Monkeys are very curious and almost always check you out while you photograph them. However they do like their security and stay high up or somewhere relatively safe.
Fota Wildlife park in Cork is dedicated to breeding endangered species. Since they have had a lot of success with cheetahs they are moving out to try and preserve other endangered animals. While visiting I met this black spider monkey who doesn't look to be too enthralled by his life. Is life in captivity worth it to save a species?
Squirrel Monkeys are common in the jungles and forests around the Amazon basin in the Bolivian Lowlands. However seeing them isn't so easy unless they come to the edges of the forest. This cute troop came to the waters edge while we were heading upstream in a motorised canoe.
Squirrel Monkeys are common in the jungles and forests around the Amazon basin in the Bolivian Lowlands. However seeing them isn't so easy unless they come to the edges of the forest. This cute troop came to the waters edge while we were heading upstream in a motorised canoe.
This vervet hung around our camp and was willing to sit and pose quite a lot. He also tried to steel our fruit as well, so wasn't always perfectly behaved.
It is probably scary for most people when a 120 kg Gorilla charges at you. However for those who have a guide with them it is doubly scary as those guides insist on standing their ground. And since we had the cameras and were standing in front our guides put their hands on our shoulders to make sure we didn't move. This adolescent was just trying to show off though, like any human of an equivalent age. Then he sat back in the bamboo bushes for a nice portrait.
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.
Like all primates the Vervet Monkey is a social creature and a bit of family playtime before bed is perfectly normal. in the soft golden afternoon light, this family came down from the trees to gather in the open and spend time together.
The forests of the Terai in Nepal are great for wildlife. After trekking in the mountains for a few weeks the extra oxygen in the lowlands makes walking and carrying heavy cameras much easier allowing you to be out for longer.
The macaques of the Indian Subcontinent are a curious bunch. Spend enough time around them and you can see multiple personalities. This guy was one moment curious and outgoing and the next shy and timid.
Getting across roads isn't always easy when one is just a youngster, especially when trees are far apart. However sometimes there are useful cables that can be used for bridges.
Younger monkeys aren't always sure about what is happening and just like humans look to their peers to find out what to do rather than looking straight at the strange person photographing them.
This guy might be a few weeks old but he is still confident enough to climb and run around the forest on his own.
Sometimes you sit and wait for ages and your model doesn't pose for you. I was ready to give up just before this guy turned around and finally allowed me get a good image.
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.
I am not a fan of anthropomorising in general but when it comes to monkeys it is so easy to see human emotions and feelings in them.
The capuchin monkeys of Costa Rica are easy to find. Not so easy to capture with a camera. They move quickly and don't stay still for long. Getting this guy eating was lucky as he stayed a bit longer to allow me to get the image.
In Manuel Antonio National Park I met a group of capuchin monkeys and this watchful mother. Even though it is one of the busiest parks with tons of people this band were willing to feed near to the pathways and so gave me plenty of photo opportunities.
The canopy of the Costa Rican Jungle is full of life. Spider Monkeys are everywhere but it is hard to find them, when they aren't hiding behind leaves.
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.
Spending time with spider monkeys in the jungle is a joy. They are just such curious creatures and if you aren't threatening will just watch you while you eat.
