NikonGear'23
Images => Nature, Flora, Fauna & Landscapes => Topic started by: Ann on July 22, 2025, 20:16:27
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Rhinos don't do this very often (and this is the only time that I have witnessed it) but two White Rhinos decided on a sunset bathe and mud-wallow on this particular evening
(https://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220725200648.jpeg)
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So that's what a rhino's horn is for!
Beautiful detail.
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Rhinos don't do this very often (and this is the only time that I have witnessed it) but two White Rhinos decided on a sunset bathe and mud-wallow on this particular evening
Magnificent and fun portrait, Ann - hopefully the White Rhino will prevail as a species.
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Anthony and Lars: Thank you for your very kind comments.
Seeing rhinos playing in the muddy water was a very unexpected and wonderful encounter
The Rhino poaching situation in South Africa is indeed of great concern as there are less than 13,000 White Rhinos left in the country and more than 420 fall to poachers every year.
The South African government is waging the war on the poachers in several ways:
Catching and jailing the poachers is one option.
Surgically dehorning the rhinos is another option as it renders them valueless to poachers but makes the animals unable to protect themselves. Dehorned animals are also less photogenic.
Another option is to move animals further west and away from the eastern ports which are believed to be heavily involved in this illegal trade.
Black Rhinos are even more rare and only number about 2000 in South Africa.
I have seen Black Rhinos very rarely but will post images of some of them.
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Another great example of patience and luck! Thank you, as always, for sharing, Ann.
What is the purpose of the mud-wallowing? To keep the moisture in the skin, for the protection against UV or both?
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Ann, thanks for sharing this magnificent photo
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Ann, thanks for sharing this magnificent photo
Yes, thanks for sharing, Ann. Great photo.
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thanks for sharing, its a very good picture
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Akira, Armando, Thomas and John: Thank you all for your very kind remarks.
Akira, I don't know why rhinos like rolling in the mud but it may be just for fun or to rid themselves from the thousands of Ticks which torment them.
I promised to lookout some Black Rhino photographs. This guy had been in quite a fierce fight and was in no mood to chase us so we were able to get quite close and spend quite a long time with him.
"Black", in his name, refers to the Black River where European settlers first spotted them while "White" (used for another breed of Rhino) is a corruption of the Dutch word for a wide mouth.
This is a close-up of the Black Rhino we found at Phinda:
(https://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-240725164954-8712021.jpeg)
and this is a longer shot:
(https://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-240725164954-8781959.jpeg)
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wow, the first one is impressive - the best Rhino picture I have seen so far
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Ann, all three shots are impressive - however the gash in "Black's" right side does not look quite so impressive for him.
Are these new images or new edits of older images? Great detail.
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Akira, Armando, Thomas and John: Thank you all for your very kind remarks.
Akira, I don't know why rhinos like rolling in the mud but it may be just for fun or to rid themselves from the thousands of Ticks which torment them.
I promised to lookout some Black Rhino photographs. This guy had been in quite a fierce fight and was in no mood to chase us so we were able to get quite close and spend quite a long time with him.
"Black", in his name, refers to the Black River where European settlers first spotted them while "White" (used for another breed of Rhino) is a corruption of the Dutch word for a wide mouth.
This is a close-up of the Black Rhino we found at Phinda:
(https://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-240725164954-8712021.jpeg)
and this is a longer shot:
(https://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-240725164954-8781959.jpeg)
the photos are magnificent,
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Akira, I don't know why rhinos like rolling in the mud but it may be just for fun or to rid themselves from the thousands of Ticks which torment them.
Ah, that makes more sense. Thank you for the explanation and additional amazing images of the black rhino!
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Beautiful take of an impressive specimen.
Thanks for sharing it
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Magnificent beasts.
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Hugh asked whether these were new photographs or new edits of older ones.
They are all new edits because the incredible advances in the editing software have made me realise that every photograph that I have ever taken needs to be redone.
These images, and a number of other Rhino photographs, are now in a new gallery on my website and you are welcome to explore them. I am gradually re-working each of the galleries there but it is taking time so if you come across a weak and weedy gallery on my site, you will know that it is one that is still waiting attention.
This is another shot of a Black Rhino who looks quite light because he has bathed all the mud off.
(https://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-250725035007-8801678.jpeg)
It was almost midnight and I was the only one at this camp at Etosha who was still awake (apart from a couple of jackals) and was about to pack it in when two Black Rhinos arrived in the pond. These were the first Black Rhino that I had ever seen! The only light was from a very weak sodium bulb so exposure was 1/60 sec. on a fully open 200-400 lens at 25,600 ISO but photographs simply had to be taken!
Eventually the rhinos disappeared back into the darkness and I turned to go to my room — except that I could not see my way or remember exactly where it was.
I asked the Jackals but they were no help at all so I headed in what I thought was the right direction.
Now I find myself walking along a road. Eventually I hear a car coming and decide to flag it down.
Fortunately the driver was one of the Etosha Rangers who knew exactly where my room number was and kindly took me to it. (It was now about 1:30 a.m!)
We had booked a Ranger for the following morning and the other photographers seemed a little surprised when our Ranger arrived and we apparently already knew each other!
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Thanks Ann. Thank god for Raw files and the new software to exploit them to the maximum.