The Great Migration, a spectacular event on land, looks even more mesmerising when viewed from a hot-air balloon. A photographer brings back snapshots of some of the two million zebras, antelopes, and wildebeests thundering north from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park to Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Photo By: Jiss Sojan
Predators flock to the stomping grounds of the herds, and when they are not in the full throes of the hunt, they can be spotted digesting their kill, such as this leopard langouring on a tree.
A lioness stretches out on the grasslands after her hunt.
River crossings are the deadliest parts of this migration. Animals like elephants amble around, seemingly unbothered by the nearby chaotic caravan.
Known as one of Africa’s most dramatic fights for survival this colossal overland migration features an estimated 1.5 million wildebeests.
This journey, over a whopping 2,900 kilometres, makes early morning hot-air balloon excursions one of the best ways to experience its magnitude.
African Cape buffalo can weigh over 900 kilograms, and herds are known to actually shake the ground around them when they run at top speed. It is reported that these heavy hitters have killed more poachers than any other animal in Africa. An aerial view of this roving network of herds is priceless.
Hot-air balloons are filled up by a gas kit at the crack of dawn, and the experience typically lasts for an hour.
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Jiss Sojan is a Gurgaon-based, independent photographer with a penchant for wildlife, particularly elephants, who he believes are highly intelligent beings. His body of work reflects his passion for environmental and wildlife conservation.
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