On September 15th, 2009 a new zebra entered the world and amazingly clients of The Wild Source, Marc and Rossana from Australia were there to observe this incredible event. That was very fortunate as Marc is an incredible photographer and has been generous enough to share this amazing series of photos!
As you will see, the birth of the zebra was just the beginning of an action-packed day that included a lot of predator-zebra drama.
All photos courtesy of Marc Mol and all rights reserved.
9:00 AM – Zebra Emerges
9:02 AM – Zebra Foal Touches Down
9:03 AM – Happy Birthday!
9:07 AM – Stand on Your Own
9:09 AM – Walking Into Danger?
Now the dangerous world of predator and prey really begins. Marc and Rossana became worried as the new mom and baby headed off in the direction of where they had just seen the pack of 10 African Wild Dogs. Not good news for a zebra foal who is still learning to walk.
9:44 AM – African Wild Dogs Crash the Birthday Party
Fortunately for the Zebra foal, this may not be his only birthday. As it turns out, the wild dog pack moved right past the new foal and mother and decided that no snack could be more nutritious than the placenta which was run around with and ripped to bits by the dogs. The zebra was safe…. for the time being.
A full morning concluded, Marc and Rossana returned to Mapula Lodge for lunch and siesta. However, the afternoon drive would bring additional drama!
5:18 PM – Zebra: Its what’s for Dinner
Mapula’s goliath of a leopard, known as Big Boy, is spotted with a zebra kill. Hold breath, cross fingers, or as they say in Botswana stand on toes – It’s not the baby zebra!! Big Boy is feasting on a young zebra but not the star of today’s safari show.
5:58 PM – Birthday Wish Granted
With the resident leopard, Big Boy, fully satiated on a distant cousin, it appears that the foal will make it to see another day. His birthday wish has been granted.
Meanwhile, Big Boy is fully relaxed and laying up in the tree and gave a phenomenal sighting over about an hour and a half period. This guy is the biggest leopard most people will ever see, built more like a jaguar than typical leopard, and he often likes to pose for guests.
This is just a small sampling of a tremendous portfolio of photos taken by Marc at Mapula, Deception Valley Lodge, and on a mobile through a few of Botswana’s public park areas such as Xakanaxa in the Moremi Game Reserve and Savuti inside of Chobe National Park. To enjoy the full array of spectacular photos visit Marc’s album. Huge thanks to Marc and Rossana for sharing their photos and experience.