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Discover the stories behind my photographs, captured around the world in magnificent landscapes and foreign cultures

Outgrown Habitat

 

Hello out there,

Experiencing wildlife in its natural habitat is probably one of the main reasons people, including me, are traveling to Africa. Especially since larger animals in central Europe can only be observed in zoo enclosures, it is just fascinating to experience them in the wild. And seeing a full-grown giraffe walking across the street right in front of me is just unforgettable. But to get into such a situation does not only take a flight to Africa, but also a lot of patience and good eyes.

After visiting several wildlife reserves and parks on our trip through South Africa, it was our last safari day, before heading to Johannesburg. Therefore we got up early in the morning and did a last drive through the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park from our accommodation in the Hilltop Camp. So far, we have been really lucky to see all kind of animals. Beside a leopard, which we even did not expect to see in our wildest dreams, only a giraffe was still unchecked on our wish list.

But the whole morning we did not spot a lot of animals. It seemed like for some reason, they were all hiding behind the foliage. As we were actually heading for the gate to leave the park, we suddenly spotted a wiggling tree, even though it was more or less wind still. As we came closer, the mystery around the wiggling tree was solved. A giraffe was tearing off a couple of leaves for breakfast right behind the tree. Finally, we got to see one.

And we were even more lucky, as this majestic animal was heading in our direction and crossed the street right in front of our car. I was so blown away, by its sheer size, that I even forgot to take a photo. But that came back into my mind, as the giraffe was standing right next to our car in between the bushes, which she had definitely has outgrown by quite a bit.