Monday 20 August 2018
Sunday 19 August 2018
11-4-2018 VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE - WHITE BACKED VULTURE (Gyps africanus) COURTESY OF MRS VALERIE FISHER
White-backed vultures face threats from habitat degradation and poaching; as such they have been shown to avoid anthropogenically-disturbed areas when selecting nest sites and protection status is also a strong determinant of site selection.
White-backed vultures have a long breeding cycle. The incubation period is around 8 weeks and the nestling period is about 4–5 months
8-4-2018 THORNYBUSH LODGE, SOUTH AFRICA - AFRICAN LEOPARD (MALE ) (Panthera pardus pardus) COURTESY OF MRS VALERIE FISHER
The leopard has an exceptional ability to adapt to changes in prey availability, and has a very broad diet. It takes small prey where large ungulates are less common. The known prey of leopards ranges from dung beetles to adult elands, which can reach 900 kg (2,000 lb). In sub-Saharan Africa, at least 92 prey species have been documented in leopard scat, including rodents, birds, small and large antelopes, hyraxes, hares, and arthropods. Leopards generally focus their hunting activity on locally abundant medium-sized ungulates in the 20 to 80 kg (44 to 176 lb) range, while opportunistically taking other prey. Average intervals between ungulate kills range from seven to 12–13 days. Leopards often hide large kills in trees, a behavior for which great strength is required. There have been several observations of leopards hauling carcasses of young giraffes, estimated to weigh up to 125 kg (276 lb), i.e. 2–3 times the weight of the leopard, up to 5.7 m (19 ft) into trees.
Saturday 18 August 2018
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