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Africa

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Old Cape buffalo bull drinking among purple water lilies — Cape buffalo

About these photos

Cape buffalo

These photographs show Cape buffalo at a waterhole and together in a herd. The older bull drinks among purple water lilies; the herd shows their strength in numbers.

A veteran bull

Safari guides sometimes call older, mud-wallowing buffalo bulls “Dagga Boys.” The mud can help cool their skin and deter biting insects. The fused horn bases, known as a boss, form a heavy shield across the forehead.

At the waterhole and on the plain

The water lilies bring color to the bull's waterhole. In the herd view, the buffalo gather closely; a herd can respond together when one of its members is threatened.

Cape buffalo herd

About this photo

Cape buffalo herd

A herd of Cape buffalo fills the frame. The bull at the front shows the heavy horn bases that form a protective shield known as a boss.

Strength in numbers

Cape buffalo are wild herd animals, not domesticated cattle. A group can respond together when a calf or another herd member is threatened.

A formidable presence

The fused horn bases and powerful build of mature bulls help explain why buffalo are among Africa's most imposing large animals.

Egyptian blue water lilies — Blue water lilies

About this photo

Blue water lilies

Egyptian blue water lilies bloom in the same waterhole seen with the Cape buffalo in AF001. Their pale blue-purple petals stand out against the dark water.

A daily cycle

These lilies open in daylight and close later in the day. Their yellow centers and blue-purple petals make them easy to spot among the floating leaves.

A symbol and a habitat

The blue water lily held symbolic importance in ancient Egypt. Here, the flowers also mark a water source used by wildlife in the savanna.

Lappet-faced and Rüppell's vultures feeding on a wildebeest — Vultures at a wildebeest carcass

About these photos

Vultures at a wildebeest carcass

These photographs follow vultures at a wildebeest carcass: a lappet-faced vulture arrives with wings spread, and a closer view shows birds feeding among the exposed ribs.

At the carcass

The large lappet-faced vulture on the left uses its strong bill around the tougher remains. A smaller vulture feeds from the open ribcage on the right.

The cleanup crew

Different vultures can reach different parts of a carcass. Together they remove tissue quickly and play an essential role in the Serengeti ecosystem.

Lappet-faced vulture landing at a carcass

About this photo

Lappet-faced vulture landing at a carcass

A lappet-faced vulture approaches a wildebeest carcass with its wings spread wide while other vultures feed nearby.

The large arrival

Lappet-faced vultures are among Africa's largest vultures. Their strong bills can open tough hide and connective tissue, making more of a carcass accessible to other scavengers.

Essential scavengers

By consuming animal remains, vultures help clear carcasses from the landscape. The image captures several birds sharing that work at once.

Olive baboon caught mid-stride — Olive baboons

About these photos

Olive baboons

Two views of olive baboons show one crossing the ground mid-stride and another among the brush.

What to notice

Its tail rises and then bends downward, a characteristic silhouette of a traveling baboon. The bare sitting pads on its rear are normal anatomy that helps baboons rest on branches.

On the move

Baboons spend much of their time on the ground, traveling on all fours between feeding areas and places of shelter. They also live in social troops and forage in brush and woodland.

Olive baboon in the brush

About this photo

Olive baboon in the brush

An olive baboon sits among the brush. Its long muzzle and olive-brown coat are visible in this closer view.

A social forager

Olive baboons live in troops with complex social relationships. They forage for plants and small animals and communicate through calls, expressions, and grooming.

In the Serengeti

Their adaptability lets them use open ground, woodland, and rocky areas across the region.

Common warthog looking toward the camera — Common warthog

About this photo

Common warthog

A common warthog stands in dry savanna grass and looks straight toward the camera.

What to notice

The raised facial pads that give warthogs their name help protect the face. White whiskers along the jaw contrast with its sparse, bristly coat.

Savanna habits

Warthogs often kneel on their front wrists while grazing. When they run, their upright tails can help piglets keep track of the group through tall grass.

Banded mongoose

About this photo

Banded mongoose

A banded mongoose, a small carnivore of sub-Saharan Africa, appears in the Serengeti grass. Dark bands across its back distinguish it from many other mongoose species.

Life in a group

Banded mongooses are unusually social for mongooses and live in family groups. They use shared shelter such as old termite mounds and rock crevices.

Foraging

Active by day, they search for insects and other small animals, including reptiles and rodents.

Kirk's dik-dik beside the water — Kirk's dik-dik

About this photo

Kirk's dik-dik

A Kirk's dik-dik stands beside water in the brush. This small antelope is easy to miss in the dry vegetation.

What to notice

Its elongated nose helps regulate heat, and the dark mark near the eye is associated with a scent gland used to mark territory.

A paired life

Dik-diks commonly live as pairs and use cover for protection. They can dart quickly through brush when disturbed.

Elephant among the trees — Image 1 of 3 · AF013 · Elephant among the trees. Click for the next image.

About these photos

Serengeti elephants

These photographs show African bush elephants among trees, crossing together as a herd, and moving through the grass.

Different views

The group brings the elephants into one place while retaining views of the animals in several parts of the landscape.

On the Serengeti trip

AF045 is another view of an African bush elephant in this collection.

Fellow traveler with elephant bone beneath an acacia tree in the Serengeti — Elephant bone beneath an acacia

About this photo

Elephant bone beneath an acacia

A fellow traveler stands beneath an acacia tree with an elephant bone in the Serengeti.

The scene

The bone and the tree give a sense of both the scale and the life cycle of this landscape.

Masai giraffe browsing low bushes — Masai giraffe

About this photo

Masai giraffe

A Masai giraffe bends its long neck to browse on low savanna bushes in this Serengeti photograph.

What to notice

The irregular, jagged patches of its coat are characteristic of a Masai giraffe. The profile view makes its long neck and browsing posture especially clear.

Browsing at different heights

Giraffes are often pictured reaching into trees, but they also feed on shrubs and lower plants. Their height gives them access to vegetation that many other browsers cannot reach.

Two plains zebra stallions fighting — Image 1 of 3 · P26 · Two plains zebra stallions fighting. Click for the next image.

About these photos

Plains zebras

This collection shows plains zebras grazing and together as well as two stallions rearing up during a fight, with one biting toward the other's neck.

The confrontation

Zebras can strike with their front legs, kick, and bite in contests with rivals. The open mouth and raised bodies make this a particularly dramatic moment.

Why they fight

Stallions may compete over access to mares or defend an existing family group. The photograph shows the confrontation, though it cannot establish the particular cause of this fight.

Wildebeest on the plain — Image 1 of 2 · AF032 · Wildebeest on the plain. Click for the next image.

About these photos

Wildebeest

These two photographs show blue wildebeest moving and grazing on the Serengeti plain. Their long-distance movements are central to the region's annual migration.

What to notice

Dark vertical bands across the shoulders give the blue wildebeest its brindled appearance. A mane and beard further distinguish its profile.

Across the grassland

Wildebeest travel in large numbers as seasonal rain and new grass shift across the wider Serengeti ecosystem. These frames show the animals on the plain without claiming to capture a specific migration crossing.

Flamingos on the lake — Image 1 of 4 · AF014 · Flamingos on the lake. Click for the next image.

About these photos

Flamingos

These photographs show flamingos feeding and wading in shallow East African water, including a bird reflected in the calm surface.

Lesser flamingos

AF020 shows a lesser flamingo, a smaller, deeply colored species with a dark bill. Flamingos use specialized bills to filter food from the water.

Color and habitat

Pigments in their food contribute to their pink plumage. Large flocks gather at alkaline lakes in East Africa, although these photographs alone do not establish the exact lake or species of every bird in the collection.

Gray crowned crane in the grass — Image 1 of 2 · AF018 · Gray crowned crane in the grass. Click for the next image.

About these photos

Gray crowned cranes

A gray crowned crane stands in the grass, its golden crest forming a bright halo above its head. The species is Uganda's national bird.

What to notice

White cheek patches, a touch of red on the face, gray body feathers, and the stiff golden crown make this crane distinctive.

An unusual crane

Gray crowned cranes forage for seeds, insects, and other small animals. Unlike most cranes, they can perch and roost in trees.

Kori bustard in dry grass — Kori bustard

About this photo

Kori bustard

A kori bustard stands in dry grass. It is one of Africa's heaviest flying birds, though it spends much of its time walking on the ground.

What to notice

Its dark crown, barred neck, and mottled brown back help it blend into open grassland.

Ground-dwelling bird

Kori bustards tend to walk or run before taking flight. They forage for insects, seeds, berries, and small animals.

Guineafowl in the grass — Guineafowl

About this photo

Guineafowl

A helmeted guineafowl stands in dry grass, its blue head and dark, pale-speckled body visible in profile.

A distinctive silhouette

The small head, upright neck, and rounded body make the bird stand out against the muted savanna grass.

Birds along the water — Pelicans and wading birds

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Pelicans and wading birds

A busy wetland gathering brings several kinds of birds together along the water, with large pelicans dominating the bank.

Birds in the gathering

The flock includes great white pelicans and a tall, dark marabou stork near the center. Smaller white birds with dark heads appear along the bank and may be sacred ibises.

At the water's edge

Pelicans scoop fish with their large bills. The marabou stork is an opportunistic feeder, taking both live prey and carrion. The photograph captures different feeding strategies in one place.

Hippos in the water — Hippos

About these photos

Hippos

These photographs show hippos in and beside the water, including a pod resting close together on a sandy riverbank.

By the water

Hippos spend much of the day in or beside water and often graze on land at night. Their close grouping is a familiar sight around resting places.

Skin and birds

Their skin produces a reddish protective secretion. Small birds are also visible near and on the animals, although the birds in these photos are not identified with certainty.

Pod of hippos resting on a sandy riverbank

About this photo

Pod of hippos resting on a sandy riverbank

A pod of hippos rests close together on a sandy riverbank. Small birds can be seen near and on the animals.

By the water

Hippos spend the day in or beside water and often graze on land at night. Grouping together is a familiar sight around their resting places.

Skin and birds

Their skin produces a reddish secretion that helps protect it. Birds such as oxpeckers may pick insects from large mammals, although the birds in this photo are not identified with certainty.

Nile crocodile with mouth open on a grassy riverbank — Nile crocodile

About this photo

Nile crocodile

A Nile crocodile rests on a grassy riverbank with its jaws open.

Why the open mouth?

Crocodiles often gape while basking, a behavior that helps them regulate body temperature. The open jaws in this photograph do not necessarily signal an attack.

At the river

Nile crocodiles are patient aquatic predators. In the wider Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, they are especially visible during large animal river crossings.

Lioness licking her lips — Image 1 of 6 · AF031 · Lioness licking her lips. Click for the next image.

About these photos

Serengeti lions

This collection shows lions across the Serengeti, including resting lionesses and a male lion with a full mane. In the first image, a lioness licks her lips; the photograph alone does not establish whether she has just fed.

What to notice

A lion's tongue has rough, backward-facing papillae that help it groom and remove meat from bone.

Life in a pride

Lionesses form the social core of a pride and often hunt cooperatively. The male's mane can help protect his neck and signals maturity and condition to other lions.

Male African lion resting in the shade of a fallen log

About this photo

Male African lion resting in the shade of a fallen log

A male African lion rests in the shade of a fallen log, his full mane framing his face and neck.

The mane

A mane can help protect the neck in fights and also signals maturity and condition to other lions.

Rest between activity

Lions spend much of the day resting. Males also patrol and defend the territory used by their pride.

Leopard in a tree — African leopard

About this photo

African leopard

An African leopard rests high in an acacia tree, its spotted legs and tail draped over the branches.

A place to rest

Leopards often use trees to rest above the heat and activity on the ground. Their strength also lets them carry prey into branches, away from other predators and scavengers.

A different spotted cat

The leopard's rosette-patterned coat blends with broken shade. Its markings differ from the solid spots and dark facial tear lines of the cheetahs elsewhere in this collection.

Cheetah scanning the Serengeti horizon — Image 1 of 5 · Click for the next image.

About these photos

Cheetah encounters

These five photographs show cheetahs scanning the Serengeti plain and resting among the grass and low mounds.

What to notice

The black tear marks running from the inner corners of its eyes toward its mouth are a hallmark of cheetahs. Its slender body and long legs are built for bursts of speed.

A vulnerable hunter

Cheetahs depend on open country and speed to catch prey. Their lighter build also makes them vulnerable to losing kills to larger predators.

Spotted hyena by a muddy puddle — Spotted hyena

About this photo

Spotted hyena

A spotted hyena stands at the edge of a muddy puddle on a safari track.

Hunter and scavenger

Spotted hyenas hunt much of their own food and also use carcasses when available. Their strong jaws can crush and consume bone.

Clan life

They live in social clans led by females. Their ranges overlap with those of lions, creating frequent competition for food and space.

Golden jackal crossing dry savanna grass — Golden jackal

About this photo

Golden jackal

A golden jackal crosses the dry savanna grass.

What to notice

Its sandy coat, darker back, and bushy black-tipped tail distinguish it from the spotted hyena in AF040.

An adaptable canid

These animals hunt small prey and also scavenge. East African populations are often discussed under the name African golden wolf following genetic research.

Maasai chief — Maasai community members

About these photos

Maasai community members

These two photographs record a visit with Maasai community members: a chief speaking with travelers and a second view of women from the community.

People along the journey

The visit was part of the Serengeti trip. Together, the images keep the people met along the way alongside the wildlife and landscape photographs.

Maasai female community members

About this photo

Maasai female community members

A photograph of Maasai female community members during the Africa trip.

The encounter

This image records the people met along the way as well as the wildlife and landscapes. Further details of the visit can be added to this story.

Hadza community building a temporary shelter — Hadza shelter building

About this photo

Hadza shelter building

Members of a Hadza community and a visitor gather around a temporary shelter being assembled from bent branches. The Hadza have a distinct hunter-gatherer tradition in the Lake Eyasi region of northern Tanzania.

Shelter and tools

The flexible branches form a dome-shaped frame. Hunting bows and bundles of arrows are visible in the scene.

A cultural visit

The photograph records an encounter with the people building the shelter. The Hadza's language and way of life are distinct from those of neighboring communities.

Portrait of a Datoga woman — Datoga portrait

About this photo

Datoga portrait

This close portrait shows a Datoga woman from the Lake Eyasi region of northern Tanzania. The Datoga are a distinct community from their Hadza neighbors.

Portrait details

Patterns around her eyes and nose, coiled brass neck ornaments, and layered beadwork are prominent in the photograph. These forms of adornment carry cultural meaning.

Community traditions

Datoga communities have traditions of livestock herding and metalworking. This portrait keeps the focus on one person rather than reducing the community to those traditions.

Marty inside a hollow African baobab tree — Marty in a baobab

About this photo

Marty in a baobab

Marty, a frequent fellow traveler, stands within a hollow African baobab. These enormous trees are often called the “Tree of Life.”

Inside the baobab

Older baobabs can develop large internal cavities as their trunks grow. The opening in this tree makes its scale especially tangible.

An unmistakable shape

A water-storing trunk and sparse, root-like branches give the baobab its distinctive silhouette across the African landscape.

Latte business in a caravan at a safari vehicle stop — Safari coffee stop

About this photo

Safari coffee stop

A latte business operates from a caravan at a safari vehicle stop.

A stop on the route

The scene captures an everyday pause during the trip: travelers and vehicles meeting a small business serving coffee on the road.

Remembering travel companions who could not make the Serengeti trip — Travel companions remembered

About this photo

Travel companions remembered

A guide holds cutout portraits of frequent travel companions who could not make the Serengeti trip.

With us in spirit

The playful photograph kept absent friends part of the journey and made the friendship behind the trip visible.

Terry and Mike wearing Just Go hats for Val, who could not make the trip — Just Go for Val

About this photo

Just Go for Val

Frequent travel companions Terry and Mike wear “Just Go” hats in remembrance of their good friend Val, another frequent traveler who could not make the trip.

The meaning of the hats

The matching message made Val part of the journey despite his absence. This photograph records the friendship behind the trip as much as the destination.

Sunset over the Serengeti plain — Serengeti sunset

About this photo

Serengeti sunset

The sun sets over the open plain in Serengeti National Park.

The scene

Low evening light changes the color of the grass and sky, giving the wide landscape a quieter moment between the wildlife encounters.

Sunset through the trees

About this photo

Sunset through the trees

The sun hangs low over the Serengeti, glowing orange above dark tree silhouettes.

At the end of the day

Branches and distant trees frame the bright disk, while the foreground falls into shadow. The photograph records the light and landscape without identifying the exact viewpoint.

New photos for review

Africa travel view — AF054 · Africa travel view

Africa

Africa travel view

Story to come.

Africa travel view — AF055 · Africa travel view

Africa

Africa travel view

Story to come.

Africa travel view — AF056 · Africa travel view

Africa

Africa travel view

Story to come.