This Week At Angama #115

If I had to summarise this past week in just one word, “dramatic” would be it. Two major events, the likes of which I’d only ever seen on wildlife documentaries, played out right before my eyes – and it was epic. [f 5.6, 1/500, ISO 400, 0.0]

In the Mara, you will find beasts both large and small. [f 6.3, 1/640, ISO 160, -0.33]

Regardless of their size, each has unique qualities to help them stand out. [f 7.1, 1/250, ISO 160, -1.33]

But make no mistake – in the wild, size is a very big deal. [f 8.0, 1/200, ISO 100, 0.0]

Whether it’s standing your ground… [f 5.0, 1/320, ISO 640, -0.1]

Or defending your territory against would-be intruders… [f 6.3, 1/400, ISO 200, 0.00]

Or even fighting for your very life – size can be everything. [f 6.3, 1/640, ISO 250, 0.0]

Photograph by Adam Bannister

And from the moment the Bila Shaka Boys burst onto the scene, they soon reminded me why the lion is considered the king of the jungle. [f 4.0, 1/3200, ISO 400, -0.67]

Photograph by Adam Bannister

This was our first encounter with this coalition of magnificent males and what an encounter it was. [f 4.5, 1/800, ISO 640, -0.67]

Their every move oozed a sense of self-assurance and confidence in their size and strength that was almost palpable. Kibogoyo, who dare I say may just be the most handsome of the group, let out a call, announcing to all and sundry that there was a new coalition in town. [f 6.3, 1/1250, ISO 640, -0.33]

Despite having dined on a hippo kill to the point their bellies were so distended they practically swept the ground, they still would not let hyena get to the meagre remains. Not until they were satisfied that they had taken all there was. [f 6.3, 1/1600, ISO 640, -0.33]

Photograph by Adam Bannister

Once they did, the frenzy begun. Hyena that had been biding their time a safe distance away rushed in. [f 5.0, 1/1000, ISO 200, -1]

Vultures that had circled overhead now swooped in. [f 5.0, 1/1600, ISO 320, 0.00]

[f 5.0, 1/2500, ISO 125, -1]

Even the skittish jackals came for their share.

Just a short distance away, an equally intense scene was unfolding by the banks of the Mara River. [f 9.0 1/320 ISO 200, 0.00]

A hippo carcass was surrounded by eager, hungry crocodiles. Each took their turn, muscling in to take a bite. Their ceaseless tugging and body rolling churned the water so much so that I’m not sure they realised (or cared) that the current was carrying them downriver. It wasn’t long before they were carried out of view. A spectacular ending to an astounding event. [f 6.3, 1/640, ISO 100, -0.33]

The birds of the Mara, like the yellow billed stork and the painted snipe, were just as proficient in acquiring their own meals, albeit in shallower, gentler waters. [f 6.3, 1/640, ISO 125, -0.33]

[f 9.0, 1/200, ISO 125, -0.33]

This Week Two Years Ago (TWAA #11)

Photograph by Tyler Davis

Two years ago, Tyler choose to capture the essence of a giraffe by focusing on the abstract. Giraffes are notoriously difficult to capture well in portrait, he noted, but by choosing to go abstract you could still do them some artistic justice. [f 5.6, 1/400, ISO 400]