MTAZAMAJI

MTAZAMAJI 🐾

She offered herself in the face of her hungry elders to provide the younger ones with a bit more time to feast.

Mtazamaji means "onlooker" in Swahili.

The pup was giving herself up to the adults circling the kill. They had just taken down a passing buck, and in a moment, the adults formed a safe guard around the perimeter, scanning for any intruders that may come. This allowed the pups to feast. A critical time for the wild dog pack, which, almost extinct in the wild, was now fighting for their very own future. But every dog must have its day, they say, and so the adults, after a minute or two, began to turn in an attempt to join in on the feast. But the most courageous of the pups, a young female pup, moved away from the kill, giving herself to the adults in a sign of submission to allow her brothers and sisters to continue to feast - even if for a few seconds more. This act of selflessness, I was told, usually carries the true danger of being killed but also signals a future-born leader of the pack where success is a measure of everyone's gain, not one's own.

RAW AFRICA COLLECTION

Welcome to Africa - the wise, the restless, the life giving.

This soulful land of dreamers gives rise to the underbelly of a beautiful gentle beat that is only heard by those who listen for it. This photographic journey explores, profiles and captures what I hope is the heart and soul of Africa's true wilderness kingdom. From its deep bush to its dry savannah and desert, Africa remains a place where life is represented by timeless vistas that are distilled into moments to treasure.