A spotted hyena on the prowl across the grasslands of Ol Pajeta in Laikipia, Kenya. This is another one where I used the inverted monopod technique to get a ground-level perspective. Spotted hyenas are the most common large carnivore in Africa. Their adaptability and opportunism is largely what has made them so successful. Primarily a hunter, they are also well-known scavengers and will pretty much eat anything thanks to their ability to chew and digest skin, bone and other animal waste. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 280, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second.

I recently posted a video of a pride of young male lions playing on a fallen tree at twilight. This is the second part of that video. It was very dark and we were about to go home when all of a sudden we saw that the lions had moved off to surround a lone hippo. Ultimately, the inexperienced lions realized they were overmatched and wisely retreated. It appears to be lighter out than it actually was and the video quality is therefore not the greatest. Focus started to hunt a few times, but eventually I captured enough to tell the story. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, 4K video at 120 fps.

Beisa oryx are another of the specialty species found in Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve. They are a medium-sized antelope listed as endangered due to a reduction in numbers and range. It was the middle of the long rains when we visited Samburu in April and the oryx really stood out against all the green foliage. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 500, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second.

Marabou storks can often be seen hanging around campsites and other areas of human habitation. This one was a regular at our second camp in the Ol Pajeta Conservancy of Kenya. I was able to slowly move very close, while on the ground with my wide angle lens. The stork didn’t seem to mind, likely more interested in whether I had any food in my camera bag. Marabou storks are nicknamed the undertaker, with those back feathers that resemble a long cloak. These are very large birds and have been known to reach nearly five feet in height with a 12 foot wingspan. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 24-70mm lens (at 24mm) ISO 125, f/5 at 1/500th of a second.

At first, this looks like an ordinary shot of a zebra under a late day sky. But this is no ordinary zebra, it’s an endangered grevy’s zebra. As of 2016 there were only 2000 left in the wild. Hunting was the original problem (their coats were in high demand) but more recently habitat loss and competition with livestock have been the two main issues. Unlike the much, much, much more common plains zebras, grevy’s zebras are distinguished by their floppy ears and white belly — resembling more of a striped donkey. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 2200, f/2.8 at 1/320th of a second.

This pride consisted of mostly young males. They had been resting for most of the afternoon and suddenly got active after the sun set. One by one they made their way over to a fallen tree and began playing on and around it. Eventually they headed off and disappeared over the horizon (but not before they encountered — and backed down to — an angry hippo). Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF and Z 70-200mm lenses, 4K at 120 fps.

We were heading back to camp at the end of the day when we came across this idyllic little hippo pond in the Ol Pajeta Conservancy in Kenya. The big hippo to the left (presumably the mother) took a quick glance over toward camera while her calf emerged from the water. Hippos like to spend most of the day in the water, but will come out at night to graze, or on days when the sun isn’t shining — hippos are very susceptible to sunburn. Being the rainy season, however, we saw lots of them out and about at all times of the day. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 125mm) ISO 1000, f/2.8 at 1/500th of a second.

One of the key species we look for when in Samburu National Reserve in the north of Kenya is the gerenuk. Gerenuks are nicknamed giraffe-necked antelopes and you can see why. They’ve adapted long necks to forage on taller bushes and trees. The real money shot is to get one standing on its hind legs to reach even higher. We always see that behavior a few times, and I captured it toward the end of this short video. Check out how fast their mouths move when they eat. None of the clips have been sped up, and in fact, a few of them have been slowed down. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, 4K at 120 fps.

This latest video documents an evening with white rhinos in Nairobi National Park. At first the rhinos were grazing peacefully on the rainy-season grasslands. Then one of the bulls was feeling a bit libidinous and starting approaching nearby females. The ladies successfully fended off his advances (with help from the young ones) and he eventually decided that eating grass was the only viable option on this particular night. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 24-70 lens, 4K at 120 frames per second.

For the most part on safari, lions and other large mammals completely ignore vehicles and those of us lucky enough to be inside them. We’re viewed as part of the landscape, allowing for a close approach with minimal impact. But every now and again we’re reminded that we’re not always welcome. Thus was the case with this lioness, who snarled at us before plopping back down into the grass. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 70-200mm lens (at 140mm) ISO 640, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second.