The Whole Gnu. Leitz Elmar-V 65mm, Bellows II.

Today is weather for ducks and I didn't feel done with my friend the White Tailed Gnu. Using less mag this time I've covered almost the entire scene on the face of the R5 coin including an enticing little glimpse of the Karoo landscape in the background. Depth of Field is tiny even at f16, so I had to choose between face or tail for pin sharp. I remembered reading a description of these strange-looking yet charming herbivores in Gerald Durrell's book "Beasts In My Belfry", relating his experiences as a student keeper at Whipsnade Zoo in the late 1940s. There is a chapter in the book entitled "A Gallivant of Gnus" in which Durrell describes the dance-like movements characteristic of the animals, (well-captured on the coin BTW), which, coupled with their insatiable curiosity, nearly led to their demise from the plains of Southern Africa by the end of the 19th Century. Thanks to small herds in protected habitats, numbers have revived.