Tag: South Africa

Watch: Lions in a quandary after cobra slithers onto road

Footage shows the lions pause in their tracks, unsure how to react, after encountering the cobra and smaller reptile.

An African safari company on Thursday shared rare footage showing two lions encountering a cobra as the venomous snake stalked a lizard.

The extraordinary scene plays out on a road and viewers can hear a guest express disbelief at being able to photograph “a cobra and a lion in one shot.” (Video posted below.)

But, as Daniel Wildlife Safari explains, and as viewers can see, the lizard also stars in this bizarre confrontation:

“What seemed to have happened was that the cobra was hunting the lizard. The hunt must have caught the lions’ attention. The lions cautiously stalked the snake which drew the attention of the snake away from the lizard. Once the tension between the lions and the cobra eased, the lizard stumbled in front of the lions.

“The lions were unsure of this whole situation and were shocked! After encountering the venomous cobra, the lions did not want to take the chance with the defenseless lizard. They left the lizard alone and all 3 animals went away seemingly unscathed.”

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Tourists ‘shocked’ as elephant appears ready to crush car

Safari tourists in small car learn the hard way that it’s not wise to play games with a bull elephant.

An Africa-based magazine this week shared an extraordinary image showing a large elephant draped over the hood and windshield of a Volkswagen Polo, seemingly poised to crush the car and its occupants.

“Two safari drivers were left shocked when a bull elephant stepped over the car and decided to scratch his belly itch,” Khakibush Magazine stated via Instagram, adding that the bizarre encounter was photographed by Armand Grobler in South Africa’s Pilanesberg National Park.

No other details were provided, but Grobler told FTW Outdoors that the dangerous encounter occurred in 2013 and was caused, in part, by the driver’s actions.

Grobler, now a guide, was asked to describe the turn of events that led to what became known as the “Elephant Itch” photograph.

“We were driving with a group studying animal behavior when we came across the Polo, which was reversing with the elephant walking in front of it,” Grobler recalled.

“One of the major things that you learn is never to reverse when an elephant is walking toward you. You either stop and let it walk past or you get out of the way completely. The elephant sort of finds it as a game if you keep on reversing, almost taunting it.”

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Grobler said the elephant disappeared into the bush but the driver kept reversing, trying to keep pace with the pachyderm.

“The car was trying to keep up with the elephant, and eventually the elephant came out and at first put its tusks the roof and then the trunk, and then it walked around it with the front legs on the left-hand side and the hind legs on the right-hand side, and then it just crushed the Polo,” Grobler said.

“But it wasn’t trying to do damage. It looked like it was scratching an itch. The car, ironically, was the correct height for the itch, and therefore we named it the ‘Elephant Itch’ photograph.”

Grobler said the encounter lasted about 15 minutes. He did not say how badly the Polo was damaged.

Tourist trampled by elephant while trying to protect grandkids

The man was pursuing the children after they left their vehicle unaware that an elephant was concealed in nearby bushes.

An elderly tourist died Saturday after being trampled by an elephant in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

South African National Parks announced the incident via social media but provided few details.

But regional news outlets are reporting that the man had gone after his grandkids after they left their vehicle unaware that an elephant was concealed in nearby bushes.

The spooked elephant charged and the grandfather “placed himself between [the kids] and the advancing elephant,” IOL, a South African publication, reported.

The grandfather, a South Africa resident, was pronounced dead at the scene. The children apparently were not injured.

Tourists are allowed to drive through Kruger National Park but are supposed to remain inside their vehicles.

SANParks stated that the incident occurred near the Crocodile River at the Malelane Gate and issued the following appeal:

“Due to the sensitivity of the incident, we appeal to the public to refrain from posting or sharing pictures and videos of the incident on social media. Additional details will be released in due course.”

‘Fur ball’ cheetah cubs play on road in ‘beautiful video’ shared by guide

Guide Rodney Nombekana promises: “Guaranteed the most beautiful video you will see today on social media.”

A safari guide in South Africa on Monday shared rare closeup footage showing a cheetah with five young cubs and promised Facebook followers:

“Guaranteed the most beautiful video you will see today on social media. A cheetah with tiny fur balls in Kruger National Park.”

The accompanying footage shows the cubs reacting curiously to their surroundings but mostly playing at every chance while sticking close to mom.

One follower suggested the footage was not real because cheetah moms with cubs are usually elusive and keep their distance from tourists.

But Rodney Nombekana, the guide and photographer, assured that it the footage, captured last September, is genuine.

Be sure to watch at the 30-second mark as one of the cubs plays a short game of tug-o-war with momma’s tail. (Please click here if the video player does not appear below.)

Orphaned rhino calf responds to new situation with ‘happy jump’

The young rhinoceros appeared to be reacting to cooler weather after a morning walk with handlers.

The Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary on Friday shared video footage showing an orphaned black rhino calf expressing herself with a “happy jump” performed in front of observers.

Black rhinos are critically endangered and the female calf, named RiRi, is undergoing rehabilitation as part of a “rewilding” process.

The footage was captured after a feeding session as temperatures dropped at the facility in South Africa.

Care for Wild stated via Instagram: “The goal of successful rehabilitation is to prepare a rhino orphan for rewilding and release back into their natural habitat so encouraging natural eating and browsing behaviors is very important.

“But the cooler weather has made RiRi particularly playful and so full of energy. Check out her gloriously happy jump at the end!”

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Black rhinos have been decimated by poachers over the years, but they’re slowly coming back thanks to conservation efforts. Their numbers plummeted from 65,000 to only 2,300 animals between 1970 and 1993.

According to the International Rhino Foundation, black rhinos now inhabit 12 countries in Africa, numbering an estimated 6,421 animals.

Watch: Best wildlife sightings of 2024 in what was a ‘wild year’

Extraordinary wildlife videos were posted by Latest Sightings this year, including a safari truck being attacked by an angry elephant.

Some of the most extraordinary wildlife videos are posted throughout the year by Latest Sightings, a South Africa-based site operated by Nadav Ossendryver and designed for wildlife enthusiasts.

It has become a tradition for Ossendryver to post an end-of-year compilation of the best sightings of the year. “This year we’ve had so many viral sightings that it may have just been the hardest yet,” he stated on his YouTube post.

Among the favorites is the view from inside a safari truck being lifted off the ground by an angry, attacking elephant.

“2024 was a WILD year for wildlife sightings!” Ossendryver stated.

A herd of zebras crossing a road, lions taking down a giraffe, a crocodile-vs.-snake encounter, an elephant tipping over a large tree and an amazing water buffalo escape are among the other favorites in the compilation.

Photo credit: Latest Sightings

Also on FTW Outdoors: Angry hippo tries to take a bite out of a safari vehicle (video)

An elephant trying to save a stuck rhino from hungry lions was among the top views at 18 million. The total number of views for the year for Latest Sightings topped an amazing 4 billion.

Photos courtesy of Latest Sightings.

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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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Can you spot the lion out in the open staring at tourists?

Lions have an amazing ability to blend in with the terrain of the African savanna. This trait allows them to easily sneak up on prey.

Editor’s note: A version of this post was first published on Aug. 8, 2023. 

Lions possess the ability to blend in with the dry, low-lying grasses of the African savanna, a trait that allows them to easily sneak up on prey.

In this case, however, tourists at Kruger National Park in South Africa managed to spot a lone lion because it was walking through the grass.

“Whilst driving along slowly, we noticed a movement that caught our eye as she [the lion] was walking along through the grass,” Peter Hall explained to USA Today/For The Win Outdoors.

“We stopped there and I took that photo once she had stopped walking for a while and was just sitting there watching us. With a long lens, I could get a decent pic. She was at least 50 meters [165 feet] away. But I liked the way she blended so perfectly into the surrounding landscape of the Central Kruger Park, near Tshokwane.”

MORE OUTDOORS: Can you spot the leopard with the ‘good disguise’?

Hall is a professional artist based in Johannesburg, South Africa. He often incorporates wildlife into his beautiful work.

Hall posted the image on the private Facebook page called SANParks – Kruger National Park, asking “can you see her?”

One commenter said she saw a lion face made by the rocks.

“It felt a bit like a ‘Where’s Wally’ page, but I finally spotted her,” another wrote.

Others wrote:

“It took a little while to spot her. Well done, amazing photo.”

“So well camouflaged.”

In case you needed help:

Photo credit: Peter Hall

Check out Hall’s work at Peter Hall Artist on Facebook.

Photo used by permission from Peter Hall.

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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: 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.