Africa Wild

This is an exhibit of naturescapes from Kenya and South Africa -- some from my very first African safari in 2012 and others from my eighth and most recent one in 2018.

A very special story within this exhibit concerns an area of Kenya called the South Rift Valley and specifically the lands of the South Rift Association of Land Owners (SORALO), which represents and joins a group of Maasai communities. These Maasai pastoralists and their livestock have been productively co-existing with wildlife (including natural predators of that livestock) for hundreds of years. As Africa struggles to preserve its wildlife and pastoralist heritage in the face of human population growth and wildlife habitat loss, the SORALO communities show how to preserve that rich legacy. There is more background on SORALO’s lands and wildlife below and in the associated image captions.

The framed images in this exhibit are pigment inkjet prints. All the prints are available for purchase. To inquire about buying a print or for other questions and comments, please contact me via the contact button on the left.

Background: SORALO’s domain encompasses an area of about 2.5 million acres, comprising much of southern Kenya’s last remaining lands where significant communal land holdings remain intact and where livestock and wildlife continue to co-exist across large areas.

SORALO sums up their approach with two Maasai words, each with deep cultural meanings. Here they are, with rough translations:

Enkop’ang: our land, our common identity, our common pride
Erematare: stewardship over common resources

SORALO is simultaneously:

an inspiring story of community-based stewardship, including a successful lion conservation initiative called “Rebuilding the Pride;"
a beautiful and authentic window into East Africa’s pastoralist past and still evolving present; and
an exciting conservation photography opportunity without the crowds of East Africa’s national parks and reserves and with welcoming access to working Maasai communities.

For more information about SORALO, please visit their website. If you are interested in visiting the SORALO area, the best place to stay is Shampole Wilderness. Also, Greg du Toit, a South African, professional photographer, safari leader and conservation ambassador for SORALO's "Rebuilding the Pride" lion conservation project, leads an annual safari to the area. The SORALO images in this exhibit were captured during the 2018 safari. See his website for details of the current offering.

Magadi Flamboyance
South Rift Valley, Kenya. Lake Magadi, the southernmost of Kenya’s soda lakes can draw enormous flocks of flamingos. The vistas during this 2018 doors-off helicopter flight over the lake were simply awesome. Privately held Lake Magadi is surrounded by SORALO land. Flamboyance is a collective noun for flamingos. This image was awarded Best of Show by the jurors for the PhotoCentral Spring Show 2019 in Hayward, California.
Magadi Squadron
South Rift Valley, Kenya. A flock of white pelicans rests on the colorful shores of the lake. Squadron is a collective noun for pelicans.
Rift Valley Journey
South Rift Valley, Kenya. As giraffes gallop across the valley floor in SORALO territory, the Rift Valley wall looms in the background. Journey is a collective noun for giraffes.
Back to the Boma
South Rift Valley, Kenya. As the sun sets, a Maasai herder guides his cattle back to the protection of the boma (a fenced enclosure that often protects both livestock and Maasai huts). SORALO’s Maasai communities successfully share this land with wildlife, including predators like lions, using a combination of age-old practices such as protective bomas and new technologies like radio tracking of local lions.
Maasai Joy
South Rift Valley, Kenya. Inside their multi-generational family boma, a Maasai youngster finds additional security and joy with her father. The extended family in this boma belongs to the Shompole community within SORALO.
Coalition on the Prowl
South Rift Valley, Kenya. A coalition of young cheetahs hunts on the Rift Valley floor, with the Rift Valley wall in the background. Cheetahs are among the predators that share the SORALO area with Maasai communities and their livestock.
Grevy's Drama
Kalama Conservancy, Kenya. The Kenyan range of the endangered Grevy's Zebra includes the Samburu National Reserve and this adjacent conservancy. The narrow stripes, large rounded ears and white belly of this rarest of zebra species can yield dramatic imagery. With four days to search the area for a Grevy's, we found a solitary pair on the last afternoon and spent more than an hour with them.
Mara Family Trek
Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. A breeding herd of elephants, led by one of its matriarchs, treks across the Mara.
Pursuing Prey
Kruger National Park, South Africa. A lion heads for potential prey on the grassy plains of Kruger.
Hornbill Beauty
Samburu National Reserve, Kenya. A red-billed hornbill. This image was captured in 2012 on the first day of my first African safari.
Elegant Hoopoe
Lake Nakuru National Park. An African hoopoe poses on a branch near the lake.
Mara Coalition on Alert
Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. A coalition of cheetahs scans the Mara for prey and danger.
Green Season Elephant
Kruger National Park, South Africa. In the Makuleke region, the northernmost in Kruger, this elephant is coated with red dirt, contrasting beautifully with the new foliage during this late November green season.
Rhino Power
Northern Kenya. A white rhinoceros against the northern Kenya skyline. Rhinos are heavily poached, so the site of this image is identified only approximately.
Magadi Fault Flyover
South Rift Valley, Kenya. Flamingos fly across the edge of Lake Magadi, where the cliffs expose the line of one of the smaller faults in the valley.