The southern white rhino is the largest rhino species on Earth, with males weighing more than 5,000 pounds. Once reduced to fewer than 100 individuals, it is considered one of conservation’s greatest success stories, rebounding through decades of protection and management. If only we could say the same for the northern white rhinos. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 24-70mm (at 69mm) ISO 2200, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second.

Bat-eared fox pups are born into highly social family groups, where both parents, and sometimes older siblings, help care for the young. Their oversized ears help detect the sounds of insects moving underground and also play a role in regulating body temperature. As they grow, the pups spend much of their time playing and chasing one another, practicing the skills they’ll need as adults. I photographed this one on one of my first trips to Kenya. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/80th of a second

The aardwolf may look like a small hyena, but unlike its larger relatives, it feeds almost entirely on termites, at night. In the African grasslands, encounters with birds like the buff-crested bustard create a perfect contrast — one a secretive nocturnal insect-eater, the other a daytime hunter striding through the same savanna. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 280, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second.

As cheetah cubs grow older, their lives become a constant mix of play and preparation. Chasing, wrestling, and stalking one another helps develop the speed, coordination, and hunting instincts they’ll need to survive on their own one day. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 2000, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second.

As dusk settles over Ol Pejeta in Kenya, impala gather at waterholes, timing their visit carefully when the heat fades but before nocturnal predators take over. Ever alert, they drink in quick turns, ears flicking and eyes scanning, relying on safety in numbers as the light slips away.

Young male lions often live solitary lives after leaving their birth pride, wandering for years before they’re strong enough to challenge for territory of their own. This guy was about at that stage. We saw him up on a small mound, surveying his surroundings. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1250, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second.

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.

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.

It’s always fun to shoot in the rain (as long as I’m prepared for it, and it isn’t raining so hard that I lose visibility). It also seemed as if this young olive baboon was enjoying the rain. He/she was running around jumping from tree stump to rock to tree stump. Photographed in Kenya, many trips to Kenya ago. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second.