This one goes out to the first graders of the Learning Community school in Rhode Island who are currently learning about Africa. Lions are very social for wild cats and they typically live in prides with several other family members. This mother and her cub were members of a pride of about 14 lions living in the Olare Orok Conservancy of the Masai Mara in Kenya.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 220mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second

The ostriches were out in full force on this particular day in the Masai Mara of Kenya. They are big. A full grown male can weigh up to 320 pounds.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 175mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second

November is the time of year for baby zebras on the Laikipia Plains of Kenya. It’s also the time of year for the short rains. In this photo I got both.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/500th of a second

This white rhino calf was making all sorts of crazy faces at us. Young rhinos are very playful and act almost like energetic golden retriever pups as they bounce around in the grass. This one was photographed in Lewa, Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/250th of a second

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya is a great place to see the critically endangered rhinoceros. Lewa is home to both black and white rhinos. I captured these two white rhinos on our last morning in the park.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second

This cheetah had been sitting on a fallen tree for a while, scanning the horizon for prey. He jumped down just before I took this shot and headed off with his two brothers to stalk, and then chase, a dazzle of zebras (yes, a group of zebras is, in fact, called a dazzle). If you’re a zebra fan, you’ll be happy to know that the chase was unsuccessful. If you’re a cheetah fan, well, there’s always another day. Cheetah, in fact, have a pretty high success rate, catching their prey about 50% of the time.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second

When it’s getting late and I just want to go to bed but haven’t posted a photo yet, it’s always a good bet to go with a lion cub. Enjoy and goodnight.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 220mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/320th of a second (plus 1/3 ev)

We were a little worried about this young impala when we first saw it all alone out on the Laikipia plains in Kenya. After galloping around in the rain for a bit, however, it ran toward a stand of trees where we saw what must have been mom, along with a few other adults.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 300mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second

Grevy’s zebras are an endangered species that live only in northern Kenya and a few small pockets of Ethiopia. They are the largest wild member of the horse family and can weigh up to 990 pounds. Stallions that are unable to establish a territory become free ranging and are called bachelors — which appeared to be the case here, as this guy was wandering solo across the short grasses of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm (at 95mm) ISO 800, f/20 at 1/60th of a second (2.33 ev)

A quick break in the action from all the avian posts of late. These three rhioncerouses — or rhinoceri if you prefer — were photographed late one morning in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy of Kenya. Lewa is home to both white and the black rhinos. These guys are the former, although they aren’t actually white in color. Nor are they the reddish brown that they appear to be in the photo. They are more greyish, but they take on the brown tint from all the mud that they wallow in at Lewa. White rhinos are quite a bit larger than black rhinos and can weigh up to 6,000 pounds (black rhinos top out at just half that).
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 260mm) ISO 400, f/9 at 1/500th of a second