My 1st Aardwolf pics ever

Aardwolf

 A few days ago in Etosha National Park, Namibia I drove along the pan’s edge in direction of Andoni plains. Suddenly I spotted something on the pan – roughly the size of a jackal. But the animals movement style didn’t match the ones of a jackal. As I slowly approached my suspicions were confirmed – right in front of me was an elusive Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus).

It finished its job and started slowly to move over the pan. Once in a while the Aardwolf paused, turned and had a look at me. Click, click, I got a few more shots.The Aardwolf seemed to be really relaxed and unfaced by my presence. But as it had to cover a large chunk of open pan it speeded up and crossed the open area in a hurry. Once it reached the safety of a grassy bank it relaxed again.

The Aardwolf started to check for termites in the grassy area (Unfortunately out of camera range – what a pity). Once in a while it moved behind the grassy banks, reappeared and vanished again. l watched the Aardwolf antics for some time before it disappeared for good. After half an hours wait I decided to move on. ln high spirit l left in the search for more exciting pictures and stories.
Aardwolf Fast Facts:

Appearance:

40-50cm tall; tail length 19-28cm; 8-12kg heavy (male & female the same); long legs, sloping back, long coat – buff to reddish brown, brown vertical body stripes & black horizontal stripes on limbs

Ecology:

nocturnal, carnivorous, solitary forager, locate’s prey with its excellent hearing, feeds almost exclusively on Harvester termites; 10% of the diet form ant’s moth, beetle .., 

Reproduction:

monogamous, 90-100 days gestation period, 2-3 offsprings (up to 5), helpless in den for the first 6-8weeks, from 3 month onwards they start to forage, adults size reached by 9 month

×
Stay Informed

When you subscribe to the blog, we will send you an e-mail when there are new updates on the site so you wouldn't miss them.

The Perfect Scar
Food or Toy?

Related Posts

Blog Intro

Welcome to my blog,

I'm a professional wildlife photographer with a strong background in conservation & animal ecology. In my blog posts I share pictures, stories, moments & insights from my work as a wildlife photographer.

I hope you enjoy it.

Books

‘KALAHARI DREAMING’

Book Kalahari Dreaming Wildlife Photography

For my first coffee-table book ‘Kalahari Dreaming’ I spent months at a time on location to capture the mood and spirit of this beautiful place. All in all I stayed more than 700 days in the Kalahari to photograph its wild creatures.

Read More

Prints

Magic of Light Bernd Waisolka wildphotlife

Treat oneself with an eye-catching image as a timeless wall decoration for your home. I offer limited and open edition prints, either printed on high quality canvas or paper.

Read More

Photosafaris

Safari Heade Pic

Join me on an exclusive photographic safari to prime wildlife destination. Regardless of whether you are a novice or a seasoned photographer all skill levels are welcome.

Read More