As with many a first-time visitor to Africa, the big cats were my first love, and their place in my own particular pantheon is now well-established. Having seen over 250 different Lions, and 30 Leopards and Cheetahs in Africa, I recently added 4 Jaguars in the Pantanal of Brazil to go with the 2 Tigers I saw years ago in central India. And last year I spotted my first Caracal in Etosha Natioanl Park, Namibia to go with the 3 Servals in Tanzania in 2008.
But of course there are so many other fascinating, adorable and intoxicating creatures spread across the continents and oceans of the world. To just mention a few that I have been lucky enough to photograph - Japanese Macaques (or Snow Monkeys) bathing in the hot springs of the mountains of central Honshu, Japan; the frantic antics of a Coquerels Sifaka in Madagascar; the awe-inspiring power of the Polar Bear in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada; the curiousity of the Giant River Otters of Brazil. But my possible favourite is the Wild Dog - sometimes called the Painted Dog or Cape Hunting Dog - they are the most efficient hunters in Africa, working as a pack with great intelligence, and their morning greeting ritual can melt the heart of the most hardened safari veteran.
Note that all the images in this gallery are of wild animals in their natural environment. And as with all the main galleries, I have chosen to show them in random order rather than thematically or chronologically.
Hover over the image to view a thumbnail or click to see the full image.
TIP: Once viewing an image, to move to the next/previous, either use the left/right arrow keys or click the mouse on the left/right of the image.
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