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Elizabeth warkentin

@lizwarkentin

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Most at home with wildlife and nature

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In keeping with my recent theme of cute baby elephants, here are three more 🐘 photos for your pleasure

#elephants #babyelephants #safari #southafrica taken in South Africa by @lizwarkentin

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4 months ago

Another adorable baby elephant 🐘

Yesterday I said that elephant calves are among the cutest baby animals. I still stand by that statement. Here's an elephant calf from last year. #elephant #babyelephant #safari #southafrica @jabulani_safari taken in South Africa by @lizwarkentin

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4 months ago

Baby elephant

In my humble opinion baby elephants are amongst the cutest of all baby animals. I mean, look at that face!

Did you know that the elephant gestation period is 22 to 23 months? Can you imagine?! Poor mama!

#elephant #babyelephant #safari #southafrica taken in South Africa by @lizwarkentin

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4 months ago

Elephant ear

The detail behind an elephant’s ear is amazing. During a sound safari with @sound.safaris in Hoedspruit, South Africa, I learned that the ears of an African elephant can weigh up to 45kg/100lbs each. Imagine having ears that heavy! Each ear contains thousands of tiny blood vessels. Elephants use their massive ears to help them regulate their body temperature. Since elephants lack sweat glands and they’re so heavy, the animals rely on the vast network of blood vessels and capillaries near the surface of their ears to cool themselves down by constantly flapping their fanlike ears. With @sound.safaris, which uses sophisticated, highly sensitive audio recording equipment that connects to earphone headsets worn by each safari guest, I discovered just how loud and heavy this ear flapping is. Not only could I hear each flap of the ear loud and clear, I could almost feel its heft!

#elephant #elephantears #africanelephant #southafrica #soundsafaris by @lizwarkentin

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4 months ago

Impalas canoodling

No. The adult female is grooming the young male impala by removing ticks. Impala are very good at keeping each other clean, and they don’t just do it to immediate family members.

#impala #grooming #safari #southafrica taken in South Africa by @lizwarkentin

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5 months ago

My heart ♥️

Would you look at the beautiful heart-shaped face and nose of the waterbuck! And what a gorgeous long-haired coat on them, too.

#waterbuck #safari #southafrica taken in South Africa by @lizwarkentin

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5 months ago

Elephants on the move

Love watching female elephants together with their babies, sisters, mothers, cousins, aunties… The orange soil you see on their backs is good for the elephants’ sensitive skin and helps regulate their temperature when it’s hot.

#elephantherd #elephants #safari #southafrica taken in South Africa by @lizwarkentin

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5 months ago

Poombas bum to bum

It was another unbearably hot and humid day here in Hoedspruit. These three warthogs were getting some respite from the heat by lying in a shaded patch on the side of the road. Warthogs may not win any beauty contests but they are adorable.

#Poomba #warthog #safari #southafrica taken in South Africa by @lizwarkentin

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5 months ago

Safety

#elephants #safari #southafrica taken in South Africa by @lizwarkentin

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5 months ago

The bond between mother and baby elephant is a strong one. If the baby is female, the two will be together for life. 🐘 ♥️

#elephants #southafrica #safari by @lizwarkentin

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6 months ago

Lioness looking and calling for her family

This photo was taken in very low light so it isn’t very sharp. It’s always a challenge for me to get my subjects in sharp focus around sunset when sitting in a safari vehicle. When the light fades I find it’s often better to film since you don’t need as much light, but then there’s still the issue of trying to keep the camera and heavy lens steady.

#lion #lionness #bigcat #southafrica #safari taken in South Africa by @lizwarkentin

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6 months ago

Mama and child

I’m walking alone in the “Green Belt” one afternoon last week in the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate when I notice these two giraffes staring at me from maybe 25-30 metres away. We all stand like that for several minutes looking at each other from a distance as I take photos. Mama Giraffe is wary of me since I’m on foot, not in a vehicle. In southern Africa, wild animals in national parks, wildlife estates and private nature reserves have become habituated to vehicles and tend to see humans in a vehicle as a vehicle. But they don’t know what to make of us humans when they see us, human predators, standing on two legs. We’re a threat to them and they’re wary. Mama animals are understandably very protective of their young ones and I suppose the giraffe saw even me, a five foot tall (153? centimetres) woman in her sixties as a potential threat. Lol!

So what do I do? Should I continue walking in the direction I was headed and walk by the giraffes? Giraffes are not predators, of course, but they’re very big and tall. What’s more, Mama is blocking the path. After a few more minutes of waiting to see if they’ll walk away, I decide to turn around and go back the way I came, even if it will add more time to my long walk and I’m exhausted by the heat and the weight on my back. I can’t risk Mama rushing at me and knocking me over or trampling my five-foot frame.

#giraffes #mamagiraffe #hoedspruitwildlifeestate #southafrica taken in Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate by @lizwarkentin

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6 months ago