South Africa Travel Channel
View allAll Photos Tagged kudu
in the Lebala concession, Botswana, 2016
Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.
All rights reserved. © Thomas Retterath 2016
Once I roamed the grasslands Free
Once Full quick alert vital Free
Nature framed my existence Now
Your barbed wire is all I see.
Kudu are highly alert and notoriously hard to approach. When they detect danger – often using their large, radar-like ears – they give a hoarse alarm bark, then flee with a distinctive, rocking-horse running motion, the male laying back his horns to avoid overhead obstructions.
Kudu cows in beautiful evening light in the Linyanti area, Botswana
Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.
All rights reserved. © Thomas Retterath 2010
The animal kingdom is filled with almost an infinite variety of creatures. Scientists discover new species and subspecies every year. Each one is a wonder unto itself and one could labor for years to uncover its secrets. It is an unfortunate fact that the closest that most of us get to wildlife is through bars at the zoo. Our urban lifestyle has the effect of cutting us off from the glorious world of the animal kingdom. Every animal has a lesson to teach us that we are not hearing. We may think that we have evolved away from contact with animal kingdom, the question is, at what cost?
The animal kingdom is filled with almost an infinite variety of creatures. Scientists discover new species and subspecies every year. Each one is a wonder unto itself and one could labor for years to uncover its secrets. It is an unfortunate fact that the closest that most of us get to wildlife is through bars at the zoo. Our urban lifestyle has the effect of cutting us off from the glorious world of the animal kingdom. Every animal has a lesson to teach us that we are not hearing. We may think that we have evolved away from contact with animal kingdom, the question is, at what cost?
Manyeleti Game Reserve, South Africa
The world is like a book and those, who do not travel, only read the first page.
All rights reserved. © Thomas Retterath 2022
The lesser kudu is native to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, but it is extinct in Djibouti. It may have been present in Saudi Arabia and Yemen as recently as 1967, though its presence in the Arabian Peninsula is still controversial. The total population of the lesser kudu has been estimated to be nearly 118,000, with a decreasing trend in populations. One-third of the populations survive in protected areas. Presently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature rates the lesser kudu as "near threatened".
Lesser kudu are forest antelopes found in East Africa. The females and juveniles have a reddish-brown coat, while the males become yellowish grey or darker after the age of 2 years. Males have a prominent black crest of hair on the neck. One long white stripe runs along the back, with 11-14 white stripes branching towards the sides. A black stripe runs from each eye to the nose and a white one from each eye to the center of the dark face. There is also a chevron between the eyes. The area around the lips is white, the throat has white patches, and two white spots appear on each side of the lower jaw. The underparts are completely white, while the slender legs are tawny and have black and white patches. Horns are present only on males and are dark brown and tipped with white in color.
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.
All rights reserved. © Thomas Retterath 2019
Male greater kudu(Tragelaphus strepsiceros), a woodland antelope found throughout eastern and southern Africa. It is one of the largest species of antelope. Bulls weigh 190–270 kg (420–600 lb). The bulls also have beards running along their throats, and large horns with two and a half twists.
Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
One day at Kudu are the largest horned antelope. They have a grayish coat with white vertical stripes along their torso. The head tends to be darker in color than the rest of the body, and exhibits a small white chevron which runs between the eyes. The males also have large manes running along their neck and large horns that twist upward. Dedicated browsers, they feed nearly half the night as well as during the day.
Kudu & Impala at a waterhole.
Many thanks to everyone who chooses to leave a comment or add this image to their favorites, it is much appreciated.
Have a great day.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved.
The greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) is a woodland antelope found throughout eastern and southern Africa. Despite occupying such widespread territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas, due to a declining habitat, deforestation and poaching. These kudu were seen in Kruger National Park.
The Cape is ablaze with wild flowers at the moment and it always looks so beautiful with the animals scattered around the landscape...
I will be travelling during the month of September, take care and stay safe everyone ...wish you all beautiful light for photography!
Wild South Africa
Kruger National Park
This old bull was grazing on the open grasslands between Satara and Olifants rest camps.
From this day's Journal:-
"An early start this morning for a visit to Etosha National Park. An Israeli couple flew in overnight, stayed half a day and joined Ben (my guide) and I for the morning.
We drove about an hour to Etosha National Park. An abundance of wildlife in the park, saw plenty of animals although some were at a distance. Because the Israelis had only four hours and wanted to see as many animals as possible, we were constantly on the move.
Had I been alone with Ben, we could have taken our time, stayed longer, observed the animals and I may have taken better photos. As it was, we drove by some animals, ticked them off an invisible list and moved on to find something else.
I paid a lot of money for this trip and feel short changed. We could have spent an entire day in the National Park, but my experience was tailored to the needs of others. I spent the afternoon back at the camp when I could have had the whole day in Etosha National Park. Not happy."
I've been spotted across the waterhole, but earlier the Wildebeest had been rutting and running behind them, they were anxious with all the commotion and nervous to approach to drink water. Adult female and juvenile male at Erindi private game reserve, Namibia
The sun was barely up when I caught this youngster going nowhere, slowly.
It seemed to enjoy the early morning fresh air as much as I did.
Uploaded for 7DWF: Sunday - Fauna
Rural Area
Lydenburg
South Africa
The greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) is a woodland antelope found throughout eastern and southern Africa. Despite occupying such widespread territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas due to declining habitat, deforestation, and poaching.
Photo was taken in the Kruger National Park, South Africa.