Tag: Safari

Ferocious leopard fight broken up, emphatically, by third leopard

Dramatic footage shows a dominant male leopard bolting in to end a fight between a female leopard and her adult daughter.

A fierce battle between leopards, apparently a mother and adult daughter, was forcefully declared over recently by a third leopard that bolted in to separate the combatants.

The accompanying footage was shared by Safari Travel Ideas, which stated:

“The mother entered the daughter’s territory in pursuit of the area’s dominant male, who at the time was with the daughter. Daughter was not happy about that as you can see.”

The wild confrontation played out in front of tourists in Sabi Sands Nature Reserve in South Africa. The footage, best viewed with audio, shows the male leopard knocking both female leopards into apparent submission.

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Watch: Tourist wants no part of close tiger encounter

Footage shows the woman standing and pleading with the driver to leave, while others in the vehicle remained calm – and for good reason.

Imagine that you’re on safari observing a tiger at close range and one guest stands in the vehicle and loudly pleads with the driver to back away.

“Please, can you go?!” the woman insists in the accompanying footage, using a hand gesture for emphasis. Later in the footage, the woman again stands and demands that it’s time to leave.

The footage was captured last year in India’s Ranthambore National Park. It was reposted Tuesday by Ranthambhore Wildlife, titled, “Tiger scares lady or lady scared tiger.”

The video inspired lots of social-media commentary and one follower remarked that “yelling like an idiot” could have provoked an attack.

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Another chimed in: “This woman is more aggressive than the poor tiger! What’s wrong with her?”

It’s worth noting that tigers in India’s wildlife reserves are accustomed to the presence of safari vehicles and typically do not become aggressive if tourists and guides remain quietly seated.

If a tiger approaches, it’s essential that everyone remains calm.

A few comments were somewhat in defense of the woman, but many were critical and several people pointed out that tourists pay lots of money for the chance to observe wild tigers.

While some might question whether the driver allowed this to become too close of an encounter, Ranthambhore Wildlife implied that the woman was the only person violating protocol:

“It’s essential to remember that tigers are wild animals and deserve our respect. As we venture into their natural habitat, we must prioritize our safety and theirs.

“A calm and composed demeanor is crucial in such situations. By following the guidelines and exercising self-control, we can ensure a thrilling yet safe experience for both humans and animals alike.”

Ranthambore National Park is in the state of Rajasthan. The forested region is home to more than 80 Bengal tigers and other large animals, such as leopards, sloth bears, and crocodiles.

Ranthambhore Wildlife (note difference in spelling) operates safaris twice-daily in the park.

Guide in Africa captures rare footage of bird bathing in ants

The footage might make your skin crawl, but hornbills and other birds initiate this behavior as sort of a spa treatment.

A guide for a safari lodge in South Africa has captured extraordinary footage showing a large hornbill perched atop an ant hill while allowing the insencts to swarm over its body.

Yes, the accompanying footage might make your skin crawl. But this behavior is initiated by certain birds as sort of a spa treatment.

“This is very rarely seen but guide Zaan Snaps had an eagle eye this day and spotted a hornbill practicing a behaviour called anting!” Umkumbe Bush Lodge exclaimed Wednesday via Instagram. “This is when birds purposely sit atop an ants nest and allow ants to crawl all over and this assists with cleaning the bird of parasites.”

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The lodge, which shared the footage, jokingly described the event as “next-level dust bathing.”

The lodge also explained: “Ants secrete formic acid as a form of deterring predators but some birds absolutely love it.

“It is believed that passive anting could have a few benefits: 1. Parasite control, 2. Feather maintenance, 3. Stimulation of feather growth, 4. Self Stimulation.”

Besides “passive anting,” certain birds practice “active anting,” during which birds pick up ants with their bills and rub them against their feathers.

From Britannica: “A great deal of controversy has existed over the function of anting. Some authorities have theorized that it is a form of self-stimulation, but most ornithologists conclude that anting is a type of feather maintenance.

“Formic acid and other ant fluids are known to be insecticidal; dressing the feathers with ants would thus kill or deter avian parasites, such as lice and mites.”

Watch: Angry tiger reacts to ‘intrusive’ tourists in safari vehicle

Footage from India shows the agitated tiger charging an open-topped jeep full of tourists, including at least one child.

Wild animals exhibit remarkable restraint when tourists in vehicles violate their space. But occasionally, they lash out.

Video footage shared Sunday by a member of the Indian Forest Service shows an agitated tiger aggressively charging an open-topped vehicle before responding to loud sounds made by a guide and retreating into the forest.

(Click here to view the footage.)

“Sometimes, our ‘too much’ eagerness for ‘Tiger sighting’ is nothing but intrusion in their life,” Surender Mehra bemoaned via X.

Viewers might note that, with the vehicle just yards from the tiger, at least one infant can be heard in the audio.

The post brings to question the issue of responsible tourism, as in, how close is too close for the safety of wildlife and tourists? (In most regions of the world, any action that glaringly alters the behavior of a wild animal might be considered harassment.)

Reads one of the top comments: “But why [do] the visitors have to risk their life in an open jeep? One leap by the tiger can cause heart attacks to some of them sitting in the jeep. The thrill will vanish in a second.”

The top comment is from a follower who seemed to imply that had the tourists remained silent during the encounter, the tiger might not have felt compelled to lash out:

“Worst is the constant jabbering by tourists – they just won’t keep quiet!”

Watch: Elephant uses trunk to create mesmerizing ‘water show’

Footage shows the elephant using its powerful trunk to compress and spray water as a fine mist directed toward tourists.

A bull elephant in South Africa’s MalaMala Game Reserve used its powerful trunk recently to compress and spray water as a fine mist directed toward safari guests.

“This bull tricks us with a water show!” Ranger Gabriel Harmer exclaimed via Instagram. “It was absolutely amazing! A light mist spray on a warm afternoon drive. What better way to cool down than to get water sprayed on you by an Ellie!”

Harmer’s footage is posted below and best viewed with audio.

MalaMala Game Reserve also shared the footage under the title, “Mistifier.”

“Just shows you how strong their trunks are,” one viewer observed.

“He’s got skills,” another viewer chimed in.

MalaMala is a private reserve inside Sabi Sands Game Reserve and shares an unfenced border with Kruger National Park.

Impatient tourist bumps lion with vehicle; footage sparks outrage

The motorist appears to be nudging the startled lion to clear a prime observation spot in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

Footage showing a motorist bumping into a lion in South Africa’s Kruger National Park has enraged social-media viewers.

“What a selfish inconsiderate idiot!” Lion Lovers exclaimed Friday via X, calling on the park to ban the motorist. “It’s a disgrace that people behave like this.”

The incident occurred during a traffic jam caused by lions walking on a highway. These “lion jams” typically attract crowds of tourists eager to view and photograph the animals – but usually in a respectable manner.

The footage, captured by Safraaz Suliman, shows the truck rolling toward and nudging the startled cat’s rear as if to clear a prime observation spot.

“Hard to watch. This driver should get a lifetime ban from any national park,” reads a comment beneath the Lion Lovers post.

“Disgusting behavior,” another viewer complained.

Kruger is billed as the “flagship of the South African National Parks” and tourists are allowed to tour the park in their own vehicles.

However, animals have the right of way and motorists are required to exercise extreme caution when in close proximity to wildlife. Any action that alters an animal’s behavior – such as bumping it with a vehicle – might be considered illegal harassment.

The Lion Lovers tweet tagged Kruger National Park, but at the time of this post it remained unclear if the park planned to investigate.

Watch: Safari guest can’t believe she is this close to a lion

Footage shows the young woman expressing awe and disbelief as the male lion passes just yards from her open-air vehicle.

How would you react if you were on a photo safari and witnessed an adult male lion approaching within yards of your open-air vehicle?

The accompanying footage, shared Thursday by Mala Mala Game Reserve, shows a young woman expressing awe and disbelief as a lion strolled almost within touching distance.

Her reaction is so understandably perfect that Mala Mala required no description other than to state: “One of the many reasons we do what we do.”

For those who might wonder, lions in South Africa’s protected reserves are accustomed to safari vehicles and typically do not perceive tourists in vehicles as prey or a threat.

Mala Mala is a private reserve that shares an unfenced border with world-famous Kruger National Park. Besides lions, guests might encounter other iconic large animals such as elephants, leopards, rhinos and buffaloes.

Elephant ‘too kind’ but still frightens reckless tourists; video

Footage shows the elephant, crowded by safari vehicles, shoving its head into the driver’s side of one vehicle and forcing its occupants to exit.

Tourists in India discovered recently that elephants will not always tolerate being cornered by vehicles full of frenzied admirers.

The accompanying footage, believed to have been captured in Jim Corbett National Park, shows a chaotic scene in which a large elephant singled out one vehicle as a means of expressing its disapproval. (Video contains profanity.)

At one point the elephant backs up before reemerging to step on the vehicle’s bumper before moving to the driver’s side and forcing the occupants to exit the passenger side.

“This gentle giant was too kind,” Ramesh Pandey of the Indian Forest Service observed via X.

The Stripes and Green Earth Foundation (SAGE) also shared the footage while criticizing the tourists’ clear violation of distance guidelines.

To be sure, the elephant exhibited restraint by not becoming aggressive and creating a potentially deadly situation.

The footage ends with the elephant to the right of the frame as a crew examines possible damage to the vehicle.

‘Leopard under the car’; incredible encounter caught on video

Footage captured in South Africa reveals a leopard that is not the least bit deterred by the presence of a safari vehicle.

A guide in South Africa has captured rare footage showing a leopard traveling directly beneath his group’s safari vehicle to avoid altering its course.

“This leopard decided to pass not around, but right underneath us!” Marlon du Toit exclaimed last week via Instagram. “Unbelievable!”

Tourists express disbelief as the stealthy feline disappears briefly beneath the vehicle before emerging on the other side, ignoring their presence.

“Under the car…” astonished guests mutter, one after another.

The encounter occurred in Mala Mala Game Reserve, which is sandwiched between Kruger National Park and the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve.

Du Toit explained that wild animals in Mala Mala are accustomed to vehicles and their occupants, as long as occupants remain on the vehicles and maintain their composure.

“It’s also well known that smart, habituated leopards will use the cars and the sounds they make during hunts, to get closer to prey,” du Toit stated.

The guide added, half-jokingly: “Leopards that are so at ease with Mala Mala game viewers that they don’t mind going underneath, instead of around.”

Acrobatic hippo prompts laughter, comparison to synchronized swimmers

Video shows a hippo nicknamed Hipney rolling onto its back and entertaining tourists on safari at Sabi Sands Game Reserve in South Africa.

A hippo at a game reserve in South Africa had been given the nickname Hipney Spears by a tourist because of its dance moves in a waterhole. Then, on a recent safari, it performed a number, as if on cue.

Hildo, the name the Umkumbe Bush Lodge on the Sand River knows the hippo by, suddenly turned upside down with all four feet out of the water, prompting loud laughter among the tourists on safari.

“He’s stuck,” one tourist could be heard saying in the video.

“That is so funny,” another said.

The Umkumbe Bush Lodge posted the video on its Instagram page.

“He kept us entertained and in awe as he kept rolling around on his back almost as if he is a part of a synchronized swimming team,” the lodge wrote. “This old bull was all by himself peacefully resting and rolling around the watering hole.”

Wrote one commenter on the post, “Hipney Spears has all the good dance moves! I’m jealous.”