Thorns don't bother the giraffes, but the acacia trees have other defence mechanisms.

Raising her trunk in the air, a mother elephant detects the rumblings of an approaching herd and moves away to protect her calf.

A hippo kill provides a good meal for the Xakanaxa pride, with scraps left over for the opportunistic vultures.

Millions of bats leave the refuge of their cave to hunt insects at night.

Three bat-eared foxes forage in the grass, listening intently with their huge ears for potential prey.

After a long rest, a coalition of male cheetahs groom each other and drink before setting off in search of prey.

Triggerfish join other reef species for an underwater feast.

Camouflaged in the long grass, two jackal pups scour the area in search of insects to eat.

Dung beetles fight for possession over a pile of elephant dung, though there are plenty of fresh droppings after the recent rains.

A family of black rhino graze around a small ravine, while an aardwolf and a group of jackals pass by.

The resident males could mate with the new lionesses that have come into season, potentially creating interesting pride dynamics.

Small marsh crabs scuttle to snatch up food that falls from the takamaka trees and take it back into their burrows.

Strong winds result in turbulent sea conditions and some birds take to the warmth and comfort of their burrows.

A macro lens brings tiny details on moths, ants and flies into sharp relief.

Three of the 'Big Five' make an appearance when the crew gets an early-morning start in South Africa's Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve.

Wounded and alone, a male lion searches desperately for potential prey in Botswana's Moremi Game Reserve.

The graceful browsers move easily through dense vegetation in search of tasty acacia leaves.

On the rocky shores of Malgas Island, vigilant cormorants protect their young chicks from the constant threat of predation.

After laying her eggs, a large hawksbill turtle takes care to create a false nest site before hurrying back to the sea.

A strict "pecking order" quickly becomes apparent when vultures gather around an old zebra carcass in the Serengeti.

In Thailand's Thap Salao River, an albino otter and its mate glide effortlessly through the water in search of fish, pausing to groom and eat along the way.

A female black rhinoceros and her calf browse leisurely among trees and shrubs in South Africa's Eastern Cape.

Vervet monkeys move through trees in the Okavango Delta, breaking open seed pods to free the nutritious kernels inside.

A secretarybird stretches its wings and then settles down to roost as the sun goes down in Botswana's Nxai Pan.

In the absence of suitable game, a pride of lions kills a young elephant calf. While the much-needed meal is consumed, vultures wait in nearby trees for a chance to scavenge leftover scraps.

Despite a failed ambush in the early morning, a female leopard continues to hunt through the heat of the day in Botswana's Okavango Delta.

In South Africa's Blyde River Canyon area, anxious birds call incessantly as a python emerges from the undergrowth to take advantage of the winter sun.

A wary tortoise retreats into its shell as cameraman Boris von Schoenebeck approaches for a closer look at the beautiful reptile.