Nothing says Africa more than a leopard up an Acacia tree. This lovely she-leopard enjoying the sunset as the nearby baboon troop bark their annoyance and fear at her presence. She frequents our little island in the heart of the Okavango Delta. One evening we nearly ran into each other on the path from my house. We both stopped abruptly a few feet from each other, startled at this unexpected presence. A Heart moment passed and then she melted into the bush. Shoo… 🖤

Gemsbok or Oryx are enigmatic desert dwelling antelope. Quiet and regal with their rapier horns they amble through the red dunes of the Kgalagadi. As pink twilight descends across the stillness of the desert, they make their way to the waterhole. A quick drink before the night offers time to cool their high body temperature. Gemsbok don’t need to drink often getting the moisture they need from their food. The distinctive markings around their head, legs and belly is believed to have a cooling effect 🖤

A summer afternoon on the savanna. The sky begins to darken to a deep blue grey. The wind rises and air prickles with an impending thunderstorm. There is a very particular smell that washes across the grasslands as thunder rolls deeply in the distance. A clean, refreshing smell that speaks to the cleansing downpour to come. The dominant male of the lion pride sits in wait of this refreshing with all the promise the night may bring 🖤

Rhinos are my spirit animal. They are a symbol of assurance and confidence we can place in Mother Earth. They are a reminder that we need to trust that all things are unfolding as they should. I have so many Heart moments with rhino to choose from. For this one I’ve chosen white rhino, Inkosi, at Auckland Zoo where I used to work. He has a gentle nature and was a joy to work with. I chose the strange golden skies that spread across Aotearoa from the terrible bush fires in Australia at the start of 2020. A symbolic reminder of what all life has endured these past couple of years 🖤

Giraffe are an iconic African species. And yet not a lot is known about their behaviour and social structure. They are sometimes referred to as the forgotten megafauna as info has come to light that their number are dwindling. A concerted conservation effort is now underway to turn things around for these magical creatures. Heart moments for me with giraffe bring to mind many a childhood visit to Kruger National Park. Here painted in front of pastel twilight skies 🖤