Stories

Nile crocodiles can usually be found lurking in the shallows, basking in the sun or perfecting their impression of a floating log just beneath the water’s surface.

Don’t be fooled by their laid-back lifestyle though, they’re famously bad-tempered and considered as the most dangerous crocodilians on Earth.

Fiercely territorial, they’ll happily take on other wildlife and have little patience for uninvited guests. They are also responsible for many a fatal attacks on humans across Africa each year, so you are definitely better off admiring them from a safe distance. 

The crocodile in the photograph was basking peacefully along the banks of the Zambezi river, looking wonderfully relaxed - and I was happy to let it stay, while I admired it from a safe distance.

Also known as the Painted Dog or Cape Hunting Dog. Wild Dogs are classified as endangered. They are highly social canids living in packs of 2-40 individuals. I love their colours as they really look as though someone painted them.

Wild dogs sleep all snuggled together in a furry heap and on hot afternoons they retreat beneath bushes and shady trees to escape the heat.

When they finally wake up, there is a chorus of yawning and stretching and soon the pack bursts into life, chasing, jumping and racing around together. Another magical and highly entertaining moment to photograph.

The Nile Monitor lizard is Africa’s longest lizard. These lizards are known for being pursuit predators with powerful tails and claws. They have a forked tongue like a snake, which they use to essentially “smell” the air. 

They live in woodlands, wetland, and savanna but always near water. Nile monitors are excellent swimmers and hunt around rivers and lakes.

They are carnivorous, and these ravenous reptiles prey on a variety of animals such as lizards, snakes, rodents, fish, amphibians and invertebrates.

I had the chance to photograph this Nile Monitor lizard in Zambia. They are quite impressive.

From the moment they are born, baby monkeys cling tightly to the fur on their mother’s chest, and are carried around in this manner.

As they get bigger and become more adventurous, they change positions and hop on to their mother’s back – again clinging to the fur they find here.

Another feature is their oversized pink ears which are especially noticeable when the light catches them, making them almost translucent. 

He was celebrated as a legendary “super tusker” and was one of the last remaining bulls in Africa.  He lived in the Amboseli National Park in Kenya and died there of natural causes in January 2026 he had just turned 54 years old. 

His massive tusks measured over 2.1 meters and weighed 45 kgs. I was lucky to photograph him in 2023 and spend time with him as he grazed in the bushes and open plaines. 

An amazing Gentle Giant never to be forgotten.

Watching a baby elephant trying to use his trunk, is probably one of nature’s funniest comedy shows. Young calves often trip over their trunks while walking, or swing them around like wild garden hoses, occasionally smacking themselves in the face.

Elephants are quick learners with practice, guidance from their mothers they eventually master their trucks normally around 12 months of age and become the skilled giants we admire.

Nora the oldest known cheetah was killed by a leopard named Bella 2 in September 2025. She lived to 13.5 years far beyond what most cheetahs reach in the wild.

She raised multiple litters despite the constant pressure from predators. I had the chance to spend quite a few hours photographing her in the Massai Mara in 2025.

It saddened me tremendously to hear the news. She was an icon of speed, grace and survival. A heartbreaking end to a legend of the wild.