Rietvlei dam reserve, allows one to get quite close to the rhino without getting a horn through the door. They are quite placid, not that I’d get out of the car, but they give you the beady eye when they want you to go…
The Photographic Journey of bulldog. What you see is what you get……. birds, animals, plants and all sorts of other things.
-
Recent Posts
- Black and White Photo Challenge : Nature
- Kuruman.. A town in the Kalahari.
- Kalahari Gemsbok Park.
- 400 Posts, How time flies.
- Giraffe in the Kalahari Gemsbok Park.
- Too Good not to share…
- The Mountain Reedbuck.
- Sable Antelope.. only the ladies though..
- A Braai (Barbecue) of A Karro Lamb’s Hindquarter..
- Kudu and their camouflage..
Archives
Categories
date of post
Top Rated
Top Posts & Pages
- Black and White Photo Challenge : Nature
- Delicious Monster, Split-leaf Philodendron and Mexican Breadfruit..
- Camel Thorn Tree… an endangered or protected tree.
- Sishen–Saldanha railway line, a record breaker.
- The Famous Tapestry in the Voortrekker Monument.
- Kalahari Gemsbok Park.
- Water Leguaan, Nile monitor, Water Monitor…
- Hotazel… a mining town near Kathu…
- The Waves of the sea… Splash Rock… Port Edward…
- Babba’s Lodge–A Mountain Bike Race…
Blog Stats
- 42,361 hits
Follow on twitter…Rob Ainslie @RobAinslie1
Amazing. I’m so jealous of where you live. These are amazing shots.
Thanks .. yes to have these not 2 miles from my door step is indeed a privilege.. actually to live in South Africa so rich in all it’s nature is, in my book, a true privilege…
Those are some great closeups! I don’t think I would be brave enough to get close enough for those photos.
Thank you… they came to me I just took the photos..
Fantastic series! My favorite is the first one with the great light.
The first one was something special… thank you… that beautiful early morning light…
Wonderful photos. They are such magnificent animals, aren’t they, and so prehistoric looking?
That they are.. and there is always something fascinating about them…
Great photo’s, BD. Wonderful collaboration between you and your camera – I am SO jealous! Beautiful pics of such an endangered animal.
Do yourself a favour and go and take a ride around Rietvlei dam reserve… the photo opportunities are beyond description… I do it for relaxation quite often.. I live only 5 minutes away from the place .. but it is very accessible from the highways.. R21.. the animals there early morning give one so many beautiful shots and the bird specie are many and varied…
AnElephantCant hide his admiration for Bulldog
Who rises in the East like Phosphorus
AnElephant isn’t brave
So he tries to behave
And he loves these great pics of rhinoceroseroseroseses
Damn your good…
So beautiful a creatures…. so sad to think of what happens to so many of them.
Oh I do agree.. all for the horn that is no different from ones own fingernails…
Great shots, Bulldog – and I hope you do teach us about animal behaviour. Here in Canada, I was taught about that from my dad also. While I was in Madikwe (we saw and photographed the black rhino!!) besides seeing the animals, I loved learning about what to watch for. Who knew elephants talked with their ears?! But once known, of course! What better flags to flap?
Oh how right you are… I have sat and watched elephant converse with each other.. the movement of the head, the flap of ears, the quietest rumble and the whole herd will move off… I have a photo of a mother and her two off spring on one side of the road from the rest of the herd.. she showed a bit of aggravation of her youngest one not behaving… she got a look on her face an attitude difference in stance and the two youngsters jumped to attention and followed her over the road in close quarters… I actually have a photo of her in this attitude.. you can read her thoughts yourself… she was a real cross mother and the young fell in beside her.. once over the road and with the rest of the herd you could see her relax and the young sauntered off.. they had got the message though…
Wow, it’s huge. Looks dangerous, be careful!
It is huge .. and I’m careful…
Awsome closeups.
thank you
That beady eye reminds me of the bison in Yellowstone Nat’l Park.
I believe they can be quite dangerous.. much like our buffalo
Is it true the black rhino is the aggressive of the white and black rhino?
You got that right Alex… the black will charge and not run away… the white will rather get out of your way than charge… but never under estimate either, the white will also charge if startled… the black if you’re on foot.. and he picks up your scent or hears you will come to investigate, and thereafter, if unhappy, will charge… so climb a tree or face the consequences…
Superb photos… two thumbs up…
thank you…
You either have a fantastic lens, my friend, or you’re crazy!
I don’t have detachable lens cameras… and I’m not brave, crazy ?? Yes.. I have been called that before… but I have to trust the knowledge I have of animals and their behaviour that I have built up over the last 55 years.. my Dad taught me a lot.. and yes he was brave and crazy..
Me thinks you to be very brave, Mr. Bulldog. That first shot is truly amazing. It really shows this animal’s “soul.”
Thanks Gina… it is a good photo, except for the blade of grass across his eye.. that spoils any chance of ever entering the photo for competitions..
Wonderful close ups Bulldog!
Thanks Ruth
WOAH! These are some mighty good up-close-and-personal shots, Bulldog. Well done!
Thank you Dianne… in the bottom photos he just kept getting closer and closer…
I hope you were using a zoom lens for these shots…..if not, you are extremely BRAVE! Great photos.
The Rhino were pretty close.. the bottom 5 he kept coming closer and ended probably about 2 metres from my car… I just sat quietly and hoped he thought my silver car was a rock with a camera sticking out of it…..
I don’t even know what to say! These shots have me speechless! How close were you?!
I want to know too! Yikes!!
2 metres.. he was too busy grazing to worry about me…
You’re a very brave man!
Not really… animal behaviour tells you a lot about the animal… if he had of shown me he wasn’t happy I can assure you I’d move.. a Rhino horn through the door of my car would not enhance it’s looks… maybe I should write a book about “how to read animal behaviour” some thing I know a fair amount about.. been watching them for 55 years and Dad taught me a lot…
Sounds like a plan!
The last 5 saw me probably about 2 metres from the rhino.. I just sat still in the car and took photos…
Brilliant … I wouldn’t argue with him neither – but he wanted to keep the green grass to himself.
How close were you ???? That second photo from the top is very impressive.
Thank you Viveka… the last 5 photos I was between 2 and 3 metres from the animal he just kept on coming closer as he grazed… I just sat and took the photos…I didn’t seem to bother him and he certainly never bothered me…
That close … amazing! Maybe he could see that you are one of the good guys. *smile
YIKES THEY’RE HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love the light in the eye on the first one and how smooth it’s skin looks….impressive!
Thank you… the first one is a youngish calf probably about 3 years old… I was very disappointed when I got home from this photo and discovering the blade of grass in front of the eye, otherwise I would enter that photo in competitions…
Oh my God! as if you were going to give a kiss to him
This is amazing, amazing. Thanks and Love, nia
I thought about that NIa.. but worried he might not like kissing…
He’s very cool looking, but I would not mess with him!
No not an animal one takes lightly.. but the white Rhino is a lot more placid than the Black Rhino, he will charge first and ask questions later…
What delicate little grazing mouth he has! But bulldog – that first shot … it’s fabulous!
I love the first one it came out so well with the light and all… just a pity about the blade of grass across the eye which I never saw till I downloaded the photos.. this could have been the type of shot I’;d enter into competitions…
It’d have been a bit difficult to go ask him to lift his head for you! I didn’t notice the blade of grass, bulldog, so it’s still a winner for me
That was a bit scary!
For you or for me.?? Don’t worry Julie he grazed on over to me.. I didn’t creep over to him… he seemed quite calm so I remained so…
Great pictures, especially knowing you risked your life getting them.
Thank you Anneli… no risk involved … he grazed his way over to me.. so the grass was more of an attraction than what my car must of worried him…
Whew! They look pretty tough.
Oh they are… the white Rhino not nearly as much as the black.. the black has what could be called a bad attitude… their eye sight is poor, but the hearing and nose is good.. the white will take off… the black will charge.. and beware anything that gets in the way..