APS Behind the Lens: Patience, little one
Growing up in South Africa one tends to forget how lucky we are with animals on our doorstep. To be able to visit a national park or a neighbouring country and take photos becomes second nature. In fact, it’s only when you move away you realise how privileged you are to be living in a place like it.
We moved to Australia in 2018 and always wanted to go back to South Africa, Namibia and Botswana for a photo tour. In 2024 we finally made it happen, and we were fortunate enough to visit these three countries for a 2.5-month camping adventure.
Our journey started in Johannesburg with a few days visiting family and friends and then we headed to Etosha National Park in Namibia before travelling through the Caprivi strip to the Chobe National Park in Botswana. From here, we travelled back to South Africa, concluding our trip with a visit to the Kruger National Park in South Africa before returning home.
Throughout our trip, the one animal we encountered the most and intrigued us the most were the elephants, and I took as many photos of them as I could, especially the little ones.
From all my elephant images I captured I chose this one. It was taken in Etosha late in the afternoon. We spent a few hours at our favourite waterhole, Klein Namutoni, waiting for animals to get to the dwindling water and quench their thirst. It was a quiet afternoon, and at the last moment a small herd approached for a drink.
After drinking for a while, the elephants had their usual bath and walked off to have a dust bath about 20 metres away from the water.
This youngster got left behind and when it realised it was the only one still at the water it started running in the direction of mum and the herd. Luckily it had to run around the water’s edge to catch them.
I got a few shots as it got out of the water, and this one stood out for me due to the two doves taking flight and the water still gushing from its trunk. The light was amazing and the wet and dry parts of the youngster gave a beautiful contrast. ❂
