Jungle Jim's Animal Portraits: A Long Lost Friend

It's hard to believe I have been adding photos to this blog for months now and never added an image of a Komodo Dragon from the Maharajah Jungle Trek.  It's strange because this dragon was simply one of my absolute favorites to photograph.

Jungle Jim captured this image a few months ago, which means this particular dragon is no longer there, as he passed away earlier this year.  He was at DAK for years, and I think he might have been original to the Trek.  And let me tell you, when we found out about his passing we were all more than a bit saddened.  I have spent quite some time over the years, camera in hand, photographer this gorgeous and fascinating animal.

by Dave McBride (@Radio Harambe)
Photo by Jungle Jim

Jungle Jim's Animal Portraits: A Hippo Out of Water

Kilimanjaro Safaris is the greatest attraction in Disney World!  Okay, maybe that's just our opinion, but we love it so much not just because of the amazing animals and the second-to-none design but because every ride is truly different.  If you are a Safari veteran, you will know there are a handful of animals you hope to get real good glimpse of because they are often hiding in the woods or behind a rock.  In the case of the hippos, they are usually almost entirely submerged, making a good photo next to impossible.

But occasionally, especially if you go on Safari when it's cool or raining, you will find a hippo walking the water's edge chomping on some grass.  And that is exactly the opportunity Jungle Jim got when he posted this gorgeous close-up.

photo by Jungle Jim

Let's Go Climb A Tree!

How many of us would have loved to be able to do this when we were kids?  This little one found on the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail had no problems at all!

Whenever we feature a species of animal one of our Conservation Partners are working to help we always like to remind our readers how we can help save them.  Go to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund to see how we can help these amazing gorillas in the wild.

photo by Dave McBride (@RadioHarambe)

Photo Bombing at the Tree of Life!

We talk a lot on Jambo Everyone about the so-called "hidden gems" of Disney's Animal Kingdom, the amazing little things that most guests walk right past on their way to making a FastPass return time.  One of those gems is the pathways around the Tree of Life, where you will find some cute-as-heck Kangaroos and, apparently, African Crowned Cranes.

This photo was meant to be a photo of a slumbering kangaroo, and a nice one at that.  Than up from the bottom of my view finder popped this crane!  I was a victim of a photo bomb by a bird.

by Dave McBride (@RadioHarambe)

Jump Right In!

It is almost impossible to not use the word "cute" when looking at the Asian Small-Clawed Otters found on Discovery Island by the Tree of Life.  These guys are adorable and very fun to watch, as they chase each other around the habitat.  This photo was taken just seconds before the otter dove into the water head first.

by Dave McBride (@RadioHarambe)

Jungle Jim's Animal Portraits: A Walking Nap?

One of the things you may not know about Jungle Jim is that he doesn't go to Disney's Animal Kingdom all that often.  He is a dedicated full-time tourist who travels the world in search of the perfect Pina Colada or just the right pair of Bermuda shorts.  But when he does get to DAK, he often sends us more than a couple stunning animal portraits, like this beautifully detailed close-up of a bull elephant at Kilimanjaro Safaris.

Notice how his eyes are closed.  When I first picked this photo, I went back into Jim's files to look for another just like it but without what assumed was just blinking eyes.  Like most photographers, Jim takes dozens of images all at once to capture as many photos as possible.  And with this elephant he had about three dozen all from the same angle and all within the same thirty second timeframe as the elephant walked slowly across the field of view.  But what stunned me was that in every single photo, this guy had his eyes closed?  He was walking with his eyes closed?  Was it too bright?  Or was he taking an elephant's version of a midday nap?