Love those ears! The endangered African Painted dog or Wild dog! One of my favorite top predators photographed in Selous, Tanzania. Among the best hunters in Africa, painted dogs have a higher kill rate than lions and can take down antelope that weigh as much as 225 kilos (500 pounds). This individual, together with his pack, just killed a young Kudu before I took this image. They are notorious for a grisly efficiency that has made some people fear and even hate them, if not shoot them on sight. This beautiful apex predator is important in its ecosystem and needs to be respected and protected! African painted dogs hunt in successful cooperative packs of 6 to 24 animals. Larger packs were more common before the dogs became endangered. #wilddog#doglovers#protectbiodiversity#ecosystemengineer#tanzania#predator#africa#selousgamereserve@natgeo@thephotosociety@irisalexandrov@alexandrovklumofficial
Thank you nature! Luck is always a welcomed ingredient in our work! While following a group of Hippos in Tanzania's Selous Game Reserve a group of giraffes showed up in the background and surprised us a bit by crossing the river. Serendipitous and beautiful in the landscape. I said out loud to myself; now all we need is a nice big yawn from the closest hippo... And voilà! It's no secret that hippos love water, which is why the Greeks named them the "river horse." Hippos can spend more than 16 hours a day submerged in rivers and lakes to keep their massive bodies cool under the hot African sun. Hippos are graceful in water and can hold their breath underwater for up to five minutes! #tanzania#bestjobintheworld#conservation#artistduoalexandrovklum#africa#ecosystem#protectbiodiversity#ecosystemengineer#beauty#power@natgeo@irisalexandrov@alexandrovklumofficial