Elephant Archives - Mihaela Limberea

My 2024 Favorite Photos

16th December 2024 Mihaela Limberea

Photography

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As 2024 comes to a close, it’s natural to reflect on the past year. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Unwavering Gaze: this is my absolute favorite photo this year, by far.

I photographed this four-year-old lion in the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve a few months ago, and it is possibly the most beautiful lion I’ve ever seen. Being just a few meters away from this magnificent animal as it looked at me sent shivers down my spine. I still feel that thrill whenever I look at the photo.

🦁Lion (Panthera leo)

📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

📍Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, South Africa

Did you know that a zebra’s stripe pattern is as unique as human fingerprints? Scientists believe that this helps zebras recognize each other. The stripes also aid in camouflage, making it more difficult for predators to distinguish individual zebras by obscuring their silhouettes.

🦓Zebra (Equus quagga)

📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

📍Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, South Africa

Sometimes, simple is best—just a few grazing sheep and the beauty of the rising sun. There’s something about that golden light that makes everything—sheep butts included—look fabulous!

We were on our way to Seal Bay for a 7am appointment with the research team when we came across these sheep grazing peacefully as the sun rose. Everything was bathed in gold; it was breathtaking.

Unfortunately, we were in a hurry and couldn’t afford to stop for too long. I literally jumped out of the car and quickly took a few photos, hoping some would be good enough 😅.

📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

📍Kangaroo Island, South Australia

A zebra walks leisurely ahead of its harem in the Marakele National Park, South Africa.

A zebra walks leisurely ahead of its harem in the Marataba Game Reserve, South Africa. In zoology, a harem is a group of zebras consisting of one stallion, several mares, and their offspring. I love that soft morning light.

🦓Zebra (Equus quagga)

📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

📍Marataba Game Reserve, South Africa

Boxing practice: two young kangaroos sparring at sunset. This is how they learn to fight, first with their mother and then with other young males. As they grow, sparring with other males helps them establish their position within the mob. With experience, the sparring sessions become longer and more intense.

Kangaroos use their sharp claws, strong back legs, and muscular tails —capable of supporting their entire body weight — to deliver powerful kicks that could disembowel a human.

However, these youngsters were only playing and started grooming each other shortly afterward.

🦘Kangaroo Island Kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus)

📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

📍Kangaroo Island, South Australia

I had a wonderful time watching this young Australian sea lion carefully inspect every stone, stick, and shell on the beach at Seal Bay. It was a beautiful display of innocence and curiosity. Kids, whether human or animal, are always curious! 😍

🦭Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea)

📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

📍Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Moments like these are why I love wildlife photography, even more so when knowing how few of these animals are left in the world.

Unique to South and Western Australia, Australian sea lions are one of the rarest animals in the world, with a total population of around 6.500. Australian sea lions are on the endangered species list today, having been hunted to near extension in the 19th century.

🦭Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea)

📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

📍Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia

African elephant photographed in Marataba Game Reserve, South Africa. Many people commented on the elephant’s long lashes on Instagram, but most missed just how long they really were. Take another look. Yes, they are long and thick near the eye, but if you look closer, you’ll see that they are even longer than you think!

🐘African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana)

📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

📍Marataba Game Reserve, South Africa

Did you know that woodpeckers store seeds, berries, and acorns in the hollows of trees to prepare for the winter? In late autumn, these resourceful birds not only stash food for the colder months but also occasionally utilize these tree hollows as shelter for resting.

Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

📍Lidingö, Stockholm (Sweden)

This is how you pose 👌! When I took this photo in June, I was confident this would be one of my favorite images of the year. A quick glance at the back of the camera confirmed it.

This year’s Halloween card, I love it!

🐿 Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

📍Lidingö, Sweden

A red squirrel digs through the snow in search of hidden nuts. Squirrels have an excellent sense of smell and can detect food buried under 30 centimeters (one foot) of snow!

🐿 Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

📍Lidingö, Sweden

I hope you enjoyed looking at the photos. Here’s to more, better images to come in 2025! Cheers!

I wish you a very, very Happy New Year! Gott Nytt År as we say in Swedish.

The Origin of the Elephants

12th September 2024 Mihaela Limberea

Travel Wildlife

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Elephant

This is a charming origin story, said to come from the Kamba tribe in Kenya, explaining elephants’ intelligence.

Long ago, there lived an extremely poor man. For years, he lived with extraordinarily little, and eventually, he became very tired of his poverty. At last, he went to see his witch doctor to ask for help. “Go and see Ivonya-ngia,” he advised,” he who feeds the poor.”

When he reached Ivonya-ngia, he asked, “Please tell me how I can become rich.” Ivonya-ngia told his herdsmen, “Give this man 100 cows, 200 sheep, and 300 goats.” No, no, no,” said the poor man, “I do not want charity; I only want advice on how to become rich.” The rich man thought for a while and then gave the poor man some ointment: “This is a magic ointment. You must rub it on your wife’s pointed teeth. Wait for them to grow, then take them out and sell them.“

The man did what he was told, and within a few weeks, his wife’s teeth had grown as long as his arms. He took them out and sold them, for they were pure ivory. He did this several times, and he became wealthy.

A jealous neighbor came to ask him how he’d become so wealthy, and he gave the same advice, “Go and see Ivonya-ngia.” Soon, the neighbor was rubbing the magic ointment on his wife’s teeth. They grew and grew.

Unfortunately, the man had not been told to take the tusks out and sell them. Eventually, the woman’s face grew strange, her body swelled to an enormous size until she turned into an elephant. Finally, she burst through their little hut and she ran off into the bush. There she gave birth to a son who was a baby elephant, and there they remained.

That was the origin of elephants, a species still as clever as people.

How The Zebra Got Its Stripes
Favorite Photos: June 2024

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Favorite Photos: August 2024

5th September 2024 Mihaela Limberea

Photography Wildlife

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Australia Elephant Kangaroo Kangaroo Island Koala Marakele Marataba Safari Sea Lion Seal Bay South Africa South Australia Squirrels

This is post 20 of 23 in the series “Favorite Photos”

This series contains my favorite photos processed in a particular month.

Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris). This is one of my top favorite photos this year, likely one of the 2024 top ten.

Morning grooming routine 🤭. Kangaroo Island kangaroos, a subspecies of the Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), photographed at the wildlife sanctuary created by Ecopia Retreat on Kangaroo Island.

Morning traffic, Marataba Marakele, South Africa.

A kangaroo joey tenderly grooms her mother ❤️. I photographed this cute pair at the wildlife sanctuary created by Ecopia Retreat on Kangaroo Island.

The kangaroos in the photo are Kangaroo Island kangaroos, a subspecies of the Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus). Because of their long period of isolation from mainland Australia, the KI kangaroos are pretty different from the Western Grey kangaroos. They’re shorter, darker, and much cuter if you ask me!

That Monday morning feeling 😵‍💫. Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) photographed somewhere in the Middle River area on Kangaroo Island, South Australia.

Moments like these are why I love wildlife photography 😍. Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) photographed during a guided research tour at the Seal Bay Conservation Park, Kangaroo Island.

All photos were taken with Canon EOS R5 and Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM.

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Favorite Photos: July 2024

2nd August 2024 Mihaela Limberea

Photography Wildlife

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Africa Elephant Hornbill Marakele Marataba Safari South Africa Zebra

This is post 19 of 23 in the series “Favorite Photos”

This series contains my favorite photos processed in a particular month.

I didn’t do much photo processing this month, what with summer vacations, gardening, and the Olympics.

African elephant photographed in Marataba Marakele, South Africa. Many people commented on the elephant’s long lashes on Instagram, but most missed just how long they really were. Take another look. Yes, they are long and thick near the eye, but if you look closer, you’ll see that they are even longer than you think!

A zebra walking leisurely ahead of its harem in the Marakele National Park, South Africa

A zebra walks leisurely ahead of its harem in the Marakele National Park, South Africa. In zoology, a harem is a group of zebras consisting of one stallion, several mares, and their offspring.

Two Southern yellow-billed hornbills on a perch

Southern yellow-billed hornbills (Tockus leucomelas) are also called ‘flying bananas’ because of their huge bills. This bird’s bill is remarkably large in comparison to its body and can make up to 1/6th of its entire body length!

Interesting breeding behavior: Once a mating pair is established, they search for a nesting site, often in a tree facing northeast, and construct their nest using leaf litter and bark. The female enters the hole, seals it with her droppings, and leaves a small opening for the male to feed her while she tends to the eggs.

The female lays 3 or 4 eggs and incubates them for 25 days without leaving the nest. During this time, she sheds all her flight and tail feathers, becoming reliant on the male and vulnerable if he is absent or harmed. While in the nest, her feathers regrow, and she emerges with new plumage when the oldest chick is about 3 weeks old. Both parents take turns feeding the chicks for the next 6 weeks. When the chicks mature, hunger prompts them to break down the nest wall.

Stay tuned because I’m bursting with excitement to share more about this unforgettable adventure with all of you!

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Favorite Photos: June 2024

2nd July 2024 Mihaela Limberea

Photography Wildlife

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Cheetah Elephant Giraffe Lapalala Lepogo Lion Marakele Marataba Noka Safari South Africa

This is post 18 of 23 in the series “Favorite Photos”

This series contains my favorite photos processed in a particular month.

The King.

As you may have seen from my Instagram stories, I went on a safari in South Africa, a truly awe-inspiring experience. We spent ten incredible days first in the Marakele National Park, Thabazimbi, and then in the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, where we were privileged to witness animals in their natural habitat, a sight that never ceased to amaze us.

A lion walking in the early morning light.

A lion strolling leisurely through the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve bathed in the gentle glow of the early morning light.

A lion resting in the early morning light.

Captivated by the serene beauty of the wilderness. Witnessing this majestic lion immersed in the soft morning light was truly an unforgettable experience.

Chasing giraffes and zebras! 🦒 Spotting giraffes in their natural habitat is always the highlight of any safari for me. I absolutely love animals with spots or stripes, so this was a dream come true. While some people rushed to look for the Big Five, I went after giraffes and zebras, LOL.

I captured this photo in Marakele National Park, Thabazimbi, our first stop. During our visit, we spent a few days at the Marataba Mountain Lodge, featuring only five suites and offering a breathtaking view of the nearby mountains. Situated in a privately managed area within Marakele National Park, the lodge is approximately a 3-hour and 30-minute drive from Johannesburg.

Imagine the thrill of spotting a young male cheetah on a beautiful golden afternoon while walking just a few meters behind him! It was just my husband, our experienced guide Brendan Vorster (IG: @brendans_wildlife), and me alone in the long grass; the quiet scene occasionally interrupted by the calls of birds and the sound of the wind rustling through the tree leaves. It was an unforgettable experience that we’ll always cherish.

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), the fastest land animal, can sprint at an astonishing 93 to 104 km/h (58 to 65 mph). Its body is uniquely designed for speed, with a slender build, long, thin legs, and a lengthy tail. The semi-retractable claws, a distinctive feature not found in other cats, play a crucial role in its remarkable speed.

Lapalala Wilderness Reserve was our second safari destination. We were incredibly fortunate to be accommodated at the Noka Camp, one of the renowned Lepogo Lodges. The five villas, perched on a striking 100-foot clifftop, not only offered awe-inspiring views over the Palala River but also provided a lavish and cozy stay. The lodge, a few hours’ drive from Johannesburg, is completely malaria-free, a key factor in our decision to choose it.

Brotherly love at its finest. These two cheetah brothers always have each other’s backs.

Double trouble. Two young cheetah brothers walk gracefully in the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve on a golden afternoon, the epitome of grace and speed. They moved effortlessly at a seemingly slow pace, yet we could barely keep up with them.

Mesmerized by the gentle strength and protective nature of this beautiful female elephant with her adorable baby following closely behind. 🐘💕

An elephant breeding herd in the breathtaking Marakele National Park, what an awesome sight! The mother in front was very protective of the baby, stirring up dust, flapping her ears, and trumpeting vigorously to keep us away.

Stay tuned, because I’m bursting with excitement to share more from this unforgettable adventure with all of you!

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Mihaela Limberea

Tag: Elephant

My 2024 Favorite Photos

The Origin of the Elephants

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