One of Africa’s ugliest creations, the Warthog somehow finds a soft spot in most people’s hearts. Perhaps it is the rough look of these creatures that makes them lovable, either way they can be fierce and have even been known to chase off Hyenas and Lions.
Able to go for months at a time without drinking any water, Warthogs have adapted well to the harsh conditions of the African savannah. The Southern Warthog is the subspecies of the Common Warthog that is found in Chobe National Park, Botswana. It was a rainy day when this mother and youngster were out grazing. Wet, muddy and dirty; this photo seemed to personify these ‘cute’ creatures quite well.
Southern Warthog Mother and Baby in Chobe National Park
A trip into the Qadisha Valley of Lebanon brings you to the ‘Cedars’, a natural wonder dating back to ancient times. Lebanon is famous for it’s Cedar trees and they’re a huge source of pride to the point that a Cedar tree is prominently featured on their national flag.
Jesus Tree in the Forest of God
The Cedars of Lebanon are linked to many stories from the Bible, so they have a strong religious significance to many people. While the forest is much smaller now than it was 2000 years ago, it is still quite impressive and makes for a fun day trip of hiking and enjoying nature.
The Cedars of Lebanon
One area that really stood out for me was what is called the Cedars of God. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has many impressively large Cedar trees that date back for centuries, but it was the Jesus Tree or Crucifixion Tree that impressed me most. Carved into one enormous dead tree were various depictions of the crucifixion of Christ. An amazing bit of woodworking in an amazing natural setting.
Jesus Tree in the Forest of God in LebanonCloseup of Carving in the Forest of GodJesus Tree in the Forest of God
The largest living bird in the world, the Common Ostrich has a number of subspecies, this one is the Masai, or Maasai, subspecies.
Males Ostrich tend to have dark black colour feathers and a reddish neck and legs that get brighter during mating season. Female Ostrich have duller, grey and brown colour feathers.
This one was photographed in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.
Dodo birds may be extinct, but thankfully we still have the whimsical and wonderfully weird blue-footed booby birds.
Without a care for visiting tourists in the Galapagos these birds freely put on mating displays and build nests in the middle of hiking trails. Their impressive diving capabilities are a stark contrast to their somewhat clumsy shuffling they do when walking on land. The big blue feet apparently are good for scratching too.
A Blue-Footed Booby striking a pose on Espanola Island, Galapagos
The Mule Deer gets its name from the large mule-like ears it has, much larger than most other species of deer.
This one was photographed in Yellowstone National Park. A handful of Mule Deer were wading through shallow waters in a brushy area. They can be found throughout the park and their coat of fur changes from rust to orange to grey and white depending on the time of year.
