# @natgeo on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CTQXAA3L2Jx
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/11683306-natgeo-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/5af614893c.jpg
- **Posted:** 2021-08-31T22:30:50.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** National Geographic (@NatGeo) — https://gondola.cc/NatGeo

## Caption

Photo by thomaspeschak / I spend most of my time as a marine photographer, so what on Earth am I doing in South Africa’s Kalahari desert, 400 miles from the nearest ocean? Definitely no sharks or manta rays here, but lots of inquisitive meerkats. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I was set to work on National Geographic assignments in far-flung corners of the world. Instead it canceled my international travel plans, forcing me to look for stories to photograph closer to home—South Africa. I live in the mountains a few hours outside Cape Town, and “closer” ended up being a two-day drive north. 

During 2020 and 2021 I spent more than four months based at the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, working with the tswalufoundation to tell the story of the unique animals and plants that inhabit this extreme environment, and how climate change will dramatically impact this entire ecosystem. 

The story, "Edge of Survival," was published in the August issue of the magazine. Click the link in our bio to read more. Follow thomaspeschak for more photographs from Africa’s wild places. #kalahari #meerkats #climatechange #wildlifephotography #wilderness #wild

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 453,652
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- **Comments:** 2,133

## Tags

wilderness, wildlifephotography, climatechange, wild, meerkats, kalahari

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