This spider monkey in Corcovado National Park was kind enough to come down to my level. Mostly they feed up in the canopy but this one was a bit closer at hand.
It is amazing that these creatures, that are build like a tank, would be threatened by anything. However humans have created weapons that easily out gun rhinos. 150 years ago when rifles were weak rhinos were considered one of the stronger animals. Today though we have to look after them as all rhino species are endangered.
I still have to find a subject that suits black and white better than a Zebra. The contrast always makes for a good image. However I think I still haven't succeeded in finding a zebra that makes a stunning black and white. A good excuse to go back to Africa.
The big silverback of the Nkoringo group of gorillas really is a relaxed type of guy. He showed mild interest when we turned up but then just enjoyed our company for the hour permitted to gorilla trackers in Uganda.
Warthogs might not be everybody's idea of a beautiful creature. I think though that some can have a bit of charm.
The Kudu is the symbol of Kruger National Park. However it is the male version with his horns that is instantly recognisable. I think the female is equally graceful
The drought of the last few years in the Kruger has left a lot of rivers dried up. This woodland kingfisher was captured above one of these dry rivers. At the moment he is reduced to 'diving' for insects rather than fish.
This lioness might not have eaten in a long time before I met her. Lions look powerful from a distance but up close you can really see when they are weak and hungry. However there is still a lot of reserve power in their hunting muscles.
This lioness was encountered on the famous S100 road in Kruger National park. I hadn't seen very many predators in my week there but when I got to this area I had lions all morning long.
The black-faced langur is very common in India. I went on a tiger safari but came back with way more photos of monkeys than of the big cats. These guys are especially photogenic in the last of the evening light when they gather in family groups to socialise.
A lot of prey animals give birth at the end of November in the Kruger, just in time for the wet season when lush grasses can help them grow quickly. It makes for a great time to visit as there are many cute creatures around and also plenty of prey to tempt the iconic predators of the savannah.
Leopards are probably the most difficult to see of the big cats. They hide and camouflage themselves so well. However given the warning calls of the monkeys and deer we were led to this beautiful specimen hiding carefully in the bush.
The brown bear is not so common in Europe any more but their numbers are increasing due to a huge reduction in hunting and an increase in photographic hides in areas frequented by the bears.
All I can say is that if I was a bear the number of insects would really annoy me regardless of the thick fur.
The forests of Costa Rica are full of hummingbirds. These beautiful feathered creatures are somewhat treasured by the local population and often have sugar water feeders put out for them the way we put out seeds and nuts in Europe.
Hummingbirds are every photographers dream bird to photograph. The scaly feathers stand out so well in a photo and getting one in flight is actually easier than you might imagine as they hover quite a lot instead of flying.
What better reason to go to a cloud forest than to try and get a photo of a hummingbird. This guy was more tricky than most as he didn't hover very long.
