When lion cubs are young, they seem to be all head and very little body, like this one photographed in the Masai Mara of Kenya. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/320th of a second.

Always a treat to capture grooming interaction between mother cats and their young. I photographed this lioness and her two cubs (the other is hidden behind Mom) on my first trip to Kenya and the Masai Mara. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/250th of a second.

Lewa in Kenya is one of the best places on earth to view rhinos in the wild. We saw plenty of both white and black rhinoceros. This mother was nuzzling her calf late in the day as they foraged on the green grass, courtesy of the short rainy season in November. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 102mm) ISO 800, f/3.2 at 1/640th of a second.

Depending on how you look at it, this is either a zebra walking past a bustard, or a bustard walking past a zebra. Either way, it was taken early morning in Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. Kori bustards are known for being the largest flying birds in Africa. Burchell’s zebras are known for being known by many names: Bontequagga, Zululand Zebra, Idube, Bontsebra, Mangwa, and Damaraland Zebra. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/7.1 at 1/400th of a second.

This wasn’t exactly a friendly greeting. The two male elephants were sizing each other up, which led to a brief fight before the larger of the two maintained his superiority. Photographed in the Masai Mara of Kenya. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/2000th of a second.

This olive baboon was standing in a field of grass surveying his area in the Masai Mara of Kenya. They’re called olive baboons because at a distance their coat can appear a greenish gray. This particular species of baboon is common through much of the central African continent. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 310mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/500th of a second.

These two bat-eared fox pups were playing just outside their den while their mother was out hunting for dinner. We watched as the mom headed off and then the pups became more animated but never strayed far from the safety of the den. Photographed in the Masai Mara of Kenya. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/80th of a second.

Seeing a giraffe rising above the African landscape is always an impressive sight, but especially on mornings like this when such a huge creature suddenly appears out of all that green-season foliage. This species is a reticulated giraffe — less common than the Masai giraffe and known for its distinct geometric patterns. Photographed in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 130mm) ISO 400, f/2.8 at 1/8000th of a second.

A black-backed jackal shakes off the rain before heading out to scavenge up a meal. Although they do hunt smaller mammals, they prefer to find (and often steal) leftovers from the apex predators of the African savanna. Photographed in the Laikipia region of Kenya. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second.

I’ve mentioned before just how small dik diks are — one of the smallest antelope species in Africa. If you look close you can see that this one has a fly on its forehead between the eyes. That should give a bit of an indication just how small in size they are. Photographed in Samburu, Kenya. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 400, f/9 at 1/60th of a second.