More than 100 African savannah elephants make up Akagera National Park’s two main herds. Elephants are matriarchal – each herd is led by an elder female. This is the southern herd’s matriarch. Photographed near the southern plains of Akagera National Park, Rwanda.

African buffaloes are large, heavy cow-like animals. They vary greatly not only in size but in the shapes of their horns and their colouring. Both males and females have heavy, ridged horns that grow straight out from the head or curve downward and then up. The horns are formidable weapons against predators and are used when jostling for space within the herd; males use the horns in fights for dominance. Photographed on the southern plains of Akagera National Park, Rwanda.

Normally this bird has a more subdued plumage of browns, beige and soft yellow. However, prior to the breeding season starting it moults to become this bright red, orange and black masterpiece. Common across wetlands and grasslands in Rwanda, photographed at Masaka Wetland, on the eastern outskirts of Kigali, Rwanda.

These stunning birds are a breeding pair I was lucky to find during courtship. I watched as the male (on the right) presented food to the female, He also kept moving close to her and touch her bill with his bill. I was also able to watch and hear them duet together. Photographed in Akagera National Park, Rwanda.

Whilst documenting the work of the Gorilla Doctors I travelled to eastern DRC to photograph the work of their team focused on the health of the Eastern Lowland or Grauer’s Gorilla. They are the largest of all gorilla species and are critically endangered. It was amazing to see these majestic animals in their natural habitat. Photographed in Kahuzi Biega National Park, DRC.

A giraffe tongue is about 18–20 inches long. Giraffes use their long tongues as a tool to eat leaves, branches, and twigs. Giraffe tongues are often deep blue-black or bluish-purple in hue. This portrait was created on the northern plains of Akagera National Park in Rwanda.

Little Bee-eaters, are the smallest members of the bee-eater family of birds. This huddle is comprised of young siblings that have recently fledged their nest cavity (a chamber excavated from a bank of sand or earth) and are waiting for their parents to bring them food. Whilst waiting they will watch for flying insects to pass and try their best to catch prey items on their own – often not they are not as successful as their parents yet! Photographed on edge of a fairway at the Kigali Golf Resort and Villas.

These strikingly beautiful birds get their name from their aerial courtship displays. Adult male and females look alike, juveniles however lack the two longer tail feathers, known as streamers. Photographed in Akagera National Park, Rwanda.

Leopards on the whole are solitary and often elusive. It was a complete surprise to find this cub on the edge of a track I was driving on safari. II thought I would only get a glimpse as it saw the car and moved off into the bush. I slowly drove up the track scanning the bushes and there it was! I stopped and it just sat and watched me create this photograph before moving off into the denser bush and out of sight. Photographed in Akagera National Park, Rwanda.

The Malachite Kingfisher is a small gem-like kingfisher which inhabits freshwater systems across sub-Saharan Africa. This image consists of four photographs taken of the same bird and merged together in post processing to show its flight path. Photographed at Nyandungu Eco-Park, Kigali, Rwanda.

These awesome looking birds are primarily fruit eaters and so can often be found in gardens across Kigali when the mango and avocado trees are fruiting. My young daughter calls them the primary colour birds! I photographed this turaco from the balcony of my house in Kigali, Rwanda.

Mountain Gorillas live in family groups, and each group is led by a dominant male – the Silverback. Leadership can be lonely job, and I wanted that to come across in this portrait of a solitary yet thoughtful silverback. Photographed in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Living in wild can be hard on the skin, so adult elephants will regularly take dust baths to regulate their temperature, protect against insect bites and also protect against the harsh sunlight. Young elephants, like this one will also do it for fun! Photographed in Akagera National Park, Rwanda.

The long grass found on the edges of a savannah enable lions to blend in with their surroundings whilst they lie and wait for their prey to arrive. Photographed on the northern plains of Akagera National Park, Rwanda. The Hands of a Mountain Gorilla While living in Rwanda I have had the privilege of working with Gorilla Doctors, the wildlife veterinarians responsible for the health of the Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda and eastern DRC. Each time I visit these awesome animals I am struck by how similar we are to them, both physically and their mannerisms. The aim of this photograph was to highlight those similarities. Photographed in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda.

The Village Weaver is one of nineteen different species of weaver that live in Rwanda. They are a common sight across Rwanda because it is a bird that builds its nests in trees near to human habitations. They breed in large colonies, some colonies have more than 100 nests. The male will weave multiple nests during a breeding season to attract a mate. Each nest takes about 12-15 hours to construct. When a female arrives, the males hang and display under their nests by noisily fluttering their wings and making small display flights. Each male can have up to five mates at once, and a single male Village Weaver can have up to 20 mates in one breeding season. Photographed at Nyandungu Eco-Park in Kigali, Rwanda.

The stripes of a zebra are unique to each individual, much like our finger prints. They are also highly social, grouping together in large groups. The collective noun for a group of Zebras is a dazzle! Photographed in Akagera National Park, Rwanda.