Hippo part-submerged in water
Nature and wildlife,  Nature Photo Challenge,  Themed galleries

Gallery: speaking a great language

March 4, 2023 / 59 Comments

An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language

Martin Buber, philosopher

It’s often said that the eyes are the windows into the soul, but many will claim that an animal doesn’t have a soul. However, soul or not, an animal’s eyes can certainly be very expressive.

I was excited last week to see a new nature photography challenge launched by Denzil, but too occupied in sorting through my Colombia photos to join in. To be honest, I’m still busy with those photos but couldn’t resist this week’s theme of ‘Eyes’!

So here, quite simply, is a selection of photos taken in various places which focus on the eyes of an animal. Plus one that doesn’t!

Close-up of a large spotted cat's face

Snow leopard in a sanctuary in Kent, England

Hippo half-submerged in water

Hippo in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

[also seen in my opening photo]

Close-up of zebra's head

Zebra in Chobe National Park, Botswana

Close-up of a giraffe's eye

Giraffe’s eye, Giraffe Manor, Nairobi

Close-up of an elephant's eye

At the Elephant Camp at Tiger Tops Tharu, Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Chipmunk eating

Chipmunk near Yakima in Washington State, its eye reflecting the surrounding landscape

Crocodile eyes peeking out of a green weed-filled pool

In the weed-filled crocodile pool in Bakau, Gambia

Green reptile on a man's fingers

The bizarre eye of a chameleon in a sanctuary in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

[held by my husband Chris]

Flamingo's head nestling among its feathers

Flamingo at Jersey Zoo

And here’s the shot that is not of an animal’s eyes! Like many insects, this Owl Butterfly in Selvatura Park, Costa Rica, uses eye-like markings (here on the underside of its wings) to act as a deterrent to predators. The idea is to make attackers think they are facing a larger and potentially dangerous animal. 

Brown butterfly with large circle on its wings

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