The A - Z April Challenge: L

L is for Lion

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We spent time on the Serengeti watching a pair of lions cross the savannah to settle in with the rest of their pride. My attention was captured by a lioness whose scars told the tale of her hard-won life.

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These pictures speak for themselves...

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For more A - Z posts, be sure to pop by Arlee Bird's site and see what others have done with the letter L...
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http://www.tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/01/very-special-and-exciting

The A - Z April Challenge: J

J is for Jackal

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The silver-backed East African Jackal is related to wolves and domestic dogs. Though small and lightly built, it is a fiercely aggressive animal capable of taking down prey many times its own weight.

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Jackals are monogamous, generally living and hunting as pairs in their own territory.

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They are most active at dawn and dusk. On an evening drive through Kenya's Samburu Game Reserve, we came across this fellow feeding on his latest kill. In the interest of discretion, I’ll post only these shots that show off his handsome demeanour highlighted by the setting sun….

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For more A - Z posts, be sure to pop by Arlee Bird's site and see what others have done with the letter J...

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http://www.tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/01/very-special-and-exciting.

The A - Z April Challenge: C ...Succintly Yours

This post might equally be titled, 'Beauty and the Beast'...

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 C is for Cheetah

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Without question the swift and sleek cheetah is one of Africa’s most beautiful creatures, and we were fortunate to see many of them on the savannahs of Kenya and Tanzania.

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Before embarking on our safari, I sought assurance we were not intruding. Though mindful that our presence was itself a intrusion, I hoped our impact might yet be minimal.

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 From the beginning, my fears were allayed. Riding slowly along the rutted roads on our first day in the Samburu Game Reserve, we saw a pair of cheetahs approach from the left and head toward the road.

Immediately, our driver stopped the truck and shut off the engine.   

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Unperturbed by our presence,

the lead cheetah moved 

 onto the road ahead of us,

and stretched himself out comfortably

on the warm ground.

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The second soon joined him and the two began to play gently, while we watched and waited.

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The morning was so still we could hear the loud purrs and snuffles that accompanied their game.

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Only when they moved off on their own accord did we continue on our way.

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In my sixth decade, I have accrued many joys in life to look back on…yet I think only a handful will ever compare to the half hour spent on this golden plain watching two wild felines roll happily about in the dusty road like a pair of over-sized house cats…

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Because the April 16th prompt on Photo Hunt is 'roads', I'm linking this up to tnchick...do pop in and visit the other players...
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http://tnchick.com/

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C is also for Cape Buffalo.

 Considerably larger and much less nimble, the Cape buffalo is no less amazing a presence, given its sheer size and fearsome look.

Our Kikuyu guide explained that the Cape buffalo was the most dangerous and unpredictable animal we would see in our travels, particularly one who has left his herd and become rogue.

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These lone buffalo appeared frequently on the grasslands, and we skirted around them most carefully…

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For more A - Z letters, be sure to pop by Arlee Bird's site and see what other have done with the letter C!

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http://www.tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/01/very-special-and-exciting-announcement.html
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Succintly Yours
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The culprit who pokes a mad cat,
Be it tiny or terribly fat,
Soon learns his mistake
For abuse they’ll not take
But will eat you in ten seconds flat!
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As Monday's prompt at Succintly Yours is cat-related, I thought to include it with this cheetah post. This challenge asks that we build a tale around the picture provided using no more than 140 characters or words. Today, I have also worked the optional word 'culprit' into my piece. I have Mad Kane to thank for unleashing the limerick monster I did not know lived inside me!!
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Succintly Yours: http://grandmas-goulash.info/
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Mad Kane:  http://www.madkane.com/humor_blog/  

Saturday Photo Hunt: Monkeys

On photo safari through East Africa's game parks, one is lifted from the ordinary and transported to a world of such stunning beauty that the senses can barely take it in. Miles of golden savannah, thorny acacia trees that dot the landscape, and sky that goes on forever instill such awe that speech becomes inadequate and unnecessary.

 And most amazing of all is that this brilliance is but background to the

majesty of the animal life that calls these grasslands home.

While I marvelled at the lions and elephants, and found myself enthralled by the gangly giraffe, I developed a special fondness for the cheeky Vervet Monkeys with their tiny black faces and soft brown eyes.

 Locals do not consider these little guys cute...they are bold, opportunistic and altogether too quick to leap into safari trucks and dining rooms to steal away what they can...

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  I never tired of watching their antics, and the futile efforts of the humans who tried to control them!

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You might like these other posts of my Africa trip:

http://imaginationlane.blogspot.com/2010/07/african-morning.html

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http://imaginationlane.blogspot.com/2010/07/hot-air-balloon-over-serengeti.html

The photos above were taken at the Samburu National Reserve in Kenya

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I'm linking this post to Saturday Photo Hunt, graciously hosted by tnchick. Do stop by and check out other photos that spotlight black this week!
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http://tnchick.com/

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I am also linking up to a great meme I just discovered called Camera Critters. I can see I'm going to love this one...
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http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/