“I thought I would say pangolins, but it might actually have to be meerkats that are my favourite animal to photograph. I never get bored of photographing them.

In addition to just being wildly cute, they’re also incredibly dynamic animals that are always hunting, fighting, running, standing guard, or sometimes just sleeping adorably. There’s a wealth of behaviors to capture.

It’s hard to overemphasize how hilarious and heartwarming it is to have one of them crawl on top of your head to stand guard the second you kneel down to get a better angle.

On top of that, the ones that I photographed live in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been: the Kalahari desert. Nothing beats the red sand dunes, the yellow devil’s thorn flowers, and the vast sky with its tumbling thunderclouds.

Meerkats are incredible creatures. It was amazing being able to walk with them every day for a year and observe their behavior and social interactions. But what was truly remarkable to me was how I was able over time to identify the individuals just by glancing at them. Each meerkat had a slightly different face and body shape, and each one had a personality. It solidified my understanding that animals have wants, needs, and minds of their own, just like humans.”

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My Big 5

Meerkat
Pangolin
Hyena
Aardvark
Aye-aye