u/adventu_Rena

These photos show the early onset of the papilloma virus infection.

The same individual has been spotted regularly and the warts have since spread over its entire body. :( it’s not for the faint hearted
Since I’m not allowed to post images that are not my own OC you can find the photos showing this really bad „infestation“ and read more about it in an article from LiveScience.com : https://www.livescience.com/animals/land-mammals/see-heartbreaking-photos-of-bumpy-giraffe-in-south-africa-with-viral-disease-rarely-seen-in-these-tall-animals

If you ever find yourselves in the African bush and hear a sound that is half-whistle and half-croak, look up; you have probably just found an African Green Pigeon.

Easier said than done! I have tried. God knows I have tried, each and every time I have travelled to Southern Africa.
The African Green Pigeon is the bird that always caught my eye while leafing through the safari sightings bird list, only to pull a disappearing act every single time we visited the park . But then, finally, during our latest April trip: there it was, perched in a tree, munching away on fruit.

It is every bit as fabulous as I expected. <3

Want to know more about this feathered gem?

The African Green Pigeon is the "ultimate canopy-dweller", living exclusively in the treetops while keeping a low profile with its olive-green camouflage - just look at the photo, they really are very difficult to spot. You will rarely catch one of these guys on the ground.

They are frutarians, their menu is almost exclusively built around wild figs, though they will happily snack on berries and various tree fruits like the waterberry or the jackalberry ( which, I think, is the very shrub in the photo).

Occasionally, they have even been known to exhibit a bit of a quirky side by engaging in geophagy (which is just a fancy, technical way of saying they will fly down to eat soil or clay for essential minerals).

Red and Yellow is the new black! Meet the Saddle-Billed Stork, a widespread, non-migratory species found in Sub-Saharan Africa.

A few good-to know things about them: They lack a vocal organ and stay completely quiet unless they’re clattering their bills to communicate .

When it comes to dining, they don't mess around . While their staple diet is fish , they are opportunistic eaters that won’t turn their beaks up at crustaceans, frogs, reptiles small mammals or even the occasional young bird . If they catch a particularly hefty fish, they’ll often drag it to the shore to clip off any sharp spines before swallowing it headfirst like the true gourmet they are

For years I have been coming on safari to southern Africa. For years I have seen his cousin, the wonderful Lilac-breasted Roller , but the Purple Roller has always eluded me. Then, finally, during April's trip to Kruger Park, I was lucky enough to spot this beauty <3

It’s not always leopards! We were incredibly lucky to watch all the adults of the Nkuhuma pride along with the two Ndzenga males walk straight by our car and then grabbing a drink by the dam 😍

4-months old offspring of dam Xidulu x sire Tortoise Pan, northern Sabi Sand

Blue is a rare eye colour in leopards, but somehow mother Tiyani (photo 4), green eyed herself, always manages to produce that colour in her offspring. The latest one is Mahlowasi (photos 1-3), Tiyani’s daughter with yellow-eyed male by the peculiar name of “Tortoise Pan” (photo 5)

I’m not an expert on leopard genetics, but
blue is a rare eye colour in leopards. However, somehow, mother Tiyani (photo 4), herself green-eyed, always manages to produce that colour in her offspring. The latest one is Mahlowasi (photos 1-3), Tiyani’s daughter with yellow-eyed male by the peculiar name of “Tortoise Pan” (photo 5)

A recent safari photo from South Africa

Mahlowasi roughly translates to “with blue eyes” in the Shangaan language (or so I’m told), and no name could be more accurate. She was born on the Simbambili Morningside property in March 2025 and finally named a couple of weeks ago.