|
No one who has experienced the real African bush will ever forget the impact on all of their senses. The smell of coffee sipped at dawn to take the chill off a winter's morning before setting out..., the incredible excitement of a close-up encounter with a bull elephant in the heat and dust of midday and the sheer awe of his size and grandeur..., or sitting round the crackling fire after nightfall, when out of the darkness a lion roars out his triumph at the conclusion of a successful hunt. This is Africa. This is the heritage. Africa's wildlife is under threat of extinction. Throughout the continent there are too few conservation projects safeguarding the future of a unique ecological heritage. Wildlife illustrator Shaun Chapman has undertaken to capture and record every changing facet of Africa's wildlife, now under threat of extinction. The set of signed and numbered wildlife prints is limited to 250 worldwide. |
click on images to view larger version
All prints available in two sizes - see
order form
| The Lion - Africa's Royal Family
(Panthera leo) Lions are the largest and most impressive predators in Africa. The size and sheer power of a male lion has to be seen to be believed. There is documented proof of lion jumping into a kraal, killing cattle and making off with a cow by jumping back over the wall with the prey in their jaws. Lions are social animals and live in prides, sometimes reaching thirty in number. These prides are generally seen made up of females and young. The males are not, contrary to general belief, lazy - they are maintaining their territory by scent-marking and roaring. The human ear can detect the awe-inspiring roar of these beasts from as far away as 8km. When a new dominant male takes over a pride, he may kill all the cubs of his predecessor in order to establish his own genetic line. In hot weather lions do rest for up to fifteen hours a day. In cold weather, however, particularly at night, they can be very active. A male lion at the height of its powers may truly be called the "King of Beasts". |
|
|
| Buffalo
(Syncerus caffer) In the days of Africa's Great White Hunters, the lone buffalo was earnestly respected as the most dangerous of the Big Five when wounded. In contrast to some other animals, the buffalo's senses are all keenly developed, and many a hunter has found himself the hunted after wounding one. Buffalo are often found in large herds of males, females and calves. Old buffaloes are often expelled from the herd, and these short-tempered males form groups that can be encountered in riverine reed beds with catastrophic results. When disturbed, the spectacle of a huge herd of buffalo at full gallop, sending up huge clouds of dust and making the earth shake with the impact of their hooves, is a sight not to be forgotten. |
|
|
| The Elephant - Collosus of the Bush
(Loxodonta africana) For the first time in recorded history, elephant numbers have fallen below one million animals - a cause for international concern. At the same time elephants cause serious damage to their direct environment, and in areas of greater concentration numbers must be controlled. This leads to a great distribution dilemma, because in other areas of "elephant country" these animals have been poached for their ivory and are on the brink of extinction. Elephants operate in a strongly matriarchal society with huge herds of females and young. The bulls live singly or in small groups away from the herd. |
|
|
| Gemsbok
- Africa's Swordsmen
(Oryx gazella) When the first English hunters discovered oryx or gemsbok, they dubbed them "gem-buck" from the faceted colouration of their heads - like a finely cut diamond. This changed to "gemsbok" over the years, but is an apt description of this magnificent antelope. Both males and females have rapier-like horns, which even lions respect. In fact, when lions hunt gemsbok, they generally attack from the rear and kill them by severing the spine. Gemsbok are generally found in hotter, drier areas and have adapted to surviving on very little water. A complex adaptation in the nostrils cools the blood of the animal allowing it to survive in particularly hot desert areas. When two gemsbok confront each other, horns flick out like rapiers while the hooves send the arid earth flying. Truly royal game. |
|
|
| The Leopard
- The Secretive Predator
(Panthera pardus) Little is known about the secretive habits of one of Africa's most adaptable hunters. Leopards are solitary animals that are found surprisingly close to towns and cities, but it is in the bush they really come into their own. One of Africa's most efficient hunters, they hoist their prey into trees to escape scavengers. No one who has ever gazed into the unblinking yellow eyes of a leopard will ever forget this experience. Leopards are loners and when more than one is seen it is usually a mating pair. There are lighter patches behind the ears and on the upturned curl of the tail, a feature which the young use to follow the mother. |
|
|
| The Rhino
(Ceratotherium simum) The tragic story of the decline in numbers of Africa's rhinos has been well documented. The white rhino is one third larger than its black cousin and is a grazer. This gave rise to its name which is a corruption of the word "wide" and refers to its lip that has been adapted for grazing. It has nothing to do with its colour and, as a matter of fact, both animals are grey! |
|
| New! Oil Paintings by Shaun Chapman... | |||
|
|
||
 Discover Africa Safari Travel Reisen |
