Calm

There is something incredibly calming about a polar bear walking in the vast landscape. Quiet yet sure, purposeful yet peaceful.

Evening falls. The fog returns. The bird is on its way home. All is peaceful in the world.

Fog. Early morning golden light reflecting off the waters. Snow on the branches. And a lone red crowned crane out fishing. What could be a better picture of peace and quiet ?

A wild animal going to sleep in front of you often means acceptance of your presence. And if the wild animal is a mother with two cubs close by, it’s a stronger statement. But not only does this image talk about the polar bear’s calm acceptance, to me the whole scene is that of a truly raw, remote and undisturbed place which simply shows how wild places should be.

Svalbard, Norway

Dawn is my favorite time of the day. There is often a quiet sense of hope all around you. Hope is what this cheetah has as it steps off to resume a search for a meal.

Masai Mara, Kenya

Yet another day begins. The sun is breaking through. The mist is slipping away. The coromorant glides into the freezing waters to welcome the new day.

Bharatpur, India

The water’s freezing cold. It’s snowing lightly. The snow monkey, however, is lost in its own world.

Dark tumultous stormy clouds. A typically dramatic African sky hinting at a huge downpour ahead. But the rhino is unperturbed. This is his environment. This is his home. He is at peace.

Solio, Kenya

Two old grizzled veteran lions in the autumn of their lives. A heavy downpour and at one point one of the lions raises his head.

He might have been sniffing the air for all I know, but, to me, it appeared as if he was enjoying the feel of rains falling on his head. He knows that there aren’t too many rains that he might enjoy and hence is luxuriating in the feel.

” Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head’ is the song that always plays in my head when I see this image.

Masai Mara, Kenya

Life goes on.

The two foxes stopped for a minute or two assessing us as we stood at a distance and decided that we were worth ignoring. There are more important things in life.