A warthog’s curved tusks are actually elongated canine teeth, growing continuously and used for both defense and digging. They form a formidable frame around the face, built as much for survival as for show. We found this guy in a forested area of the Masai Mara in Kenya on a very memorable morning drive.Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 720, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.
Black-browed albatrosses build pedestal-shaped nests from mud, grass, and feathers on remote cliff edges, returning to the same site year after year. Both parents share incubation duties for their single egg, taking long shifts while the other forages far out at sea. I photographed this nesting colony on Saunders Island in the Falkland Islands. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 20mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.
A few winters ago, this Virginia opossum was crossing a fallen ash tree in my back woods on his/her daily rounds. Nikon D810 with 17-35mm lens (at 17mm), Cognisys camera box, trail monitor and remote flash units.
This big guy might look menacing, but he was just relaxing on the ground and letting out a bit of a yawn. He was the alpha silverback male of a family living in the Virunga Mountains of Uganda. Those teeth have seen better days, but this is normal for older mountain gorillas due to high levels of tannins from their plant-rich diet, which contains bamboo, roots, bark, and celery. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 110mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/800th of a second.
I don’t often post the smaller birds that we see while on safari in East Africa. But this is one species that I always like to photograph — the grey-headed kingfisher. Unlike many other kingfishers, these guys nest in tunnels they dig into the ground or termite mounds. Photographed in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 720, f/5.6 at 1/2500th of a second.
On our trips to Uganda and Rwanda to see mountain gorillas, we always like to build in an extra day to trek to see another endangered primate — the golden monkey. The live in high-altitude bamboo forests where they specialize in feeding on bamboo shoots, making them one of the few primates adapted to this unique mountain habitat.Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 24-70mm lens (at 53mm) ISO 1800, f/2.8 at 1/1250th of a second.
I used a slow shutter speed and panning technique on this one to separate the African wild dog a bit from the distracting background. Interesting fact about African wild dogs — they are among the most successful hunters in Africa, with pack hunting success rates often exceeding 80% — far higher than lions or hyenas. Photographed in a private concession of Chobe National Park in Botswana. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/10 at 1/25th of a second.
I’ve seen kinkajous a few times but this occasion in 2007 was the only time I was able to get any photos. They are strictly nocturnal and I was hiking at night in southern Costa Rica. He/she was very distracted by that large fruit and wasn’t about to give it up. At the time I had no idea what kind of fruit it was but can now identify it as biribá, also known as rollinia or lemon meringue pie fruit. Here’s hoping I’m back in the rainforest soon and on the hunt for more great nocturnal wildlife. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 150mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.
Even the extremely common and cooperative animals deserve a post now and again. When visiting my mother in southwest Florida, there’s never a lack of white ibises to put in front of the lens. This one greeted me on a boardwalk hike through Corkscrew Swamp. Interesting fact about the white ibis — they have a unique feeding style, using their long, curved bills to probe blindly in mud and shallow water, snapping shut the instant they touch prey. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 2800, f/6.3 at 1/500th of a second.
It’s come to my attention that over the past few days, this seal has apparently taken on a life of his own online, where he’s now being referred to as “The Champ.” I met The Champ back in 2014 on Carcass Island in the Falkland Islands. He was at the age when he likely just left his mother and was newly out on his own. I was on a long trail-less hike to an area I’m sure not too many people visit when I spotted him all alone behind protective dunes. I took a few wide-angle shots at ground level and then moved on to the nearby penguins. Who knew that twelve years later the story of The Champ would start to take hold on Reddit, X and TikTok with people describing him as “blob,” “sausage” and “sealshi roll.” Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 25mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/1000th of a second.