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  • Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southwestern Utah in the United States. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views. Bryce sits at a higher elevation varying from 8,000 to 9,000 feet (2,400 to 2,700 m).<br />
The Bryce Canyon area was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s and was named after Ebenezer Bryce, who homesteaded in the area in 1874. The area around Bryce Canyon became a National Monument in 1923 and was designated as a National Park in 1928. The park covers 35,835 acres (55.992 sq mi; 14,502 ha; 145.02 km2) and receives relatively few visitors compared to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, largely due to its remote location.
    062415-07.jpg
  • Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southwestern Utah in the United States. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views. Bryce sits at a higher elevation varying from 8,000 to 9,000 feet (2,400 to 2,700 m).<br />
The Bryce Canyon area was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s and was named after Ebenezer Bryce, who homesteaded in the area in 1874. The area around Bryce Canyon became a National Monument in 1923 and was designated as a National Park in 1928. The park covers 35,835 acres (55.992 sq mi; 14,502 ha; 145.02 km2) and receives relatively few visitors compared to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, largely due to its remote location.
    062415-63.jpg
  • Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.<br />
<br />
The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path.  This image was taken on the south rim of the canyon.
    091315-168.jpg
  • Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.<br />
<br />
The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path.  This image was taken on the south rim of the canyon.
    062215-062.jpg
  • Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.<br />
<br />
The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path.  This image was taken on the south rim of the canyon.
    062215-011.jpg
  • Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.<br />
<br />
The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path.  This image was taken on the south rim of the canyon.
    062215-065.jpg
  • Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.<br />
<br />
The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path.  This image was taken on the south rim of the canyon.
    091315-257.jpg
  • Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.<br />
<br />
The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path.  This image was taken on the south rim of the canyon.
    091315-038.jpg
  • Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.<br />
<br />
The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path.  This image was taken on the south rim of the canyon.
    062215-008.jpg
  • Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, like the world-famous Delicate Arch, as well as many other unusual rock formations. In some areas, the forces of nature have exposed millions of years of geologic history. The extraordinary features of the park create a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures that is unlike any other in the world. The forces of nature have acted in concert to create the landscape of Arches, which contains the greatest density of natural arches in the world. Throughout the park, rock layers reveal millions of years of deposition, erosion and other geologic events.
    101098B-11.jpg
  • Hoodoos - grotesque, eerie and often whimsical... are on display here, along with ancient trees and scenic views from the rim. Famous for its unique geology of red rock spires and horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters, Bryce offers the visitor a "Far View" from the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah. Bryce Canyon National Park is a scientist's laboratory and a child's playground. Because Bryce transcends 2000 feet (650 m) of elevation, the park exists in three distinct climatic zones: spruce/fir forest, Ponderosa Pine forest, and Pinyon Pine/juniper forest.
    062998D-22.jpg
  • Crater Lake - Crater Lake National Park - Oregon - United States<br />
<br />
About 6,800 years ago, at the climax of a series of dramatic eruptions, the top of Mt. Mazama collapsed.  Left behind was the huge crater, or caldera, you see today.  But before the caldera filed with water, there were more eruptions.<br />
<br />
The most striking evidence of post-collapse volcanic activity is Wizard Island, the small volcano in the middle of Crater Lake.  It's symmetrical cone was formed by a fountain of cinders which erupted from the caldera floor.  On the left side of the caldera, a similar cone appeared, but today it lies hidden 496 feet (151m) beow the lake surface. <br />
<br />
Geologists believe that lava flows which erupted after the collapse helped to seal the fractured caldera floor, allowing melting snow and rain to accumulate. <br />
<br />
When Mt. Mazama collapsed about 6,800 years ago, it left behind evidences of its former self.  Like X-ray photos, the steep caldera walls reveal the interior of Mt. Mazama before its fall.  <br />
<br />
The massive gray monolith on the rim is Llao Rock.  It formed when a large outpouring of lava filled an explosion crater on the north slope of Mt. Mazama.  When Mt. Mazama collapsed, part of the hardened lava flow broke off and fell into the caldera, leaving the downslope portion perched on the rim.<br />
<br />
The jagged, colorful spires of Hillman Peak are the remains of a secondary volcano which erupted on the side of Mt. Mazama.  This satellite cone attained a height of 1,000 feet (300m). Erosion has exposed a maze of clogged and solified lava conduits that fed the Hillman volcano.
    070310-209.jpg
  • Shi Shi Beach is located in Olympic National Park on the Olympic Penninsula in Washington. Well known for the spectacular sea stacks that define this landscape, this beautiful beach epitomizes the wild rugged Pacific Northwest coast.
    082005-152.jpg
  • Crater Lake - Crater Lake National Park - Oregon - United States<br />
<br />
About 6,800 years ago, at the climax of a series of dramatic eruptions, the top of Mt. Mazama collapsed.  Left behind was the huge crater, or caldera, you see today.  But before the caldera filed with water, there were more eruptions.<br />
<br />
The most striking evidence of post-collapse volcanic activity is Wizard Island, the small volcano in the middle of Crater Lake.  It's symmetrical cone was formed by a fountain of cinders which erupted from the caldera floor.  On the left side of the caldera, a similar cone appeared, but today it lies hidden 496 feet (151m) beow the lake surface. <br />
<br />
Geologists believe that lava flows which erupted after the collapse helped to seal the fractured caldera floor, allowing melting snow and rain to accumulate. <br />
<br />
When Mt. Mazama collapsed about 6,800 years ago, it left behind evidences of its former self.  Like X-ray photos, the steep caldera walls reveal the interior of Mt. Mazama before its fall.  <br />
<br />
The massive gray monolith on the rim is Llao Rock.  It formed when a large outpouring of lava filled an explosion crater on the north slope of Mt. Mazama.  When Mt. Mazama collapsed, part of the hardened lava flow broke off and fell into the caldera, leaving the downslope portion perched on the rim.<br />
<br />
The jagged, colorful spires of Hillman Peak are the remains of a secondary volcano which erupted on the side of Mt. Mazama.  This satellite cone attained a height of 1,000 feet (300m). Erosion has exposed a maze of clogged and solified lava conduits that fed the Hillman volcano.
    070310-089.jpg
  • Crater Lake - Crater Lake National Park - Oregon - United States<br />
<br />
About 6,800 years ago, at the climax of a series of dramatic eruptions, the top of Mt. Mazama collapsed.  Left behind was the huge crater, or caldera, you see today.  But before the caldera filed with water, there were more eruptions.<br />
<br />
The most striking evidence of post-collapse volcanic activity is Wizard Island, the small volcano in the middle of Crater Lake.  It's symmetrical cone was formed by a fountain of cinders which erupted from the caldera floor.  On the left side of the caldera, a similar cone appeared, but today it lies hidden 496 feet (151m) beow the lake surface. <br />
<br />
Geologists believe that lava flows which erupted after the collapse helped to seal the fractured caldera floor, allowing melting snow and rain to accumulate. <br />
<br />
When Mt. Mazama collapsed about 6,800 years ago, it left behind evidences of its former self.  Like X-ray photos, the steep caldera walls reveal the interior of Mt. Mazama before its fall.  <br />
<br />
The massive gray monolith on the rim is Llao Rock.  It formed when a large outpouring of lava filled an explosion crater on the north slope of Mt. Mazama.  When Mt. Mazama collapsed, part of the hardened lava flow broke off and fell into the caldera, leaving the downslope portion perched on the rim.<br />
<br />
The jagged, colorful spires of Hillman Peak are the remains of a secondary volcano which erupted on the side of Mt. Mazama.  This satellite cone attained a height of 1,000 feet (300m). Erosion has exposed a maze of clogged and solified lava conduits that fed the Hillman volcano.
    070310-251.jpg
  • Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation.  The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The elevation of the valley floor ranges from 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m) above sea level. The floor is largely siltstone of the Cutler Group, or sand derived from it, deposited by the meandering rivers that carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide.  The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principal layers. The lowest layer is the Organ Rock Shale, the middle is de Chelly Sandstone, and the top layer is the Moenkopi Formation capped by Shinarump Conglomerate. The valley includes large stone structures including the famed "Eye of the Sun".
    091615-052.jpg
  • Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation.  The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The elevation of the valley floor ranges from 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m) above sea level. The floor is largely siltstone of the Cutler Group, or sand derived from it, deposited by the meandering rivers that carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide.  The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principal layers. The lowest layer is the Organ Rock Shale, the middle is de Chelly Sandstone, and the top layer is the Moenkopi Formation capped by Shinarump Conglomerate. The valley includes large stone structures including the famed "Eye of the Sun".
    091615-062.jpg
  • Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation.  The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The elevation of the valley floor ranges from 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m) above sea level. The floor is largely siltstone of the Cutler Group, or sand derived from it, deposited by the meandering rivers that carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide.  The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principal layers. The lowest layer is the Organ Rock Shale, the middle is de Chelly Sandstone, and the top layer is the Moenkopi Formation capped by Shinarump Conglomerate. The valley includes large stone structures including the famed "Eye of the Sun".
    091515-128.jpg
  • Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation.  The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The elevation of the valley floor ranges from 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m) above sea level. The floor is largely siltstone of the Cutler Group, or sand derived from it, deposited by the meandering rivers that carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide.  The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principal layers. The lowest layer is the Organ Rock Shale, the middle is de Chelly Sandstone, and the top layer is the Moenkopi Formation capped by Shinarump Conglomerate. The valley includes large stone structures including the famed "Eye of the Sun".
    091615-044.jpg
  • Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation.  The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The elevation of the valley floor ranges from 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m) above sea level. The floor is largely siltstone of the Cutler Group, or sand derived from it, deposited by the meandering rivers that carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide.  The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principal layers. The lowest layer is the Organ Rock Shale, the middle is de Chelly Sandstone, and the top layer is the Moenkopi Formation capped by Shinarump Conglomerate. The valley includes large stone structures including the famed "Eye of the Sun".
    091615-287.jpg
  • Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation.  The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The elevation of the valley floor ranges from 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m) above sea level. The floor is largely siltstone of the Cutler Group, or sand derived from it, deposited by the meandering rivers that carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide.  The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principal layers. The lowest layer is the Organ Rock Shale, the middle is de Chelly Sandstone, and the top layer is the Moenkopi Formation capped by Shinarump Conglomerate. The valley includes large stone structures including the famed "Eye of the Sun".
    091515-002.jpg
  • African Elephant (Loxadonta africana)  -   Mana Pools National Park – Zimbabwe <br />
<br />
This is a great example of a unique behavior that I've only seen here in Mana Pools National Park and in the forest in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania.  At this time of the year the acacia trees have pods on their branches that the elephants are quite fond of.  They eat everything in reach first, then when they have to go higher, they will start shifting their body back and forth and then use the momentum to launch themselves up in the air.  With the additional height, they can grab the higher branches pull them down, strip them and eat them.  Sometimes they will go all the way up with their entire body supported on one foot.  It's quite a wonderful thing to see...<br />
<br />
Elephants are the largest land animals. The elephant's gestation period is 22 months, the longest of any land animal. At birth it is common for an elephant calf to weigh 120 kilograms (260 lb). They typically live for 50 to 70 years, but the oldest recorded elephant lived for 82 years. The largest elephant ever recorded was shot in Angola in 1956. This male weighed about 12,000 kilograms (26,000 lb), with a shoulder height of 4.2 meters (14 ft), a meter (yard) taller than the average male African elephant. Healthy adult elephants have no natural predators, although lions may take calves or weak individuals. They are, however, increasingly threatened by human intrusion and poaching. Once numbering in the millions, the African elephant population has dwindled.
    083101I-34.jpg
  • This view from Weeping Rock in Zion National Park affords views of massive canyon walls ascending toward a brilliant blue sky. To experience Zion, you need to walk among the towering cliffs, or challenge your courage in a small narrow canyon. These unique sandstone cliffs range in color from cream, to pink, to red. They could be described as sand castles crowning desert canyons. Zion's unique geographic location and variety of life zones combine to create a variety of habitats for a surprising array of plant and animal species. Located on the Colorado Plateau, but bordering the Great Basin and Mojave Desert Provinces, Zion is home to plants from each region.
    062798B-02.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091101A-35.jpg
  • Patterns and trends begun to evolve whereby the populations that inhabited the lakeshores slowly moved progressively higher into the uplands, which required felling trees for food and fuel production. This trend, coupled with the very fertile land capable of producing food, is why these rural areas have some of the highest population densities in all of Africa. As a result of an ever-present slow drift of people toward the uplands, the forests were continuing to disappear at an alarming rate.<br />
From the Ruhija Research Station looking out across the forest in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park toward the Virunga Volcanoes in neighboring Rwanda and the Democractic Republic of Congo the impact of land clearing is visible in the stretch of farmland in the middle of the photo. The most significant land clearing has occurred within the last five hundred to a thousand years and ultimately led to a permanent separation between the once contiguous forests of Bwindi and the Virungas.
    051906-017.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201F-07.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201E-35.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201D-07.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091101A-04.jpg
  • Geikie Gorge near Fitzroy Crossing <br />
<br />
Kimberley Plateau - Western Australia <br />
<br />
Geikie Gorge (known locally as Darngku) is located within the grounds of Geikie Gorge National Park, 20km from Fitzroy Crossing, 1831 km northeast of Perth and 420 km east of Broome in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. Believed to be one of the best-known and most easily accessed, the gorge is named in honour of Sir Archibald Geikie, the Director General of Geological Survey for Great Britain and Ireland when it was given its European name in 1883. Along with Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge, Geikie Gorge is part of an ancient barrier reef that developed during the Devonian Period. The walls of the gorge are 30 metres high. The eight kilometer gorge was created by the flowing waters of the Fitzroy River, which still flows through the region and the wildlife present in the Gorge includes: the freshwater crocodile, Leichhardt's sawfish and Coach-whip stingrays.
    101801C-16.jpg
  • Lion (Panthera leo)  -   Matusadonna National Park - Zimbabwe <br />
<br />
The lion is the tallest (at the shoulder) of the felids, and is also the second-heaviest of the big cats after the tiger. With powerful legs, a strong jaw, and long canine teeth, the lion can bring down and kill large prey. The coloration of lions can vary from light buff to yellowish, reddish or dark brown. Lion cubs are born with brown rosettes (spots) on their body, similar to a leopard, but will fade as they reach adulthood. Lions are the only members of the cat family to display obvious sexual dimorphism—specifically, males and females look distinctly different. The lioness, lacks the thick mane, which is prominent in the males. The color of the male's mane can vary from blond to black, generally becoming darker as the lion grows older.
    082601C-08.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201E-10.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201D-27.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201D-11.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091101A-01.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201F-17.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201E-04.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091601D-12.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091301B-01.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201E-07.jpg
  • Goliath heron (Ardea goliath) - Matusadonna National Park on the shores of Lake Kariba - Zimbabwe
    082801A-33.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201D-27.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091301B-28.jpg
  • African Elephant (Loxadonta africana)  -   Mana Pools National Park – Zimbabwe <br />
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Elephants are the largest land animals. The elephant's gestation period is 22 months, the longest of any land animal. At birth it is common for an elephant calf to weigh 120 kilograms (260 lb). They typically live for 50 to 70 years, but the oldest recorded elephant lived for 82 years. The largest elephant ever recorded was shot in Angola in 1956. This male weighed about 12,000 kilograms (26,000 lb), with a shoulder height of 4.2 meters (14 ft), a meter (yard) taller than the average male African elephant. Healthy adult elephants have no natural predators, although lions may take calves or weak individuals. They are, however, increasingly threatened by human intrusion and poaching. Once numbering in the millions, the African elephant population has dwindled.
    083001C-6.jpg
  • The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), Barbary ape, or magot is a species of macaque unique for its distribution outside of Asia and for its vestigial tail. Found in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco and El-Kouf National Park in Libya along with a small population of unknown origin in Gibraltar, the Barbary macaque is one of the best-known Old World monkey species.<br />
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This image is a great display of grooming behavior.  This behavior is common amongs most primates and many other species and is always interesting to watch when it is occuring naturally.<br />
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The Barbary macaque is of particular interest because males play an atypical role in rearing young. Despite uncertain paternity, males are integral to raising infants. Generally, Barbary macaques of all ages and sexes contribute in alloparental care of young.<br />
Macaque diets consist primarily of plants and insects and they are found in a variety of habitats. Males live to a maximum of 25 years while females may live up to 30 years. Besides humans, they are the only free-living primates in Europe. Although the species is commonly referred to as the "Barbary ape", the Barbary macaque is actually a true monkey. Its name refers to the Barbary Coast of Northern Africa.<br />
The Barbary macaque population of Gibraltar is the only such population outside of Northern Africa. The Rock of Gibraltar is populated by approximately 230 macaques.
    042414-155.jpg
  • The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), Barbary ape, or magot is a species of macaque unique for its distribution outside of Asia and for its vestigial tail. Found in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco and El-Kouf National Park in Libya along with a small population of unknown origin in Gibraltar, the Barbary macaque is one of the best-known Old World monkey species.<br />
The Barbary macaque is of particular interest because males play an atypical role in rearing young. Despite uncertain paternity, males are integral to raising infants. Generally, Barbary macaques of all ages and sexes contribute in alloparental care of young.<br />
Macaque diets consist primarily of plants and insects and they are found in a variety of habitats. Males live to a maximum of 25 years while females may live up to 30 years. Besides humans, they are the only free-living primates in Europe. Although the species is commonly referred to as the "Barbary ape", the Barbary macaque is actually a true monkey. Its name refers to the Barbary Coast of Northern Africa.<br />
The Barbary macaque population of Gibraltar is the only such population outside of Northern Africa. The Rock of Gibraltar is populated by approximately 230 macaques.
    042414-190.jpg
  • The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), Barbary ape, or magot is a species of macaque unique for its distribution outside of Asia and for its vestigial tail. Found in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco and El-Kouf National Park in Libya along with a small population of unknown origin in Gibraltar, the Barbary macaque is one of the best-known Old World monkey species.<br />
The Barbary macaque is of particular interest because males play an atypical role in rearing young. Despite uncertain paternity, males are integral to raising infants. Generally, Barbary macaques of all ages and sexes contribute in alloparental care of young.<br />
Macaque diets consist primarily of plants and insects and they are found in a variety of habitats. Males live to a maximum of 25 years while females may live up to 30 years. Besides humans, they are the only free-living primates in Europe. Although the species is commonly referred to as the "Barbary ape", the Barbary macaque is actually a true monkey. Its name refers to the Barbary Coast of Northern Africa.<br />
The Barbary macaque population of Gibraltar is the only such population outside of Northern Africa. The Rock of Gibraltar is populated by approximately 230 macaques.
    042414-019.jpg
  • Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris) - This was the last morning that I was going to be in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.  I was leaving later in the morning to journey on to the city of Banaras in the Uttar Pradesh province.  I had been sitting for a couple of hours watching a peacock (Pavo cristatus) and hoping that it would step into the sunlight and display for me.  My national parks guide could hear on the radio that there had been a sighting of a tiger in the area and had been urging me that we should go and try to find it.  I told him I wanted to stay a little longer because I was still waiting on the peacock.  After a few minutes, we pulled out of the area we were in and here came this magnificent male tiger patrolling his territory.  We stopped quickly and I was able to get a couple of shots of this guy as he was walking towards us.  A male tiger's territory will normally range up to 20 square miles, all of which must be patrolled on some level of a regular basis.
    042001A-09.jpg