About the Images
Read More
Lesser Flamingos
Lake Bogoria, Kenya, 2018
This was one of those truly magical moments in nature, and I was lucky to be there with the right people and the right photographic gear. Lying on my stomach in the mud and flamingo poop at the shore of Lake Bogoria in Kenya, the flamingos moved in closer and closer to shore, feeling comfortable that my presence was no threat.
The lesser flamingo's rose-pink and red colors come from pigments found in its food. Lesser flamingos have evolved to live in the super-alkaline lakes throughout Africa’s Great Rift Valley, which host immense blooms of microscopic blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). Special tough skin and scales on their legs prevent burns from this caustic water. With few other animals able to cope with such conditions there is minimal competition for food and this toxic wetland is home to massive flocks of flamingos. Like other lakes within the Rift Valley, Lake Bogoria has recently experienced increased water levels, making the environment less desirable for the lesser flamingos, as the alkalinity is reduced. The rising water levels may be attributable to geographical activities linked to the Rift Valley as well as above normal rains in the area.
Gotcha!
Mara, Kenya, 2019
Toward the end of the day, a leopardess led her cub back to the tree where the prey from last night’s kill had been hauled up into the branches. The young cub took the opportunity to practice its hunting skills by ambushing mom with repeated “attacks” along the way. A leopard’s hunting technique is to get close to its target then make a brief and explosive charge.
Leopards are classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. The primary threat to the leopard is human activity brought about primarily by habitat fragmentation. The commercialized bushmeat trade has also caused a collapse of prey populations in many areas of Africa, resulting in more conflicts between leopard and humans as they seek other sources of food.
Organizations such as the African Wildlife Foundation assist with conservation efforts that work with communities living near leopards to substitute preventative measures to protect livestock from predation (and hence retaliation from the pastoral communities. GPS collars are used to study populations - density, dispersal patterns, interaction with communities, etc.
Leopards are at particular risk in this time of reduced tourism, as there are fewer dollars to employ local people and to fund conservation programs