The giraffe at the end of the rainbow... and other spectacular wildlife images

[Serpo]

taken by a travel guide photographer By Sara Malm (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Sara+Malm)
PUBLISHED: 15:25 GMT, 11 September 2012 | UPDATED: 07:03 GMT, 12 September 2012


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You may have expected a leprechaun or maybe a pot of gold - but definitely not a giraffe.
It is all a part of the day-to-day life on the plains of Masai Mara which have been captured by photographer Paul Goldstein.
The 50-year-old from Wimbledon has witnessed stunning sights in his adventures in far-flung locations from the Arctic to the Kenyan reserves, all part of his job as a photography travel guide.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46CA3000005DC-588_964x828.jpg Good-luck giraffe: Neither a Leprechaun nor a pot of gold, a giraffe stands at the end of a rainbow stretching over the Masai Mara natural reserve in Kenya



http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46BD6000005DC-251_964x712.jpg Life in colour: A roller with bright paradise patterns perches on the back of a zebra at Masai Mara, Kenya



http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46BF2000005DC-783_964x632.jpg Gotcha: A Cheetah catches up with a running gazelle giving it no chance of escape on the plains of the Kenyan reserve
Paul explains: ‘I first picked up a camera when I was about ten in 1975 and my first job in the travel industry was in '83.
‘I started photographing seriously over 17 years ago. I was working in travel and I loved wildlife, so it evolved naturally.’

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Is that a Flappy Meal? Leopard goes for some fast food... which isn't quite fast enough! (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2201499/Leopard-plucks-unfortunate-bird-sky-gobbles-eagle-eyed-photographer.html)
And what are YOU looking at? The sea lion caught playing with its own reflection (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2201513/And-YOU-looking-Adorable-sea-lion-caught-playing-reflection.html)


Paul’s photographs capturing life in Kenya include snapshots from all animal walks of life, from a baby giraffe taking its first steps, a mother leopard teaching her young to hunt and a cheetah defeating a helpless gazelle.
‘I lead photographic expeditions to the Polar regions, Kenya and India. During game drives I like to push people hard so they can get the most from their cameras, but without the camera dominating the safari. I don't want them to just record species.
‘There's a huge difference between a snapshot and a photograph. A photograph suggests diligence, graft and imagination.’



http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46B2D000005DC-291_964x644.jpg Whin-nying smile: It may look like they are having a laugh with the photographer, but these Kenyan zebras are taking scent



http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46CD5000005DC-171_470x739.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46BF6000005DC-245_470x739.jpg

Hunters: The law of the savanna is eat or be eaten and these predators do their utmost to keep themselves and their young ones at the top of the food chain



http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46B6E000005DC-655_964x668.jpg Hello world: Protected by its mother a fifteen minute old baby giraffe takes its first steps on very unsteady and gangly legs











http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2201637/Definitely-pot-gold-A-giraffe-end-rainbow-Masai-Mara-stunning-wildlife-snaps.html

[Serpo]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46BEA000005DC-512_964x710.jpg A real catfight: Airborne Serval kittens playfully grapple with each other as the sun sets over Masai Mara
Paul also devotes his time to charity work in order to protect the species he loves to photograph.
This year he completed a week-long challenge to raise money to save the endangered tigers.
He scaled mountain Kilimanjaro and completed both the Brighton and the London marathon - all completed in seven days and wearing a 9ft tall tiger costume.
The amazing feat was to raise money to help create awareness of the plight of the tigers through his Worth More Alive III campaign.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46BD2000005DC-422_964x639.jpg Cleaned up: Cheetah cub is snapped as it makes a splash in a river to cool off from the hot sun




http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46BDF000005DC-521_470x697.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46BCA000005DC-653_470x697.jpg

Killer mothers: A cheetah and her five cubs, keep an eye out and a leopard is teaching one of her young to hunt in Masai Mara



http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46CC9000005DC-789_964x750.jpg Paradise end: A red sun sets over Masai Mara as a majestic elephant walks across the plains



He said: Ethics with photography - especially with endangered species in the developing world - is massively important, therefore every penny of every photograph I sell goes to one of two foundations: one in India to a tiger foundation at Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh, where we're building schools and supporting the reserve, and one in the Masai Mara, where I'm co-owner of three traditional safari camps.
‘People often ask me my favourite destinations; it is very hard to answer although Kenya, Namibia, Sri Lanka and the Poles would be right up there.
‘I am happiest on the decks of the polar expedition ship Sergey Vavilov or the plains of the Masai Mara.’



http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46BFE000005DC-106_964x636.jpg Colder days: On the other side of the world, far away from the scorching sun and dusty plains of Masai Mara, a polar bear and her two cubs play on the ice blocks in Spitsbergen, Norway



http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46C96000005DC-415_964x642.jpg Photographer Paul Goldstein has travelled all over the world to capture wildlife in their true elements, here is a polar bear near Svalbard he snapped this year

[Glass]

I liked the little leopard. Seems they get all their spots at the begining and have to grow into them. Like the spots don't start small and get bigger. They start out big and all clumped together because it's so small. Then as the leopard grows bigger they spread out. A leopard truly doesn't change it's spots

[Dogman]

Serpo

You may consider posting these in the picture thread! So these do not disappear down the wabbit hole.

[singular_me]

thanks for sharing, but I think the rainbow-giraffe is an optical illusion, the rainbow seems to be much farther into the background but soooo beautiful pix, all of them:)

[midnight rambler]

I liked the little leopard. Seems they get all their spots at the begining and have to grow into them. Like the spots don't start small and get bigger. They start out big and all clumped together because it's so small. Then as the leopard grows bigger they spread out. A leopard truly doesn't change it's spots

It's probably much better camouflage for leopard cubs to have that pattern like that when so small and defenseless. I would think that a leopard's spots as camouflage would be much more important as a cub rather than an adult.

[JohnQPublic]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/11/article-0-14F46C96000005DC-415_964x642.jpg

Someone needs to send this to Al Gore so he can fool some more people.

[iOWNme]

GREAT post....Thanks for sharing.

This goes right along with my 'Love life on this planet' thread....The beauty of the animal kindom is quite breathtaking, and makes me realize and appreciate all aspects of it, good and bad.