Album: African Elephant
My personel favorite of all of the animals I've photographed. I never tire of watching the wonderful interaction between loving mothers and their babies. These largest of all land animals weigh up to 13,000 lbs,and can consume over 300 lbs of food per day. They are one of the few species on earth that can actually change their environment by their activities.They live in a matriarcal society consisting of mother, dependent offspring, and grown daughters. Aunts will suckle the young if necessary and the familial bond last a lifetme.Males leave the herd upon reaching puberty-around 10-13 years,and then live either in small bachelor herds or alone. Elephants live to about 70 years. They tend to spend the last years of their life in swampy areas where they are still able to consume the large quantities of vegitation needed to support them. With the wearing down of their last set of teeth they die and sink into the swamp. It is this behavior which has most likely given rise to the"elephant graveyard" myth.

Album: African Lion
Unique among the big cats, lions form close knit, long term social groups called prides. They average 4-6 related adults and their cubs.Females tend to give birth at the same time and will suckle each others young. Prides occupy home ranges and members hunt together with females doing most of the killing although males will help in bringing down larger prey like buffalo or giraffe. Adult males will live alone or with 1 or 2 other males until they are able to force out the incumbent males and take over breeding rights with the pride's females.Immeadiately after banishing the former male, the new dominant male will kill any of the former's cubs, so that the females will go into estrus and will bear the new males offspring. This breeding tenure usually lasts 2-3 years .

Album: African Leopard
Leopards are shy, solitary, secretive , independant and intelligent. It is said in the bush that the only time you see the leopard is when the leopard wants to be seen.Few other wild cats are as varied in appearance or in prey preferance as the leopard, or have as wide a geographical range. After making a kill, the cat will use it's phenomenal neck and claw strength to drag their meal up a tree, where it will be safe from scavenging hyenas and lions. A large victom might provide food for as much as 2 weeks, although usually a leopard will hunt every 3 days. Adopable to human presance, leopards hunt to within a few miles of big cities.

Album: Mountain Gorilla

Album: African Zebras
Zebras are the African equivilant of the horse except for Grevy's zebra which is actually a wild ass.They have a white or buff background with either black or brown stripes. They play an important role in the migratory patterns of the plains herbivores. They graze the taller,upper parts of new grasses allowing the wildebeest and other antelopes free to eat the shorter remainders.

Album: African Wild Dog

Album: Rhinoceros

Album: Cheetah
Cheetah generally hunt only by day and are thus observed in pursuit of their prey more than any of the other large carnivores.. As animals that live in open grassland, the markings of the cheetah play an important role in their hunting and stalking process. Their pale gold to tawny brown fur with its dark spots allow the cheetah to blend in perfectly with the tall grasslands it prefers as hunting habitat. Cheetah approach their intended prey with a deliberate stalk. This may last anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours as the cheetah approaches to within 100 yards of its prey. This is where the famous speed of the cheetah is seen. They accelerate from 0 to 45mph in a couple of seconds and are able to maintain that pace for 15 seconds .Their long legs, lean body, small head, and remarkably flexable spine all contribute to the great speed. Cheetahs are the only big cat that purrs.

Album: Hippopotamus
Hippos spend most of their days in the water and their nights on land grazing. They are also sometimes seen on land during the day.Their barrel like bodies have a natural bouyancy in the water and they usually float with only their noses, eyes and ears above the surface. They close their nostrils and ear flaps while under water and upon surfacing will blow open teir nostrils and twitch open their ears. A content hippo is a grunting one. Open displayed jaws are a sign of aggression or annoyance. Hippos are extremely territorial, easily annoyed and despite their appearance, are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa .They kill more people than any animal other than snakes.