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 🖤
Young male lions often form coalitions in the time they await their full maturity and master their strength to eventually fight for a pride of their own. I got to know a coalition of brother lions in the Kgalagadi. Black-maned and formidable, this coalition made hunting giraffe their specialty. Here painted in the dawn light on the move along the dry bed of the Auob River 🖤
My little house in the heart of the Okavango Delta was situated right on the edge of a Delta channel. One particular hippo would make his way from the pan on one side of the island each evening to enter the channel near my house by the break of day. This particular Heart moment evening he was grazing calmly but blocking my path home. He left me no choice but to sleep on a deck chair by the swimming pool using a towel as a blanket. I woke to this pastel sunrise as he slipped into the channel with a grunt to make his way round the island to climb out on the other side again that evening 🖤