying to sneak up on the rhinos
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...-13-rhinos.jpg
Zebras
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...-20-zebras.jpg
Cape Buffalo (believe it or not, these were among the scariest animals we encountered)
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...21-buffalo.jpg
Aaron with cheetah named Floppy (aka Flops)
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...27-cheetah.jpg
Brian with Flops and his brother, Hunter
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...31-cheetah.jpg
Newborn giraffe...still shaky on her legs and her umbilical cord still showing (Mom was close by!)
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...32-cheetah.jpg
Flops and Hunter capture and kill an impala
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...eetah_hunt.jpg
Hunter
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...eetah_hunt.jpg
Brian goes fishing for Nile crocodiles
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...-croc_hunt.jpg
Wild vine snake (aka twig snake) Aaron spotted...these guys are far more dangerous than their cousins that are common in the pet trade
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...vine_snake.jpg
Brian catches a BIG ONE!
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...oc_capture.jpg
Getting him under control
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...oc_capture.jpg
It is really hard to capture and express the raw emotion of that moment...
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...oc_capture.jpg
I was there... :P
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...oc_capture.jpg
Big teeth!! (This is when they were working the ropes and tape off of his head...the most dangerous part of the whole event)
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...oc_capture.jpg
Local life along the Pongola River
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...gola_river.jpg
Nile monitor seen on the Pongola River
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...gola_river.jpg
Tribal dance by the Mathenjwa people
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...10-dancers.jpg
Gorgeous tree called a Fever Tree...along the Usuthu River
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...1-01-ndumo.jpg
The filming team on a cliff overlooking the Usuthu Gorge
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...1-06-ndumo.jpg
Brian looking out over South Africa, with Mozambique just across the river
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...1-08-ndumo.jpg
We followed a trio of young lions as they honed their hunting skills by harassing a herd of Cape buffalo
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...2-03-lions.jpg
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...2-05-lions.jpg
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...2-06-lions.jpg
Tons of antelope (mostly nyala) at a popular watering hole on the Tembe Game Reserve
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...1-antelope.jpg
When the zebra showed up at the watering hole, the antelope scattered and stayed away until the zebra had left
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...2-09-zebra.jpg
But when the "Big Tusker" elephants showed up, the antelope just ignored them except to avoid being stepped on
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...5-elephant.jpg
All told, while we watched, seven enormous male elephants congregated around the water, sometimes pushing and shoving at each other
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...8-elephant.jpg
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...0-elephant.jpg
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...3-elephant.jpg
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...5-elephant.jpg
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...3-elephant.jpg
Last day of filming, we played with a wild African rock python (just a baby!)
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...ock_python.jpg
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...ock_python.jpg
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...ock_python.jpg
Brian stares off into the sunset...
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...-07-sunset.jpg
The back of our 4x4 tells the story...
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...-wildbrian.jpg
Farewell, Africa...I'll be back!!!
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...-24-sunset.jpg
WildBrian.com
Re: South African Adventure -- Very Long with LOTS of Pics!!
That looks like a truly amazing time. :D
Re: South African Adventure -- Very Long with LOTS of Pics!!
Beautiful wildlife and amazing photos! Talk about great memories. I'm a little jealous ;).
Re: South African Adventure -- Very Long with LOTS of Pics!!
Really beautiful pictures. It's sad to see the rhino poaching but until people stop buying the horns, it won't stop.
Thanks for sharing.
Re: South African Adventure -- Very Long with LOTS of Pics!!
Amazing photos Judy! I feel like I just watched a movie.
