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The Elusive Aardvark

As many of you may know my focus from a photography perspective is birds, but when you have the opportunity to photograph one of the more elusive mammals in southern Africa, you just go for it. :). My wife and I tracked this incredible creature on foot. One of my best experiences in the bush to date.
Photographed at 17h27 on the 14th June 2015 at the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, where we were recently treated to a couple of nights stay. Tswalu is approximately 120 kilometres from Kuruman in the Northern Cape, and is unique because it combines the typical Kalahari savannahs and sand dunes with the Korannaberg Mountains.
It is also arguably the best place in the world to view aardvark and pangolin. In our short stay we had 14 separate sightings of aardvark and 2 of pangolin.
What an incredible blessing to experience this incredible reserve and to see these amazing animals!
Location: Tswalu Kalahari Reserve
Date taken: 14 June 2015
ISO 400 / f4.5 / 1/1000s / -0.3
Canon 7dMkii / 400mmf2.8
I have done very little to the image apart from a small crop and some slight brightness adjustments & sharpened for web. (I decided not to clone any of the grass blades)
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Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator
Hello Richard,
This is incredible, what a wonderful capture of Aardvark in lovely soft light!
Given your title, I think it was a good decision to leave the grass blades in, I actually like the way the subject is surrounded by vegetation and glad we are able to see its face so clearly:)
Love this, very well captured, nice catchlight in the eye and wonderful detail in all the right places - a unique image well processed and presented, Richard
Kind regards,
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Lifetime Member
I love the habitat and wow, what an incredible looking creature.
I don't even mind the missing tail as the grass hides it perfectly.
Thanks for sharing Richard!
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Lifetime Member
Hi Richard - I am thrilled to see this image because I am just completing plans to include Tswalu in a 2016 itinerary. Great low pov. I like the walking pose and would have also left in the blades of grass.
TFS,
Rachel
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Wonderful capture, Richard. Love the warm soft light and agree the grasses add to the overall IQ. Beautiful clear view of the face and ear. Great low angel too.
Geoffrey
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Hi Richard, great to see this species here. never seen one in real life. The colors are very warm and rich and I don't mind the grass. Not sure if you have room on the left, the image looks a bit tight to me. May try to flip it around and see if you like it better, Loi
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Great light and nice capture of this elusive (Well... where I work anyway) animal...I believe Tswalu is fantastic!
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Hi everyone, thanks so much for the comments! Really appreciate you taking the time. Loi, I do have space and will try that. Rachel, feel free to message me should you require any info about a trip there as we spent 4 full days there. Have an awesome evening!
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BPN Member
Fabulous sighting, angle and light here Richard!!
I do wish you hadn't cut off the tail at the end - we've all been there with fixed focal length lenses :)
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BPN Member
Hi Richard lovely soft light and an outstanding as being elusive subject , so you have been lucky and you did quite well . Apart from the cut off tail , but as Morkel said .... we all ....
Like the overall color /light and soft tones with very fine detail . Well processed !!
TFS Andreas
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Hi Richard -- Thanks for posting this image !! loved this individual , looks so beautiful . I wished u would have cloned out that grass blade behind its ears atleast !
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