The L’Hoest’s monkey lives in the upper eastern Congo Basin of Africa in the same forested mountain regions that mountain gorillas are found. I photographed this one in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Their conservation status is currently listed as vulnerable. They live in small groups dominated by females, with only a single male. They are a notoriously skittish species and will usually flee when spotted. This one appeared in front of me for only about three seconds before bounding off into the forest.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/60th of a second

The kob is a national symbol in Uganda, appearing on the coat of arms opposite a crested crane, the national bird. Kobs, which occur throughout sub-Sahara Africa, resemble impala, but are beefier. The males have impressive horns, although this young male hadn’t quite developed his yet. He was relaxing in tall grass but kind of looked like he was burrowing in the ground.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/160th of a second

This one goes out to my friend Erik and all his friends back in Uganda. I had the extreme pleasure of meeting a troop of twenty three mountain gorillas in Uganda back in March of 2009. It remains one of my favorite wildlife encounters and I’d love to get back some day, either to Bwindi in Uganda, or to Rwanda. I was struck by the gentleness and familiarity of these giant apes, displayed here by this female in a very human pose.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 160mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/125th of a second

As a kid, I was a big fan of the “Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp” television show. I had the lunchbox and everything. Little did I know the abuse that Hollywood chimps and other show animals suffered in the name of entertainment. I finally got to see chimpanzees in the wild when I went to Uganda in 2009 and it was a great thrill to see them in their natural environment. This guy was photographed in Kibale National Park in southwest Uganda.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400m lens (at 330mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/160th of a second

I photographed this male waterbuck in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. The waterbuck is a large African antelope that dehydrates easily in hot weather and therefore spends most of its time in and around sources of water.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 160mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second

This elephant was reaching to the top shelf for a little something to eat. Photo taken in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second

This one goes out to my young friend Rourke (rumor has it that Rourke is a big fan of the hippos). This rather rotund specimen was none too happy with my close approach. In Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, it’s possible to explore parts of the park on foot and I was at river’s edge with my guide for a few quick shots before quickly getting back to the relative safety of higher ground. Hippos have a well earned reputation for being among the most dangerous creatures on the continent and the last thing I wanted to do was get their attention.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 300mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/640th of a second

I photographed these two African grey parrots in a city park in Entebbe (which is one of the largest cities in Uganda). These parrots are prized as pets because of their incredible ability to mimic human speech. Unfortunately, they are listed as vulnerable in the wild due to harvesting for the pet trade.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/640th of a second

This baby mountain gorilla was photographed in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in southern Uganda. Mountain gorillas are a critically endangered species and are barely hanging on in the wild. At the time of my visit in 2009, there were only an estimated 700 left throughout their range in Uganda, the Congo and Rwanda, but the most recent data from 2012 shows a slightly more optimistic figure of 950. Perhaps conservation efforts are starting to pay off and the numbers are on the rise. I certainly hope so as I would love to go back to this place some day.
Nikon D300 with a Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/50th of a second

Grey crowned cranes are fairly widespread throughout Africa but still a prized sighting. I saw these two while driving through the local villages and farmlands of southern Uganda. The crowned crane, locally called the crested crane, is the national bird of Uganda and appears on the flag.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/200th of a second