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In November 2025, it was that time of year once again. I was heading back to a place I think of as my second home. I've now been travelling to Zambia, and specifically South Luangwa National Park, for over 15 years and it holds a special place in my heart. Having one of the African wild dogs of South Luangwa appear on the cover of BBC Wildlife magazine was a really special moment, so I was excited to be heading back to the bush. Leading a group for Wildlife Worldwide, staying at one of my favourite lodges anywhere on the African continent, you always know you're on to a winner. Combined with exceptional encounters with leopard, lion, African wild dog and stunning birds like African fish eagle and southern carmine bee-eater, you really can't go wrong. So, sit back, relax and enjoy some of the stunning imagery from another incredible trip in this remarkable wilderness. It all started with a leopard I have been photographing for many years ...   On our very first drive we stumbled upon Lucy, a leopard I know extremely well, as well as her two mature cubs and were treated with the most wonderful sightings and photographic opportunities. It's hard to be get any better, but we were spoilt with some memorable encounters over the course of the week.     The mammal sightings are always popular, but it's great when you get a good session with the bee-eaters and an African fish eagle too.   For me though, the wild dogs (being my favourite animal on the planet) are just on another level. When we saw them on this safari, we were treated to some exceptional views and some remarkable behaviour. They were in full hunting mode and pulled down an impala calf before handing it over to the pups, who quickly devoured the prize.    The rains started with full force while we were there, noticeably different from recent years, when the rains came later and later. However, the one plus of this was the lush green surroundings in which we found our subjects. It just made for a different, but just as rewarding, photographic experience. As you can see, we were not left disappointed.
Be sure to join me in 2026 and beyond for a wildlife photographic safari in one of Africa's finest wilderness areas. Find out more here.
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It has been an action-packed year for me in 2025. I've been busy leading a large number of dedicated wildlife photography tours for Wildlife Worldwide, while I have also been busy working on photographing deer for my big project - I'll be able to announce more on this in 2026. However, I have some big news. Two magazines have decided to use my images on their front covers in the past month. The first is something any wildlife photographer dreams of achieving. I am delighted to say that my image of an African wild dog was used on the front cover of BBC Wildlife Magazine. The image was taken in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park towards the end of 2024, and it is a massive honour to achieve this landmark moment in my career. Now I just need to get an image into Wildlife Photographer of the Year and National Geographic.  The second publication to choose one of my images from the front cover was Hidden Scotland. This beautiful magazine used one of my red squirrel images which was captured in the Cairngorm National Park - my home! I couldn't have been happier to have been the luck one to have their images selected (they were also used for a feature within the publication).  I've got a busy end of the year, so you can expect plenty more content over the next few months. I'll do my best to keep my instagram updated and update this blog as and when I can.
I'm very lucky to head to India most years, leading dedicated photographic safaris to one of the country's hidden gems. Nagarhole National Park, situated within the state of Karnataka does not have the crowds of many of India's national parks. Therefore, sightings can be much more enjoyable and the photographic rewards can be exceptional when everything comes together. This year was another super example. We were spoiled rotten but the dhole (Asiatic wild dog), which made an appearance every single day. We were also blessed with excellent Asian elephant encounters, some stunning birdlife alongside a host of other mammals and even reptiles. So, if you have thought about India, but haven't yet decided on where to go, have a look at some of the images and see if they whet your appetite.     This really is just a taster of the birdlife on offer in the park and the mammal images to follow are the same. There is so much more on offer in this magnificent protected area.    I have hundreds of images of the dhole from this year alone, but this is not typical for this time of year. We made the most of every opportunity though and photographed to our hearts' content.   This tigress was an absolute star, and after a busy start to the sighting, we had her to ourselves at the end. This allowed us to capture some absolutely beautiful imagery of this magnificent big cat.    As well as the iconic, large mammals, we also enjoyed some time photographing the park's smaller residents.   If you want to enjoy encounters and photography opportunities such as this in India, then why not join me on one of my upcoming photo safaris to Nagarhole National Park with Wildlife Worldwide. I look forward to seeing you there.
With the start of our trip to Mana Pools being so successful, particularly with the African wild dogs, the pressure was off and the whole group could just enjoy themselves. There is nothing better for me as a leader than knowing your group are happy after their first couple of days on safari. When I asked everyone what they wanted to focus on for the next few days, half the group said they would like to try their luck with the southern carmine bee-eater colony, while the other half wanted to keep following the dogs. I kept with the wild dog group to keep numbers nicely balanced and we had a brilliant time with the dogs. It took a little time to find the dogs this morning as they had moved some distance overnight. Nick Murray (our guide and the BBC’s Dynasties series guide) and I used our combined tracking skills to eventually find the dogs much further to the east. The pack had come across a small herd of zebra and decided that this was a good lesson for the pups. Zebra are not typical prey for these painted wolves, they focus their efforts on impala, but that is all part of the learning curve for young dogs. We watched them play with the zebra for 10 minutes or so before they went off at high speed after a herd of impala. Even in the vehicle we couldn’t keep up, such was their speed. When we eventually caught up with them, they had found a warthog and were desperately trying to catch it. However, every time they got close the warthog, which was a very healthy large male, he backed himself into a drainage culvert.     Eventually the pack gave up and just went about the daily routine of getting ready for their siesta. This is a great time to photograph the dogs as the sun is often still low in the sky, meaning you get some lovely rich light. At the same time, a large bull elephant appeared and started to browse the high branches of a fruiting sausage tree. We were truly blessed with some excellent photography. We also came across a small pride of lion just a hundred yards or so from where we had a breakfast stop on the banks of the Zambezi.       After a little while, all the dogs eventually crossed a drying pool and ended up resting in a shady dry gully, where the sandy soil was still moist with small pools of water. We found the dogs in the same spot in the afternoon before they suddenly got up, crossed one of the small pools and sprinted across the open plain towards the higher ground of the park.  Above the floodplain the vegetation is radically different and we lost the dogs in the thick undergrowth. It was only the noise of the dogs on a kill that meant we were able to locate them in a dense thicket. The photography opportunities here were limited, but the proximity to the pack and their kill was incredible.
It all got rather exciting as the light started to fade. As we were watching the pack finish off the last scraps of the impala carcass, a small herd of elephants arrived on the scene. Within moments the elephants had the scent of the wild dogs and charged – the only issue was that we were between the two and we had to make a very speedy retreat and move back towards the vehicles. Our guides were absolutely excellent, keeping the group out of harms way without any hesitation or panic. Clear, calm and incisive commands kept us all safe with some heightened adrenaline levels. |