Stalking Gnu.

[Marc Mol]

In the now quickly fading light I captured one of the Mara 3 bros here in yet another unsuccessful Gnu hunt.
It was now the 4th night that we were with this trio and being surrounded by another 32, (yes 32 ) other vehicles their chances of success were rather slim. The majority of vehicles did the right thing in giving them a hunting corridor, however, I cannot say the same thing for a few imbeciles who proceeded to drive right up to the trio, some perhaps just 3 metres away just to get their P&S-FLASH happy snaps, one particular person in a vehicle dropped their hat with the guide showing no remorse in promptly getting out and scrambling to retrieve it, all at a distance of no more than 3/4 metres away from this very Cheetah........you can guess what the result was.
To go to the Mara @ migration time we knew to expect crowding of predators, however one cannot still prepare enough for the chaos. :( Having said all that, we still enjoyed some amazing game viewing.:D
Especially at migration time, IMHO, it could just be a case of loving the Mara to death.

D3s 500VR+1.4tc 1/250s ISO12800@f/6.3 Masai Mara- Kenya Oct 2010.

C & C most welcome

Cheers
Marc

[Ken Watkins]

Marc,

Great POV here were you laying down in the vehicle?

The Cheetah looks a little white, perhaps a slight boost in warmth would help.

Here is a link to some pictures of the traffic jams

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...4843152&ref=mf

[Harshad Barve]

Not on calibrated monitor so can'y comment on colors but stunning pose here , Big time congrats on one fine image
TFS

[Rachel Hollander]

Marc - I too see the issue of the color cast. It is stories like this that reaffirm my decision to go where the numbers of vehicles are regulated. I do have to ask though, after your having spent the previous 3 nights with this trio, why add to the chaos and stress on the animals? Surely, there were less crowded sightings to be had.

Rachel

[Marc Mol]

I do have to ask though, after your having spent the previous 3 nights with this trio, why add to the chaos and stress on the animals? Surely, there were less crowded sightings to be had.
Rachel

I understand your point Rachel, however it wasn't just the number of vehicles it was more the behavior of a few that really irritated me or this trio for that matter.
Plus I came to the Mara for two things, firstly the migration and second to specifically follow this trio, but most certainly after this evening we didn't add to the chaos of another following.

Repost with the cyan cast taken out.

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks for the explanation Marc. I think all of us who have been on safari on public lands where there are less regulations (or enforcement of regulations) have witnessed appalling behavior by tourists and guides. I recall a vehicle in the Crater with people riding out of the sunroof with music blasting. The lions we were pleasantly watching took off when the vehicle approached.

These days I tend to go places where the vehicles are limited at sightings. However, in the event it appears that an animal is distressed by our presence or we are interfering with its ability to hunt, my rangers/guides have always left the sighting. This may be something easier for me to do as a hobbyist rather than a professional photographer relying on getting "the shot" for my livelihood.

Rachel

[Ken Watkins]

Mrc,

The repost is a great improvement.

Let's face it the Mara has turned into a madhouse. it is not regulated in anyway, but I believe that the vast majority of "list tickers" do not really care or even apprecite the damage caused bt their antics.

Give me the uncrowded places anyday!

[Marc Mol]

I completely agree with you Ken & Rachel.
We normally travel to Botswana & Zambia, and hopefully back to Zimbabwe again when in Africa and love it, but this year we wanted to experience the migration and unfortunately that means crowding of predators and something that you just have to live with, it will be a once and only once experience. I would go back to the Mara, just not in July, Aug, Sept or Oct.

[Morkel Erasmus]

I fully agree with your views on giving the animals their space to at least be able to function normally. I saw similar behaviour recently in the Kalahari where I was kind enough to point out the position of an African Wild Cat in a tree to another visitor, who promptly proceeded to drive off the road (not allowed) and right around the tree in the riverbed to get right underneath the cat, in the process chasing it further up the tree and away from any further photo/viewing opportunities. Needless to say I had the person reported and fined (helps taking pictures of them ;))

Nice pose here and great IQ from that D3s at ISO12800. The repost sorted out the colour although the cheetah still looks a tad white to me?

[Marc Mol]

Needless to say I had the person reported and fined (helps taking pictures of them ;))

Well done!

The repost sorted out the colour although the cheetah still looks a tad white to me?

It certainly does Morkel. I have recently and most reluctantly resorted to wearing prescription glasses for reading & on the PC and now my ability to read a colour cast is now worse than ever!!:D:D

[Stephen Earle]

Interesting debate. All I can say is that I was surprised by the attitude of the Maasai to this issue.

Something like - The Europeans who come here have desimated their wildlife areas and now they want to tell us how to run ours.

Made me think. Especially after an incident between a lioness and the cheetah mother with the six cubs posted above.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Marc, very nice and the repost is certainly the better of the two. Very impressed with the high ISO & quality. My only thought would be to tone down in saturation those eyes, they just are too bright for me, considering the time of day, but again just a personal POV.

I think we all have experienced how things are getting way, way out of hand, there is not consideration for the animals and considering that is why we are all there, well... There are perhaps a few countries that are a bit more sensible, but whether it is Africa, India, America, UK there does need to be some control over how things are managed, but me thinks it just comes down to making a buck, however one day an 'accident' will happen, then whose fault will that be? Not us surely!!!!

TFS
Steve

[Morkel Erasmus]

Marc - I hear you :)

Steve - we all know what happens when those "obnoxious animals" attach "innocent humans" - they get put down...:(

[Marc Mol]

Final submission with an increase in warm WB and increased the yellows just on the Cheetah here: