Safari guides, or rangers, are men and women that have poured their passion into sharing and protecting the beauty of our wild places. Here are a selection of ten of the top images submitted by these guides to RangerDiaries.com during 2012.
Royal portrait, by guide Keith Connelly, photographed at Lion Sands, South Africa. “One of the Kruger males staring at us in the half-light.”
Tsaro power. Photographed by guide Marius Coetzee of Oryx Photographic Tours. Taken at Wilderness Safaris Duba Plains in the Okavango, Botswana. “After being chased backwards the Tsaro pride got into formation and launched another calculated attack, jumping onto a Cape buffalo cow and bringing her to her knees”
The dogs of war, photographed by guide Stephen Cunliffe (stevecunliffe.com) at Liuwa Plains National Park, Zambia. “When a superior predator arrived, the dogs refused to go quietly and put up a staunch defence against the thieving hyena”
Lioness moving through water, by guide Lee Whittam of Essential Africa Guided Safaris. Photographed in the Okavango Delta. “In the water the lion is no longer the apex predator.”
Cheated cheetahs, by videographer Rebecca Hart (Rebecca Hart Media). “This steenbok, against all odds, and four of the fastest land mammals on earth, managed to escape!” Photographed at Thornybush, South Africa.
Cheetah at dusk. Photographed by guide Amy Attenborough at And Beyond Phinda, South Africa. “A male cheetah climbs a tree to scan his surroundings, looking for potential prey, as well as predators.”
New kid on the block, by guide Brendon Jennings. Photographed at Kariega, South Africa. “An hour old giraffe meets the new crew.”
Big chase, by guide Ryan Hillier. Photographed at Kwandwe, South Africa.
The greatest show on earth, by guide Marius Coetzee of Oryx Photographic Expeditions. Taken in the Masai Mara, Kenya. “More than 1,6 million animals take part in this migration yearly in their search for fresh grass and water. On my first afternoon in the Masai Mara my clients and I were fortunate to have a ‘crossing’ less than 800 meters from our camp.”
Lechwe in the clouds, photographed by guide Stephen Cunliffe (stevecunliffe.com) in the Bangweulu Swamps, Zambia. “Bangweulu means “where the water meets the sky” and indeed the two often become hard to distinguish.”
For more stories, images, and news from the guides of Africa, visit RangerDiaries.com.
