On our Kenyan tours, we always include contrasting national parks for the greatest variety of wildlife and landscapes. This is a male gerenuk, a specialty of northern parks. Extremely long necks allow gerenuks to reach vegetation that other grazers can’t (not withstanding giraffes and elephants, of course). Males have horns whereas females do not. They also have much thicker necks than females. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1800, f/5.6 at 1/500th of a second.

This lioness found a great perch to spend the morning. Her male counterpart was bedded down in nearby bushes, but she had the prime spot atop a small grassy butte. We watched her for quite some time and even left for a while to have breakfast before returning to find her in the same place. At one point she looked skyward as a bush pilot was bringing in the next round of wide-eyed safari goers. Nikon 8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 80mm) ISO 140, f/8 at 1/800th of a second.

June marks the beginning of the long dry season in Kenya. That said, the weather can be unpredictable and you never know what you’re going to get. More often than not, however, sunny skies are the norm this time of year. As a photographer, I love the cloudy, dramatic skies that are more typical of the rainy season. But on cloudless days, there is a fifteen minute period each morning when a large ball of fire rises over the savanna. It becomes a mad dash to find whatever wildlife we can to place in front of it. On this particular morning, one of northern Kenya’s specialities — beisa oryx, also known as East African oryx — found their way between my lens and the sun. More on these guys in upcoming posts. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 280, f/5.6 at 1/250th of a second.

Earlier in the day we spotted a hippo roaming the savanna, covered in water lilies. That afternoon we found the pond he/she likely wondered out of. If was fun watching several hippos suddenly rise up through all that green while blowing water through their nostrils (video to come). Our guide told us the water lily species was Nymphaea capensis, common name Cape blue waterlily. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1100, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.

At the locations we visit on Crane Wildlife Tours, the safari never stops. Dwarf mongooses are just one of the species that can be found back at camp during down time. We usually see quite a few of them. Pups are raised in a shared den with help from the whole group. These mongooses live in tight-knit family units where older siblings and other adults act as babysitters, bringing food and guarding the pup while the mother forages. Pups quickly learn the rules of the group by mimicking adults and joining in on playful wrestling matches that build coordination and social skills (behavior we often observe while eating lunch). Though small, dwarf mongooses are bold and cooperative, traits passed from mother to pup in one of Africa’s most charming and efficient social systems. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, IOS 2000, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.

We always see a lot of elephants on our trips. But this time, we saw more baby elephants — and at extremely close range — than ever before. I used my camera-at-the-end-of-a-monopod technique to get this look under the hood of a Mom shielding her calf as they walked by our vehicle. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 24-70mm lens (at 24mm) ISO 640, f/5 at 1/500th of a second.

This will be the last post for a few weeks as we head off to lead another tour to Kenya and Uganda on Monday. Here’s hoping we have some luck with one of the more elusive cats — the serval. I captured this one way back in 2012 on the final night of our final day of a two week trip. We’re currently planning tours for later this year, next year and into 2027. Contact if you’re interested in traveling with us and seeing more of Africa’s amazing wildlife. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at 1/80th of a second.

Warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus) may look ungainly with their large tusks and warty faces, but they’re surprisingly agile and intelligent. They are also attentive parents and live in close-knit family groups called sounders. In just a few more weeks, Karen and I will be leading another group back to the Masai Mara where I took this photo. If you’re interested in traveling with us, let’s get the conversation started. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 640, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.

A lion’s eyes are intense and forward-facing, built for sharp focus and excellent night vision. I captured this close up, of a lioness peering through the savanna grasslands, in the Masai Mara of Kenya. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 640, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second.