Photos - Mala Mala/ Rattrays Jan 2006
 

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-ne07ux

If you don't have a kodak username or password, go to www.bugmenot.com

Wonderful pictures!

My faves:

The phenomenal leopard photos.

Rhinos on the road.

Bushbuck outside your tent.

I have mixed feelings about the lions/buffalo encounter. The photos captured that experience and made it seem very much like being there.

Thanks for sharing!

Matt,

Thanks for sharing this very nice collection!

My favourites:

- first lion shot;
- giant kingfisher;
- mom gets upset with her cub.

After seeing your pictures, I'll have good vibes about Mala Mala.

But I'll be happy with what I can see anyway.

Greetings,

Johan

No credit due to me, they are my wife's work.

Leely I am working on getting some video on line, that will really bring home the reality of Lion killing Buffalo.

Thanks, great photos. Your lion/buffalo sequence is incredible. I have been on five safaris with hundreds of hours of game drives, and I haven't seen an actual kill. Very lucky!

Michael

Really nice pictures.

What kind of camera and lens did you use to shoot them? Any filters?

Thanks for sharing.

Michael

Thanks, Elke worked on them in Elements a little, but she doesn't have time to shoot in RAW and then start playing about. That sighting was really a great ad for the video camera, while the still camera struggled to find enough light. my video is exceptional.

Camera is a Canon Digital Rebel. Lens is Canon 100-400 IS. I'm not sure any filter was used.

Thanks for sharing those - you had some GREAT sightings!

Kavey

Elke even resized them in Kodak so they'd open quicker for you.

Such is your impact.

Wow, what a great after dinner treat for me!! Super photos. My favorites include the giant kingfisher, red-billed oxpecker on buffalo, giraffe in a line, buffalo wallowing, first of the lion/buffalo nite series (the eyes really got to me), the rhino in the road and of course the kudu. And, the interaction between mom and young leopard was great! Thanks for sharing.
Dick

You got to see some wonderful stuff! Tell your wife I enjoyed her photos. Love the lion/buff sequence and the line of giraffes. And of course, the leopards!

What's up with the lions with mohawks? I've never seen manes quite like that. Is it the age they are?

Thanks for sharing these!

Hi Matt,

Please congratulate your wife on some truly brilliant photos! I particularly liked the shots of the cub and mum greeting. The lion-buffalo encounter was intense - I've never seen a buffalo kill, only smaller antelope where it was over much more quickly.

Rattray's certainly looks like a great place to stay -- much nicer than Main Camp (which looks like it could use a bit of an upgrade), though personally I find the architecture a bit too hotel-like for my taste...

Cheers,
Julian

Hi Matt,

Let Elke know she has some great photos! I have many favourite animals -

Campbell Koppies Female with her two female cubs,

giraffe crossing the Sand River in single file,

Eyrefield Males, there are such an impressive group, if only some of their manes would catch up to their size,

White Cloth Female, one of my absolute favourites.

I also saw those 2 nomadic male subadults, wonder if they might knock out the Split Rock Males, the younger of which looks dreadful even after a good feed. The Sand River looks to have a lot more water in it than just over a month ago, so I guess the catchment area must have had a fair bit of rain. I have read on the Lion Sands animal diary that they finally put down the 3rd lion of the Roller Coaster Males, the one with one eye. I knew the Kruger vets had caught him as they did that when I was there, but after various tests they did decide his time was up! Thrilled to see the beautiful White Cloth Female - any talk of her being pregnant!

Thanks again to Elke for the photos.

Kind regards,
Kaye

Tee hee, let Elke know it's much appreciated and each image came up nice and quickly!

:D

Thanks for sharing! Love those leopards! What a treat.

Matt,
Thank you and your talented wife for allowing us to enjoy your photos. How lucky you are to have taken in such awesome sights - your kill shots are pretty spectacular.
Sherry

You saw it all. I really like the nicely grouped impala and waterbuck. Didn't know that zebras were a rarity at Mala Mala. The hyenas in the water made a great shot. What an experience to see and photograph the buffalo kill. And other great lion shots as well. Good leopard shots are apparently standard at Mala Mala, but you had a pair!

Thoroughly enjoyed viewing your photo album. How wonderful to have seen so much wildlife activity. I especially liked the great shots of the cat in the tree and how fortunate to have been able to capture a kill. Must have been quite exciting. Thank you for sharing.

Great photos! Thanks for sharing. Hope we get to see even half of what you saw (and it will be even more wonderful if we can capture it on film!)

The Zebra reference is a bit of a joke. Zebras and Wildebeest were few and far between on this trip, though recent reports from other SSGR lodges show plenty about.