Category Archives: photos

Photo of the Day: Western Lowland Gorilla

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Gorilla

Gorilla by Richard Ashurst, details below

Isn’t he beautiful?? Gorillas are the largest of all primates, and adult males can weigh up to around 250kg (around 550 lb). Females weigh about half the size of males.

Gorillas are highly intelligent, make use of tools, and in captivity, some Gorillas have been taught to use sign-language.

The main threats to Gorillas include commercial hunting (both for bushmeat and trophy hunting), loss of habitat due to logging and climate change, and the Ebola virus.

This photo was taken in captivity at Melbourne Zoo in Australia.

The Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla, subspecies gorilla)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as ”critically endangered“
Population trend: decreasing 

(Photo by Richard Ashurst used under a Creative Common licence)

Life as a Safari Guide: A Kruger Leopard Encounter

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Leopard

Leopard, S130 Kruger National Park, by Anna Tinker

It feels like we’re already well into 2012, but this week I’ve been remembering some of the best moments of last year, and looking forward to the best of this year.

Last year, I had the wonderful opportunity to work as a safari guide in Kruger Park. During this time, there were so many unforgettable wildlife encounters, but this one was certainly a highlight for me!

I first spotted this leopard from quite a distance. I could see her sitting in the grass at the road’s edge and I stopped. From past experience, I knew that leopards will usually bolt for cover when they realize they’ve been seen.

But this one didn’t bolt at all! When I pulled up beside her, she casually stood up, walked a few feet away and flopped back down again. We watched for close to 10 minutes as she walked around in the bushes by the vehicle. I couldn’t believe how relaxed she was!

She even walked out into the road. I tried to film it, but I was just too excited to hold the camera. We were the only vehicle at this sighting, and if you’ve been to Kruger Park, you’ll understand that in itself is tremendously special.

It’s estimated that Kruger National Park holds about 1,000 leopards, but unlike this one, most of them prefer to stay undercover and aren’t commonly seen.

Will YOU be looking for leopards in 2012? I know I will! And have you got any great leopard encounters to share with us?

The Leopard (Panthera pardus)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “near threatened”.
Population trend: decreasing

Photo of the Day: Giant Grouper

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Giant Grouper

Giant Grouper by Diliff (details below)

The Giant Grouper (also called the Queensland Grouper in Australia) is the largest reef-dwelling fish in the world.  It can grow as large as 2.7 meters (9 ft) long, weighing up to 600 kg (1320 lb).

This photograph was taken in captivity.

The Queensland Grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “vulnerable“
Population trend: decreasing 

(Photo by Diliff used under a Creative Common licence)

Photo of the Day: Toad Mountain Harlequin Frog

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Male Toad Mountain Harlequin Frog

Male Toad Mountain Harlequin Frog by Brian Gratwicke, details below

The Toad Mountain Harlequin Frog is such a handsome little fellow with such a splendid name, we couldn’t resist making him our photo of the day.

The Toad Mountain Harlequin Frog is found only in a small region within Panama, making it highly vulnerable to any changes in the immediate environment such as deforestation for agriculture or water pollution.  This region has recently been found to have Chytridiomycosis, a disease which has already played a part in around 75% of frog extinctions in the last 3 decades.

Nearly one-third of the world’s amphibian species are at risk of extinction, largely the result of habitat loss, climate change and pollution.

Toad Mountain Harlequin frog (Atelopus certus)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “endangered“
Population trend: decreasing 

(Photo by Brian Gratwicke used under a Creative Common licence)

Photo of the Day: Hippo yawning

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Hippo yawning

Hippo yawning, Ngorongoro Crater by David Bygott, details below

Nope, he’s not sleepy: “yawning” by hippos is a threat display, used by both male and female, young and old alike, to show off their massive (and very sharp) tusks.

In fact, their tusks are so sharp, they are able to bite a 3 metre crocodile in half.

The Hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “vulnerable”.
Population trend: decreasing.

(Photo by David Bygott used under a Creative Commons licence)

Photo of the Day: Snow Leopard

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Snow Leopard

Snow Leopard by Bernard Landgraf (details below)

This beautiful and elusive cat lives in the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. Their secretive nature means that their exact numbers are unknown, but it is estimated that only around 3,500 – 7,000 snow leopards still exist in the wild.

The Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “endangered“
Population trend: decreasing 

(Photo by Bernard Landgraf used under a Creative Common licence)

Photo of the Day: Green Sea Turtle

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Green Turtle

Green Sea Turtle by Mila Zinkova, details below

You can’t tell from this photgraph but Green Sea Turtles weigh up to 300kg (around 700 pounds) – it’s one of the largest sea turtles in the world.

Quirky fact: the young hatchlings feed on small fish, crustaceans and jellyfish but (quite unusually) the adults are herbivorous.

Green Sea Turtles will occasionally bask in the sun on land, and can be seen sunbathing alongside seals and albatrosses, making it one of the few marine turtles known to leave the water other than at nesting times.

Despite being endangered, Green Sea Turtles are still killed for their meat and eggs. They are also killed in boat propeller accidents, caught in fishing nets as by-catch and drowned, and their nesting grounds are being destroyed by human encroachment.

The Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “endangered“
Population trend: decreasing 

(Photo by Mila Zinkova used under a Creative Common licence)

Photo of the Day: Spotted Hyena

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Spotted Hyena

Spotted Hyena by Marieke IJsendoorn-Kuijpers (details below)

Hyenas get a bad rap but they’re amazing animals.  (And don’t they have the sweetest faces??)

They’re often described as “scavengers”, but they’re actually excellent hunters.  Spotted Hyenas have a hunting success rate which is far better than lions (around 75% of hyena clan hunts are successful, compared to only around 30% of lion hunts.)

The Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as ”least concern“
Population trend: decreasing 

(Photo by Marieke IJsendoorn-Kuijpers used under a Creative Commons licence)

Photo of the Day: Cheetah

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Cheetah

Cheetah

What can we say about cheetahs?  Fastest land animals and oh-so-unique amongst cats.

Cheetahs are the only cats whose claws don’t fully retract.  For this reason, their paw print looks more like a dog’s than a cat’s, and they were once actually believed to be part of the dog family.

Which is surprising, because they are one of the very few large cats who can do what every domestic pussy-cat can do: purr!

The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “vulnerable”. Population trend: decreasing.

Photo of the Day: Golden Orb Web Spider

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Golden Orb Web Spider, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town by Anna Tinker

This is actually a pair of spiders. The Male Golden Orb Web Spider can be 100 times smaller than the female!

In this photo, you can see where the Golden Orb Web Spider gets its name – look how the female’s web glows gold in the sunshine.

These spiders look big and intimidating, but they’re totally harmless. And like all spiders, they bring so much good to the environment largely through keeping other insect numbers down and the ecosystem in balance.