Although I haven’t really been interested in photography before, while travelling in Kenya this summer, I decided to take my dads old camera and capture some of the animals and landscapes I encountered along the way. All of these pictures were taken over the last 2 weeks, with main regions including Masai Mara, Lake Naivsha and Lake Nakuru as well as the surroundings of Nairobi.
This picture captures a wild Masai giraffe, a species native to East Africa, crossing the road in Masai Mara to join its herd, which was feeding on the other side of the path. The Masai giraffe is characteristic due to its darker patches shaped like jagged-edged, dark brown oak leaves. It also holds the title for the largest body among giraffe species, making it the tallest land animal on Earth. Unfortunately, the decreasing population of Masai giraffes in the wild is a cause for concern, with just over 45,400 individuals remaining.
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This picture captures a dominant male in tall grass, overseeing its pride which was resting. Interestingly, each pride consists of only a few dominant males which overlook the females, which means that this particular male lion has established its superiority over other lions in this territory. This picture was taken only a few minutes after I managed to capture 3 male lions, alone, without females, only a few hundred meters away. As these males were together and in the same region, we may infer that they are the lions that were expelled from the pride, potentially becoming nomads for life.
This image shows a male lion resting beneath bushes in the Masai Mara. There were actually 3 male lions resting together, however I only captured one as the rest were laying behind him. These males were likely once part of the nearby pride I captured earlier, but were expelled by the reigning dominant lion, captured in the picture before. The expelled males formed a coalition, which typically consists of related individuals who grew up together. These nomadic lions face many challenges within their life as they must seek food yet avoid territorial pride males.
The river in this photo is the Mara River, the main river of the Masai Mara region. The name of the region originates from the local tribe that resides there, the Masais, as well as the river itself. This river is a crucial crossing point for animals engaging in the Great Migration from Tanzania's Serengeti National Park to Kenya's Masai Mara, following food changes due to shirts in environmental patterns. The Mara River is also a habitat for various animals, including hippopotamuses and crocodiles. If you look closely on the meander in this picture, on the right, you may spot a crocodile with its mouth open.
Captured near Lake Naivasha in the Crescent Island Sanctuary, this photograph features an exceptionally rare zebra, just two months old. This zebra exhibits partial albinism which is a phenomenon often referred to as a golden zebra which arises from a genetic mutation influencing melanin production, the pigment responsible for an animal's coloration. These zebras with partial albinism are incredibly scarce. While sporadic sightings have been reported in the wild, confirmation of their existence has been primarily established in captivity. Presently, only one individual is known to be in captivity.
In this picture, you can see a large pride of lions relaxing in the shade of the bushes in the Masai Mara. Even though I couldn't spot the dominant male lion, which is usually fewer in number compared to the females, it must have been near the rest as each pride has male lions responsible for protecting females, cubs, and the territory.
This picture captures a female spotted hyena laying on the side of the road in Masai Mara, Kenya. Likely moments before or after giving birth, judging from the size of her abdomen and the fact that she was captured alone, while hyenas usually travel in groups between 6 to even over 100 members. If she was just before giving birth, she could expect to bring 1-3 cubs into this world. This species of hyena is also known as a laughing hyena as it makes “laughter” vocalization - high-pitched series of short giggle like sounds, which, rather than being associated with hyenas having a good time, are generally made when they are threatened or under attack. As scavengers of the savannah, they clear away the remnants left by apex predators like lions, cheetahs, and leopards. This is vital to preventing the accumulation of decaying carcasses on the grasslands, preventing the spread of bacteria and pathogens, especially during events such as the Great Migration when thousands of animals drop dead in the savannah.
This picture captures a leopard on an acacia tree, overlooking the Masai Mara savannah. If you look close, on the right in the crown of the tree, you may spot an antelope. This antelope is the result of the leopard's hunt—it successfully chased, killed, and brought the prey up into the tree's upper branches. This is not unusual - leopards often carry food into trees to avoid losing it to scavengers like lions and hyenas. As solitary animals, they spend most of their time alone, with males and females only crossing territories to mate.
On the outskirts of Kenyas capital city, Nairobi, lays Kambethu Farm - a farm of Camellia sinensis, also known as tea, situated at 2,194m. This farm was originally began by Aarnold Butler McDonell in 1910, who received tea seedlings from his friend in India and decided to experiment with the plant, marking him as one of the first to make and sell tea commercially in Kenya, which is now one of Kenyas largest exports. Five generations have lived on the farm which is currently run by his granddaughter, Fiona Vernon.
Due to its rich content of polyphenols, particularly catechins, which contribute to its antioxidant properties, green tea is widely remarked as a beverage with a range of health benefits.
These pictures show a young Olive and its mother. As omnivores, these animals do not limit their diet to plants and fruits - olive baboons also actively hunt prey, such as small rodents, birds and other primates, and has even been observed hunting for small gazelles. The group that I observed was pretty large - baboons have complex social structures with anywhere from 8 to 200 individuals per troop. Interestingly, you'll often find the males grooming the infants, which helps reduce the presence of parasites and provides comfort during stressful moments. . However, they also exploit infants and often use them as shields to reduce the likelihood that other males will threaten them.
Plain zebras are constantly on the move to find fresh grass and water. Sometimes they gather in huge herds of thousands as they migrate to better feeding grounds. They often travel in mixed herds with other grazers and browsers, such as wildebeest.
This image portrays a female ostrich in Masai Mara. Ostriches, being sizable flightless birds, hold the distinction of being the heaviest living birds and lay the most substantial eggs among land animals. Remarkably, they exhibit land speeds of up to 70 km/h, making them the fastest birds on land. An intriguing aspect of ostrich behavior is their co-parenting approach. During the day, the female takes charge of egg incubation, while the male takes over the night shift. This division of duties is accompanied by a clever adaptation in their appearance: the female's lighter coloring helps her blend seamlessly into the daytime sand environment, while the male's darker hue provides nocturnal nest protection.
Taken in Lake Nakuru National Park, this photo captures a Southern white rhinoceros. The term "white" in "white rhinoceros" actually originates from the Afrikaans word "wyd," which means "wide." Interestingly, early English settlers misinterpreted "wyd" as "white." Currently, Southern white rhinos, once believed to be extinct, are thriving in protected sanctuaries across Africa and are now classified as "near threatened." Unfortunately, the Northern white rhino population is on the brink of extinction, with only two females remaining, meaning the species is functionally extinct.
This image portrays a hippopotamus in Lake Naivasha. Despite their herbivorous diet, hippos are surprisingly Africa's most dangerous animals, displaying aggressive tendencies and occasionally killing other animals. Their territorial nature and protective instincts extend to their young. Remarkably, hippos cause over a thousand human deaths each year in Africa, surpassing the threat posed by snakes and crocodiles. They outpace all other mammals in safari parks as the leading cause of human fatalities.
In this image I was able to capture what is regarded as one of the most spectacular phenomena in nature - the Great Migration. Along with herbivores indigenous to the savannah, a herd of Masai giraffes is caught migrating across the Masai Mara. Each year, the herbivores spend the months of December to March in northern Tanzania, which is abundant with water due to the rainy season. However, as the Tanzanian landscape progressively dries out, the animals migrate north toward Kenya's Masai Mara. Crossing the Masai Mara, they enter Kenya around the month of August, before eventually reversing course and heading south once more.
Lake Naivasha is one of the few freshwater lakes in East Africa. Its waters harbor a substantial community of hippopotamuses. Within this image, I've captured local fishermen practicing their trade by siting atop acacia tree trunks. The area around Lake Navaisha is famous for its flourishing flower farms, which are a vital export industry for Kenya. These flowers are harvested during the nighttime hours and shipped to Europe, reaching markets within the following day.