NDOGO🐾

His curious yet alert stare tells of his early days in the vast African bush.

Ndogo means "small" in Swahili.

Safely flanked by his protective mother, the four-week-old calf turns from his feed, square on, to stare quietly back. The silence was deafening. Only a whispery breeze rustled through the savannah grassland and surrounding acacia trees. His senses had picked us up earlier, warning him that we were different. Our presence meant some uncertainty, yet, it seemed, it was mixed with curiosity. His mother continued to quietly eat, almost unconcerned but well aware of her surroundings. Her ear flicked suddenly, tuning into her calf, as he sneezed a gruff alarm at our whereabouts but remained steadfast in the darkening landscape. These were precious moments, ones where, in the wild, an encounter such as this can tell a tale of two parts, one of them fraught with danger and sadness.

It was a bittersweet sight, observing this young rhino amidst the untouched African landscape. His existence symbolises the magnificence of the natural world, yet it also serves as a reminder of the relentless poaching that plagues these unique giants. The fullness of his mother's horn spoke of the rarity it had become, as countless others had fallen victim to ruthless hunters. So it was with both wonder and some sadness that I watched this little one, thinking about what he was going to face in the coming days, months, if not years.

It was a sight of pure, pristine, and raw African beauty. Surrounded by silence, the golden brown hues of a setting sun, and vast rolling clouds that had started to gather on the horizon. As we turned to leave back to our camp, I gave a little sigh of my own, with the picture now in my mind of one of Africa's most iconic scenes and sightings: a young, vulnerable rhino calf feeding with his protective mother in the silence of a soon-to-be thundering dusk.

RAW AFRICA COLLECTION

Welcome to Africa - the wise, the restless, and 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.