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

These elephants were grazing at twilight on the flat lands of the Laikipia Plateau in Kenya. Laikipia was once a cattle ranching area but was later reclaimed for wildlife conservation. As I’ve mentioned before, we were there during the short rains in November for a reason — the incredible skies like the one on this particular evening.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 98mm) with a graduated neutral density filter, ISO 800, f/4 at 1/160th of a second (+0.67 ev)

About a year ago I posted a similar shot, but from the lion’s point of view. This one shows the concentration — and frustration — on the face of this black-backed jackal. The lion, in fact, seemed to be toying with the jackal and refusing to let it get any satisfaction. She had virtually stripped the carcass clean but still wouldn’t abandon it. The jackal finally gave up and left. Just as soon as it was out of sight, the lion got up and walked away herself.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm f/2.8 lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4.5 at 1/400th of a second

Leopards are one of the few big cats that have the ability to climb down trees head first. This young lady was heading back out on the prowl after feasting on an impala that she had dragged up into the tree earlier in the day. By keeping their kills on a high branch, leopards are able to avoid run ins with non-climbing scavengers like hyenas.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens (at 200mm), ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/200th of a second