How close do you get to the animals on a safari?
Jun 3, 2020 16:42:19 #
I keep my safari photos on my iPad since people ask to see them. I get asked a lot about how close are you to the animals. Photo is from my iPhone. Quite close. I've been almost this close to an elephant, with elephants you have to keep very still, and nothing must stick out of the vehicle. Cheetahs don't seem to care, they will mark their scent on vehicle tires. Leopards seem to be indifferent, and lions don't care much either. Although it would be a very different story if you got out of the vehicle!
Jun 3, 2020 17:05:18 #
jcs
Loc: USA
Arcadia1969 wrote:
........ and lions don't care much either. Although it would be a very different story if you got out of the vehicle!
Yup , lol
Jun 3, 2020 18:32:20 #
Jun 3, 2020 19:20:04 #
Cany143
Loc: SE Utah
Never been on a safari, so take my suggestion as you may:
Flowers and the promise of dinner and a movie?
Oh, wait! You wrote 'how close do you get..." not 'how do you get close....' Apologies for my lack of reading skills.
Flowers and the promise of dinner and a movie?
Oh, wait! You wrote 'how close do you get..." not 'how do you get close....' Apologies for my lack of reading skills.
Jun 4, 2020 01:16:14 #
Our land rover was without top ..6 of us include the ranger driving ..the gun bearer who sat shotgun and sometimes in the front of the vehicle by the radiator .., I sat all the way in the back in the high seats .., and believe me ..this is how close you get to the animals ..we always pulled up to no more than 3 or more lions .., and the cheetahs ..., we would follow them at night with the spot light and be within 25 ft ..they don’t seem to care ...The elephants ..., we never got closer than 50 yards .., especially the bulls ..., after being chased by one and hiding down low behind the seat .., I don’t want to go through that again ...
The most exciting adventure I have ever had in my life .., only 4 reasons I wouldn’t go back ....1) had the Land Rover not started and when it did .., the driver ground the gears he was in such a hurry ..as the Bull elephant came after us I’d been dead , ...2) when the small 2 engine plane with 10 of us on board landed on the dirt airstrip...it hit so hard I thought I was going to die .. 3) when they walked us back in the evening to our grass roof covered mud huts .., they told us not to open our doors or go outside til am ...Big critters ...4) the cost .2 weeks in South Africa .. $$$…, other than that ...wholly Mackerel....😎👍
The most exciting adventure I have ever had in my life .., only 4 reasons I wouldn’t go back ....1) had the Land Rover not started and when it did .., the driver ground the gears he was in such a hurry ..as the Bull elephant came after us I’d been dead , ...2) when the small 2 engine plane with 10 of us on board landed on the dirt airstrip...it hit so hard I thought I was going to die .. 3) when they walked us back in the evening to our grass roof covered mud huts .., they told us not to open our doors or go outside til am ...Big critters ...4) the cost .2 weeks in South Africa .. $$$…, other than that ...wholly Mackerel....😎👍
Jun 4, 2020 01:25:20 #
Cany143 wrote:
Never been on a safari, so take my suggestion as you may:
Flowers and the promise of dinner and a movie?
Oh, wait! You wrote 'how close do you get..." not 'how do you get close....' Apologies for my lack of reading skills.
Flowers and the promise of dinner and a movie?
Oh, wait! You wrote 'how close do you get..." not 'how do you get close....' Apologies for my lack of reading skills.
Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker...........
Jun 4, 2020 06:06:43 #
My trip to South Africa was a tale of 2 reserves. One was set up for many visitors and offered what I thought of as a taste of Africa. Two things stood out: seeing a baby hippo maybe just a few hours old, and being charged by an elephant. I was in the back seat and it was too close! The second reserve was at Zimanga and could not have been more different. Only 2 of us and the guide in the vehicle and we were very close to lions on 3 occasions, and needed wide angle to get the elephants in the image we were that close. Both places were very nice. But, much better photo ops at Zimanga, and much closer.
Jun 4, 2020 06:11:52 #
We stopped and watched as five female lions hunted a herd of cape buffalo. They were working them back and forth to try to separate one from the herd. They were solely focused on what they were doing, and on several occasions walked right past our vehicle - I literally could have reached out to touch one....if I wanted to lose my arm! Got pretty close to some of the giraffes - they were more curious than afraid. The elephants - we did have a few bluff charges from young males, but nothing closer than 20 yards or so.
Jun 4, 2020 08:04:01 #
Arcadia1969 wrote:
I keep my safari photos on my iPad since people as... (show quote)
too close for my taste.....thanks anyway. I'll be in my bunker if you need me.
Jun 4, 2020 08:34:37 #
I asked same question before I went. I found I rarely needed a long telephoto. I am glad I had it. Not everything was close, but most viewings were not far away. Lions and the like only a few feet away. Smaller animals and birds often required bigger lenses to fill frame enough to be interesting. I had a bigger lens with me, but often it sat on the seat next to me. I mostly used my trusty 80-400. I have tons of great photos and never wished to have “more” lens than I had with me.
The guide gets you close. A private guide is the best way to go. Educated, knowledgeable and motivated, they seem to get you very close and often know how to get you a good position.
The guide gets you close. A private guide is the best way to go. Educated, knowledgeable and motivated, they seem to get you very close and often know how to get you a good position.
Jun 4, 2020 08:39:20 #
Several times on safari in different countries, the animals get very close.
This image was taken in Kenya in July. I was on a private safari with 5 Long Island Photographers.
We had 2 trucks so each person had a full row of seats. Fortunately a friend in the other truck took this image of a beautiful leopard walking directly next to our truck. One lion used our truck to ambush a wildebeast. The elephant was at the Elephant Bedroom camp. His name is Obama and he came to visit us often.
This image was taken in Kenya in July. I was on a private safari with 5 Long Island Photographers.
We had 2 trucks so each person had a full row of seats. Fortunately a friend in the other truck took this image of a beautiful leopard walking directly next to our truck. One lion used our truck to ambush a wildebeast. The elephant was at the Elephant Bedroom camp. His name is Obama and he came to visit us often.
Jun 4, 2020 08:46:46 #
Jun 4, 2020 09:11:59 #
Jun 4, 2020 09:30:18 #
Jun 4, 2020 09:32:25 #
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