Wild wonders
An astonishing new collection of animal photographs from the camera of Steve Bloom
Words: Emma Juhasz
From the penguin to the panda bear, photographer Steve Bloom’s latest collection captures the animal kingdom as never seen before
VENTURE INTO THE wild and you will discover a hidden world, where animals have their own means of survival and communication. Photographer Steve Bloom wanted to reveal this true essence of nature and went on an exploration into their territory. His astonishing photographs capture moments that not only give us an insight into their environment and habits, but reveal the character of some of our most prized wild creatures.
Spirit of the Wild, Steve Bloom, Thames & Hudson (£18.95); www.stevebloom.com
EMPEROR PENGUIN, ANTARCTICA
This is the largest of the penguin family, reaching a height of almost 1.5m. Unike other penguins they live and breed on frozen sea ice, rather than on land. Their breeding season is during the long, dark Antarctic winter. The female lays a single egg, which the male incubates for two months.During this time his mate will make the long journey to the sea in order to feed on fish. A couple of months later she will return to feed and raise the now newly hatched chick.
SIBERIAN TIGER, CHINA
This close-up reveals an animal which has been almost hunted to extinction. The largest of all the big cats, Siberian male tigers can reach well over 3m in length. Roaming in the harsh, cold lands of Russia and China, these animals can live in temperatures as low as -46°C. They need vast territories to hunt in – this can be as great as 1,000 km2. However, only 10% of all hunting trips are successful. This is a tough reality for an animal that needs at least 20lbs of food every day to survive in these demanding conditions.
BROWN BEARS, KATMAI, ALASKA
These normally solitary animals wait patiently together in the waterfall to catch their prey.
During July, red salmon return to spawn having spent three years in the sea. This massive run of fish attracts bears from the surrounding countryside, which come to feed. This annual feast allows the bears to put on lots of weight for the winter.
GIANT PANDA, CHINA
This solitary animal spends most of its day at high altitudes feeding in thick coniferous forests. Its diet is almost exclusively bamboo. In recent years the black and white bear has been adopted as the informal national emblem for China but it is extremely rare, with only 1,600 left in the wild.
HIPPOPOTAMI, BOTSWANA
These social creatures live in large groups of up to 40. Their name, which comes from the Greek words for “river horse” , refers to how they spend their day wallowing in water to stay cool. Their eyes, ears and nostrils are all positioned at the top of their head so that even when almost totally submerged, they can still use all of their senses. They leave the water at night when it is cooler and forage for food, mainly grass.
Even though they are bulky animals, when on land they can run faster than humans.
LIONS AND ELEPHANT, BOTSWANA
The lions keep a wary eye on the elephant as they drink at the waterhole. Although lions are among the animal kingdom’s most brutal and efficient predators, they normally give an adult elephant a wide berth. A young, vulnerable calf, however, would be considered potential prey.
POLAR BEAR, CANADA
The polar bear is the world’s largest land carnivore and its natural home is on the sea ice. They have large, furry feet that act as snowshoes and their creamy-white fur is dense and water-repellent, enabling them to shake dry after swimming. Predominantly carnivorous, they feed mainly on ringed seals. During the leaner summer months, however, they are sometimes forced to eat berries and other vegetation.
