Crystal Stafford, etosha, namibia, wildlife, dolomite

Just Another Day in Etosha

by Crystal StaffordAnimals, TravelPosted on Comments are Disabled

This picture pretty much sums up our time in Etosha National Park. You’ve got the oryx and the zebras to the left, the lone wildebeest in the distance, the springboks peppering the landscape, and the timid giraffe patiently waiting for the big, brave elephant bull to finish washing, drinking and straight chilling in the watering …

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Wildebeest

by Crystal StaffordAnimals, TravelPosted on Comments are Disabled

This is the last of my Etosha animal collection. After spending ten days focusing on these photos alone I find myself eager to return to the Park and explore other parks in the region. Next on the list of places to discover: Botswana. But for now, another majestic creature found in Etosha National Park, the …

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Spring Bok

by Crystal StaffordAnimals, TravelPosted on Comments are Disabled

These little guys are EVERYWHERE in Etosha National Park. Regardless of how often I saw them, I always appreciated the cartoon character cuteness they brought to the savannah, especially when they literally sprung into action and bounced around like a spring loaded stuffed animal. Magic 160/365, Spring Bok, Etosha National Park, Namibia

Crystal Stafford, elephant, etosha, namibia

Too Close for His Comfort

by Crystal StaffordAnimals, TravelPosted on Comments are Disabled

We set out from Halali Camp in Etosha National Park early one morning on what was to be the only guided game drive we did during our five days there. We arrived at the park in the late afternoon and wanted to get our safari feet dusty the next morning with someone who knew the lay of the land. We woke at 4:00 am and climbed into the back of an open-air safari jeep. It was still dark and very cold for two people coming from Congo so we made good use of the blankets we were given to keep warm. Our guide drove us through the bush for hours looking for something interesting to tick off our big 5 list. All we saw for three hours were the same zebras and springboks that greeted us on our way into the park. We were all tired and cold and ready to call it quits for the morning so the driver turned the jeep back toward camp. We had nearly made it back when finally this old bull appeared. The driver pulled the vehicle up so we could get a closer look. The bull was not impressed with this move and began flapping his ears at us, letting us know that if we didn’t back off he would show us just how small and vulnerable we really were compared to his great force of nature. The driver quickly backed up and gave the bull some space. He went back to eating for a bit before continuing his journey into the bush.  And then we continued our journey to a hot shower and a warm coffee.

Magic 159/365, The Old Bull, Etosha National Park, Namibia, December 22, 2017

Crystal Stafford, oryx, etosha, namibia

The Majestical Oryx

by Crystal StaffordAnimalsPosted on Comments are Disabled

Yes, I know, majestical isn’t actually a word but it’s the only [not] word that adequately describes the oryx. According to the Urban Dictionary: Majestical is defined as 1 – elegant creatures of mysterious purposes, and 2 – something that is beautiful, gracefully, and all around magic. “It’s kind of like a unicorn” you’re thinking. Exactly! …

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Crystal Stafford, impala, etosha, namibia

Ears.

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Wow. The ears on this impala. Remarkable. I was told that these are also rare but I saw them everywhere. Magic 157/365, Wow Factor, Etosha National Park, Namibia

Crystal Stafford, Etosha, birds, namibia

The Messengers

by Crystal StaffordAnimals, Landscapes, TravelPosted on Comments are Disabled

Many Native American cultures believe that birds are the messengers between the heavens and earth. This seems about right to me too. And when I see these birds in Etosha National Park, it seems to me that they are the true kings of the savannah, soaring over and seeing all there is to see.

Magic 156/365, The Messengers, Etosha National Park, Namibia, December 2017

Crystal Stafford, black rhino, dolomite, etosha, namibia

Do you see what I see?

by Crystal StaffordAnimals, HDR, Landscapes, Photos, TravelPosted on Comments are Disabled

I took this photo from the porch of our tent high atop the hill where Dolomite camp is placed overlooking these vast plains in Etosha National Park. It was Christmas eve and we were watching the sunset and enjoying this beautiful view when suddenly we saw these two lumbering across the savannah on their way to the watering hole on the other side of the camp. We were blown away. We were told that these were some of the rarest animals to see in the park. And we didn’t even have to drive around in the bush for hours to see them. We saw them from our amazing little tent at Dolomite. And the fact that it was a mother and her baby made it even more special for me because I was seven months pregnant.

As much as I enjoyed this moment it brought a feeling of melancholy over me, knowing that this species was hunted to near extinction in the mid 20th century. According to WWF, the population dropped by 98% to just 2500. Poaching is still a huge problem because some Chinese believe that the horns are an all natural viagra. It is a shame that some are willing to delete an entire species just for a hard-on. So it made me sad seeing this mother and her little one all alone in this huge place, trying to make it to the watering hole before the sunset, the fate of their species resting on a few vigilant conservation organizations doing their best to protect them (see below).

Thankfully these organizations have made progress. The population has made a comeback and has doubled to over 5,000 since its low 20 years ago. I hope they keep up the good work so that I can one day bring my son to this very mountaintop and see this cub all grown up and healthy, perhaps with its own little one following it into the sunset.

Magic 155/365, Black Rhino – Mother and Cub, Dolomite Camp, Etosha National Park, Namibia, Christmas Eve, 2017

Just a few of the awesome organizations working to protect this amazing species:

Rhinos without Borders (see video below)

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (breeding conservation in Texas!)

Save the Rhino Trust (Namibia)

To learn more check out this fascinating documentary on the work being done to protect rhinos.

Crystal Stafford, leopard, etosha, namibia

I’m Told These are Rare

by Crystal StaffordAnimals, Photos, TravelPosted on Comments are Disabled

When you meet someone new at camp while on safari one of the first things you do is list all the animals you’ve seen so far. So when we met a nice South African couple by the pool at Dolomite camp in Etosha National Park, we immediately went through our list of animals. When we mentioned that we saw a leopard their jaws dropped.

“I grew up in the bush my entire life and I have NEVER seen a leopard,” the friendly South African told us.

We had no idea how lucky we were. I was only able to get a few photos before the elusive cat slipped off into the bush. Take a look at the second photo in the gallery to see what the original perspective was completely zoomed in. This cat was very well hidden. We were only able to catch her/him because we came upon another pair of safari goers staring hard into the bush. When we slowly approached the spot they gave a gentle nod and pointed to this shady spot underneath a tree. We looked through our binoculars and could barely see it. So I pulled out my 70-200mm and snapped this photo, then cropped it even further and VOILA. There is the leopard panting in the shade of a tree under the white-hot noonday sun.

Wildlife photography is so incredibly difficult. Animals present themselves when they very well please, not when the light is perfect and reflecting beautiful colors off of the trees. Wildlife photography takes a huge amount of time and patience to get a perfect photo. Unfortunately, five days in Etosha was not enough time to get a good photo of a leopard, but lucky for us, it was at least enough time to catch a fleeting glimpse of this beautiful animal.

Magic 154/365, A Rare Leopard, Etosha National Park, Namibia, December 22, 2017