Large male coastal brown bear, (Ursus arctos) aka boar, muching on vegetation along the Silver Salmon Creek, Lake Clark National Park. This is one of the bears that the park service collared with a tracking device. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern

Two cubs brown bear (Ursus arctos) cubs are getting restless and ready to play while their mom tries to catch fish in the creek. Silver Salmon Creek area, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern #NaturalExposures

Two brown bear (ursus arctos) cubs playing in the water on the morning of our last day at the Silver Salmon Creek area, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern #NaturalExposures

Brown bear cub (Ursus arctos), one of two born to "Agro" this past spring. Mom's a regular at the Silver Salmon Creek area, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska.

Conservation status: Least Concern #NaturalExposures

Brown bear cub (Ursus arctos), one of two born to mom "Agro" this past spring. Mom's a regular at the Silver Salmon Creek area, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern #NaturalExposures

Female brown bear (Ursus arctos) named"Agro". She is a currently the mother of two cubs and a regular at the Silver Salmon Creek area, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern #NaturalExposures

Brown bear cub (Ursus arctos), one of two born to "Agro" this past spring. Mom's a regular at the Silver Salmon Creek area, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska.

Conservation status: Least Concern #NaturalExposures

Momma bear (Ursus arctos), Agro, and her cubs visited our lodge one afternoon. They explored a bit, especially around the area where the fish were cleaned, then walked back to the road and towards the creek. Silver Salmon Creek Lodge, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern #NaturalExposures

Male coastal brown bear (Ursus arctos) exploring the shallow waters for something to eat. On the coast of Cook Inlet, out of Silver Salmon Creek Lodge, Lake Clark National Park. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern

Coastal brown bear (Ursus arctos) cub at low tide, watching his mom and learning to find clams. Silver Salmon Creek area, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska.

Conservation status: Least Concern #NaturalExposures

Santiago Island

Galapagos

Ecuador

South America

The image has been cropped to show off the bubbles better.

This male coastal brown bear (Ursus arctos) found a salmon tangled in the purse seine net and quickly retrieved it for a meal. Cook Inlet, Lake Clark National Park. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern

The Pantanal

Brazil

South America

The black skimmer was photographed resting on a sandbar along the Cuiaba River. There were about six of them there when this image was taken. Within minutes more skimmers were circling above getting ready to land.

The black skimmer (Rynchops niger) is a tern-like seabird, one of three very similar birds species in the skimmer family. It breeds in North and South America. Northern populations winter in the warmer waters of the Caribbean and the tropical and subtropical Pacific coasts, but the South American races make only shorter movements in response to annual floods which extend their feeding areas in the river shallows.

Skimmers have a light graceful flight, with steady beats of their long wings. They feed usually in large flocks, flying low over the water surface with the lower mandible skimming the water (in order of importance) for small fish, insects, crustaceans and molluscs caught by touch by day or especially at night.

The black skimmer breeds in loose groups on sandbanks and sandy beaches in the Americas, the three to seven heavily dark-blotched buff or bluish eggs being incubated by both the male and female. The chicks leave the nest as soon as they hatch and lie inconspicuously in the nest depression or "scrape" where they are shaded from high temperatures by the parents. They may dig their own depressions in the sand at times. Parents feed the young almost exclusively during the day with almost no feeding occurring at night, due to the entire population of adults sometimes departing the colony to forage.

Ashford Castle Grounds

County Mayo

Ireland

Near the castle is a nature walk that takes you around the castle grounds.

Cuiaba River

The Pantanal

Brazil

South America

Although caimans cannot breathe underwater, they are able to hold their breath for long periods of time while submerged. Usually these creatures are able to hold their breath anywhere from 4 to 15 minutes; however they have been known to remain underwater for longer periods of time if necessary. The longest time a caiman has been known to hold its breath varies from 30 minutes to 2 hours. It has been suggested that they may even be able to hold their breath for longer than an hour or two if needed.

Typically when a caiman goes underwater it does so by submerging itself in the water or sinking to the bottom of the water. Afterwards they generally hold their breath and remain there for 10-15 minutes. When a caiman submerges itself, a flap that the creature is equipped with automatically closes off the caiman’s ears and nostrils.

Another flap closes off the back of the caiman’s throat. This flap blocks water so that it does not enter the creature’s stomach and/or lungs. The caiman also has transparent eyelids that cover its eyes so that they can see under water. When a caiman is not active or when the weather is colder, caiman are able to hold their breath even longer. This enables them to wait for prey to come to them before they even realize that the caiman is there.

Brown bear (Ursus arctos) mother and cub foraging for soft shelled and razor clams at extreme low tide. Silver Salmon Creek Lodge, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Kenya

East Africa

Click on Image to Enlarge it.

Herd of Grey's zebras grazing at Lewa Downs.

Yellowstone National Park

Wyoming

USA

View of a tree lined river in Yellowstone taken from the road which crossed over the river.

Large male coastal brown bear, (Ursus arctos), one of the bears that Clark Lake National Park collared with a tracking device. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern

Coastal brown bear, (Ursus arctos) muching on vegetation along the Silver Salmon Creek, Lake Clark National Park. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern

Mala Mala Game Reserve

South Africa

Near Kruger National Park

Click On Image To Enlarge.

Image showing a lioness in her natural environment standing on a rock outcropping in the Mala Mala Game Reserve.

Two cubs brown bear (Ursus arctos) cubs watching their mom try to catch fish in the creek. Silver Salmon Creek area, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern #NaturalExposures

Londolozi Game Reserve

South Africa

Near Kruger National Park

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Leopard image photographed in the shade of a tree shortly after feeding on an impala.

Rabida/Jervis Island

Galapagos

Ecuador

South America

Click on Image to Enlarge.

Fur seal youngster on red lava beach of Rabida/Jervis Island waiting for its mother's return from the sea.

Brown bear (Ursus arctos) cub thinking about joining their mom who is fishing in the creek. Silver Salmon Creek area, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern #NaturalExposures

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Kenya

East Africa

The reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata), also known as the Somali giraffe, is a subspecies of giraffe native to Somalia, southern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya.

Reticulated giraffes can interbreed with other giraffe subspecies in captivity or if they come into contact with populations of other subspecies in the wild.

The reticulated giraffe is among the most well-known of the nine giraffe subspecies. Together with the Rothschild giraffe, it is by far the giraffe most commonly seen in zoos.

The extraordinary height of the Reticulated Giraffe allows them to browse on branches of trees that other hoofed animals cannot reach. This has helped make the Reticulated Giraffe one of the most successful animals of the African savannah.

The Reticulated Giraffe feeds mainly on Acacia and Combretum trees, however, it will eat as many as 100 different plants depending on which are available at the time.

The Reticulated Giraffe gets a large amount of water from the dew on the leaves and from the water in the leaves. When it encounters a watering hole, it will drink up to 12 gallons at one time. – Wikipedia

Momma bear (Ursus arctos), Agro, and her cubs visited our lodge one afternoon. They explored a bit, especially around the area where the fish were cleaned, then walked back to the road and towards the creek. Silver Salmon Creek Lodge, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern #NaturalExposures

Cuiaba River

The Pantanal

Brazil

South America

Another image of my favorite Brazilian bird.

Formerly widespread in gallery forest or woodland, now most numerous in the Pantanal. Elsewhere very rare or absent. They are the longest in length of the macaws. Flocks can be as large as 40-50 birds. Many landowners offer protection to these birds helping to stabilize the population.

Of the 145 species of parrot in Central and South America, 45 are in danger of extinction. All 18 species of macaws are threatened. The primary causes are habitat loss and heavy exploitation for the pet trade.

Hyacinth macaws brought $5,000 to $10,000 each in the pet trade as of 1988. This high price fosters a dangerous level of poaching and smuggling. Data and anecdotal evidence suggests that as many as 10,000 Hyacinth macaws were taken from the wild during the 1980s.

Brown bear (Ursus arctos) cub waiting on the shore and not getting back into the cold creek where their mom is fishing. Silver Salmon Creek area, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern #NaturalExposures

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

New Mexico

USA

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Two cranes flying together after liftoff. Did not quite get all of both birds in frame, but this was the best one out of several choices.

The sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis) is a species of large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia.

It's time to say goodbye to the fabulous bears of Alaska. This was a long-time bucket list experience and it did not disappoint. Silver Salmon Creek area, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska.

Yellowstone National Park

Wyoming

USA

Some of my best images from the trip to Yellowstone were my otter images which I love, so here is another one, and there will probably be more.

Along the coast, many brown bears (Ursus actos) hunt for the clams uncovered during low tides. They probably use all of their senses to find them as they walk around with their nose close the ground.Silver Salmon Creek Lodge, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern

Female brown bear (Ursus arctos) named "Agro" after spending time in the creek. Silver Salmon Creek area, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska.

Conservation status: Least Concern

#NaturalExposures

Young male coastal brown bear (Ursus arctos) exploring the shallow waters for something to eat. On the coast of Cook Inlet, out of Silver Salmon Creek Lodge, Lake Clark National Park. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern

The Pantanal

Brazil

South America

The Crested Caracara is a medium-sized, bulky raptor with long legs. Its flat head is topped with a shaggy crest. The bill is heavy with a sharp tip.

Crested Caracaras often fly close to the ground with slow and powerful wingbeats. In flight they hold their wings flat similar to a Bald Eagle and don't teeter like a vulture. They are equally adept at walking on the ground as they are in the air. Crested Caracaras often join vultures to feed on carrion.

The southern crested caracara (Caracara plancus), also known as the southern caracara or carancho, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. The classification of this species and name have evolved. The use of the name southern caracara is now restricted to a bird that is found in central and southern South America.

Yellowstone National Park

Wyoming

USA

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North American river otter getting ready to plunge into the cold water.

Masai Mara National Reserve

Kenya

East Africa

The black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) is a canid native to two areas of Africa, separated by roughly 900 km.

One region includes the southernmost tip of the continent, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. The other area is along the eastern coastline, including Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and Ethiopia. It is listed by the IUCN as least concern, due to its widespread range and adaptability, although it is still persecuted as a livestock predator and rabies vector.

Compared to other members of the genus Canis, the black-backed jackal is a very ancient species, and has changed little since the Pleistocene, being the most basal canine alongside the closely related side-striped jackal.

It is a monogamous animal, whose young may remain with the family to help raise new generations of pups. The black-backed jackal is not a fussy eater, and will feed on small to medium-sized animals, as well as plant matter and human refuse. – Wikipedia

Female brown bear (Ursus arctos) named "Agro" and her cubs looking for fish, but the water is murky from the heavy rains. Silver Salmon Creek area, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern #NaturalExposures

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Kenya

East Africa

The Grant's gazelle (Nanger granti) is a species of gazelle distributed from northern Tanzania to South Sudan and Ethiopia, and from the Kenyan coast to Lake Victoria. Its Swahili name is Swala Granti.

The Grant's gazelle is found in East Africa and lives in open grass plains and is frequently found in shrublands; it avoids areas with high grass where the visibility of predators is compromised. They also occur in semiarid areas and are relatively well adapted to dry areas, relying on more browse or leafy material during dry seasons to supplement their intake of water. They are migratory animals, but travel in the opposite direction of most of the other ungulates, such as Thomson's gazelles, zebras, and wildebeest, which are more water dependent. They can subsist on vegetation in waterless, semiarid areas, where they face little competition. Info Wikipedia

Santiago Island

Galapagos

Ecuador

South America

Click on image to enlarge.

The lava heron (Butorides sundevalli), also known as the Galápagos heron, is a species of heron endemic to the Galápagos Islands. The adult is slate-grey, which helps it blend in with the hardened lava. The back feathers typically have a silvery sheen and it has a short crest on its head. When breeding, the heron has a black beak and bright orange legs, but they fade to grey after the breeding season. Lava herons are typically seen hunched over and they have a sharp alarm call. These highly territorial birds are found in intertidal zones and mangrove groves on all of the Galápagos Islands.

The lava heron stalks small crabs and fish slowly before quickly spearing and eating them. They have also been known to eat the flies that gather near cacti. Unlike most herons, these birds nest in solitary pairs in either the lower branches of mangrove trees or under lava rocks. They can breed year-round, though typically from September to March, and can mate up to three times a year. These birds have no fear of humans.

This heron is considered a subspecies (or even just a colour morph) of the striated heron B. striata by some authorities (including the AOU and BirdLife International), and was formerly "lumped" with this species and the green heron B. virescens as the green-backed heron B. striatus.

Samburu National Reserve

Kenya

East Africa

Archived image.

Lioness relaxing under the shade of a bush. I took several images of the female and this is a cropped image to show more detail on her face.

Coastal brown bear (Ursus arctos) cub entertaining himself on the beach, watching mom try to catch fish for lunch. Silver Salmon Creek area, Lake Clark National Park on the coast of Cook Inlet. Alaska. Conservation status: Least Concern #NaturalExposures

Lewa Downs

Kenya

East Africa

The plains zebra (Equus quagga), also known as the common zebra, or locally as the "quagga" is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra. It ranges from the south of Ethiopia through East Africa to as far south as Botswana and eastern South Africa.

The plains zebra remains common in game reserves, but is threatened by human activities such as hunting for its meat and hide, as well as competition with livestock and encroachment by farming on much of its habitat.

The plains zebra is a highly social species, forming harems with a single stallion, several mares and their recent offspring; there are also bachelor groups. Groups may come together to form herds. The animals keep watch for predators rather than attempting to hide; they bark or snort when they see a predator, and the harem stallion attacks predators to defend his harem.

The species population is stable and not endangered, though some populations such as in Tanzania have declined sharply. – Wikipedia

Island Of Madagascar

Off The East Coast Of Africa

Palmarium Reserve

Two Chameleons Cryptic Chameleon (Calumma crypticum) And O'shaughnessy's Chameleon (Calumma oshaughnessyi) side by side on a branch at the reserve.

O'Shaughnessy's chameleon (Calumma oshaughnessyi) is a species of chameleon endemic to Madagascar. It was named after the British poet and herpetologist Arthur O'Shaughnessy.

O'Shaughnessy's chameleon has a range of about 18,000 square kilometers throughout the southeastern portion of the central highlands of Madagascar. Its distribution extends from Tsinjoarivo, Ambatolampy in the north to Andohahela National Park in the south. The species is highly dependent on intact, humid forest as its habitat, living in lower densities on selectively logged territories.

Calumma crypticum, commonly known as the cryptic chameleon, is a species of chameleon found in Madagascar.

The species is endemic to Madagascar and has a broad latitudinal distribution between the Anosy Mountains in the south and the Tsaratanana Massif in the north.

It is a forest chameleon that occurs in mid-altitudes between 1,050 and 1,850 m elevation, where it appears to be more abundant in semi-open areas associated with trails, gaps and rivers.

The chameleon species is only found in humid forest and the loss or severe degradation of these habitats due to agricultural conversion and logging is a threat, especially outside of protected areas.

Masai Mara National Reserve

Kenya

East Africa

The reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata), also known as the Somali giraffe, is a subspecies of giraffe native to Somalia, southern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya. Reticulated giraffes can interbreed with other giraffe subspecies in captivity or if they come into contact with populations of other subspecies in the wild.

The reticulated giraffe is among the most well-known of the nine giraffe subspecies. Together with the Rothschild giraffe, it is by far the giraffe most commonly seen in zoos. Its coat consists of large, polygonal, liver-colored spots outlined by a network of bright-white lines. The blocks may sometimes appear deep red and may also cover the legs.

The extraordinary height of the Reticulated Giraffe allows them to browse on branches of trees that other hoofed animals cannot reach. This has helped make the Reticulated Giraffe one of the most successful animals of the African savannah. The Reticulated Giraffe feeds mainly on Acacia and Combretum trees, however, it will eat as many as 100 different plants depending on which are available at the time.

The Reticulated Giraffe gets a large amount of water from the dew on the leaves and from the water in the leaves. When it encounters a watering hole, it will drink up to 12 gallons at one time.

Yellowstone National Park

Wyoming

USA

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View of a tree lined river in Yellowstone. This image was taken from the road which crossed over the river.

The Pantanal

Brazil

South America

Formerly widespread in gallery forest or woodland, now most numerous in the Pantanal. Elsewhere very rare or absent. They are the longest in length of the macaws. Flocks can be as large as 40-50 birds. Many landowners offer protection to these birds helping to stabilize the population.

Of the 145 species of parrot in Central and South America, 45 are in danger of extinction. All 18 species of macaws are threatened. The primary causes are habitat loss and heavy exploitation for the pet trade.

Hyacinth macaws brought $5,000 to $10,000 each in the pet trade as of 1988. This high price fosters a dangerous level of poaching and smuggling. Data and anecdotal evidence suggests that as many as 10,000 Hyacinth macaws were taken from the wild during the 1980s.

Masai Mara National Reserve

Kenya

East Africa

A hippo enjoying the water in the Masai Mara.

When looking at hippos that are vegetarian, one would never even think of them as dangerous.

Although hippos may look friendly, they are definitely one animal you do not want to cross. Easily frightened and extremely aggressive, hippos will not hesitate to attack a human, especially if one of its young babies is near.

Hippos pose the biggest threat to those living on the continent of Africa, there are 3,000 human deaths per year from hippos. More deaths than from crocodiles.

Cuiaba River

The Pantanal

Brazil

South America

The sunset was taken from a boat out on the Cuiaba River like so many of my other images from the Pantanal. The previous day someone sighted this marvelous tree along the bank of the river. It was decided that we should use the tree in a sunset image. And here it is. What would a trip like this be without a sunset?. Naturally I took quite a few more. And also sunrises of course.