John Lord Booth III

Just a bird on a stick, but what a bird! This is the exceptionally rare and illusive wild Congo Peafowl. So rare it wasn’t even known to science until 1934. After a failed Central African okapi expedition Dr James Chaplin noticed some unique but unidentifiable feathers in the local Congolese headdresses. He wouldn’t be able to identify these feathers until he found two taxidermy specimens mislabeled as Indian peacocks in a French museum. It wasn’t until 1955 that he was able to find and record living specimens in the Central African Congo rainforest. Locals of course had known of them for generations but have since poached them into near extinction. Between the remoteness of their limited habitat range and near eradication, there are very few outsiders on the planet that have seen them. Due to the sustained conservation efforts by Jef Dupain, the Antwerp Zoo, and Tetsuya Sakamaki’s research team, Lomako is one of the few places left on the planet where these peafowls can still be seen. We were lucky enough to hear them call most nights from camp. One morning on the way to the bonobos we found this lone male roosting on his evening perch. Not a great photo on my part but what an Incredibly special sighting. Images possible by @sonyalpha expedition possible by @jbd_africa @kyledenobrega and @jefdupain1965

On a misty morning deep in the heart of the Congo rainforest, in the dense wilds beyond the research camp Iyema in the conservation area of Lomako, a wild male bonobo slowly starts his day from the comfort of his well built leaf nest. Like chimpanzees Bonobos sleep in leaf nests they construct every evening. They never reuse old nests and prefer instead to build a fresh nest every time they need to sleep. Even for short naps for a midday siesta they will build quick nests to take a snooze. An adult can make a quick nest for a nap in less than a minute. The larger evening nests are generally given more attention and time. Arriving at the nest sight before sunrise always became a where’s Waldo of nest spotting. This was important not just for the researches but also to make sure you weren’t standing under one so you could avoid being on the receiving end of a bonobo’s morning bathroom release. Images possible by @sonyalpha expedition possible by @jbd_africa @kyledenobrega and @jefdupain1965

Adult male bonobos strike a pose. @sonyalpha Alongside chimpanzees, Bonobos are our closest living relatives sharing 98.7% of our DNA. Though they look similar to chimpanzees Bonobos are very different. One of the major differences is they live in matriarchies and known to be sexually promiscuous. They are lovers not fighters. This takes a lot of the pressure off the males as compared to the power dynamics and violence one tends to see in chimpanzee groups. What do they do with this free time? Pose for the camera of course.

bonobo peanut. 🫶🏻 Very early in the mornings while the parents sleep the youngsters play. This curious toddler took interest in us one morning and sat with us for just a moment before he ran back to mom. #bonobos @sonyalpha

in the dense wilds of the Congo rainforest this adult male bonobo sits upright in his leaf nest in solitary contemplation as he gazes into the first light of the dawn sun through the dense leafy canopy. Every morning our day started around 3am. We had just enough time to throw some porridge and hot coffee in our bellies before setting off on a 60-90 minute hike on average through the pitch black rainforest. Our mission was always the same: arrive at the last know nest site before dawn to observe and wake with the members of the family that were seen the day before. This was my favourite part of every day. It became a meditative ritual. Arriving, taking notes and then waiting patiently, quietly and introspectively in total darkness. Every morning we stood silently in this cathedral of trees while the leaf nests above slowly came to life. The bonobos rising to slowly meet the suns first rays filtering into the dark understory of the Congo rainforest. This ritual could last 5 minutes or several hours depending on their mood, location and proximity to food. No matter the duration it was always magic. Note a sad and macabre reality of our ability to traverse the rainforest with such speed in total darkness is the lack of threat from forest elephants in nearly all of the DRC. This is to do with rampant Forrest elephant ivory poaching primarily in the 1980s that saw a sudden and violent decline of their population by up to 80%. There is a tiny surviving population of Forrest elephants in Lomako but not enough to pose a threat to our traversal. Images possible by @sonyalpha expedition possible by @jbd_africa @kyledenobrega and @jefdupain1965

Last year I had the privilege of spending a week with a family of bonobos in the heart of the congo in the literal center of Africa. This secret world of bonobos was made possible by the hard work of the legendary primatologist Tetsuya Sakamaki, three decades of conservation by the inspiring @jefdupain1965 and 2 years of planning with @kyledenobrega and @jbd_africa To say photographing semi habituated bonobos that primarily live high in the canopies of the Congo rain forest is difficult would be a massive understatement. This expedition tested the limits of my gear, my endurance and my spirit but through patience and perseverance the secrets of the forest slowly began to reveal themselves. This place is magic. @sonyalpha

Strange Bedfellows. …BE WARNED the following images may be triggering. There seemed to be a lot of interest in a previous post about this sighting so I thought I’d share more from that day. This was one of the strangest and most heartbreaking encounters I’ve ever seen. This happened in Mokete in the peak of dry season in a drought year with a low delta flood. Conditions were brutal for several months and this period was the worst. Average temps were 42-47 celcius (107°-116°f). Elephants of all ages struggle this time of year with intense pressure on water and food. Many die. It is a very good time for predators, especially big cats. This elephant calf seemed to be an orphan for reasons unknown. We don’t know what happened to its herd or the mother. We don’t know why the lion was exhausted. We just found this scene in progress and documented it. It is an incomplete story of what happened but a powerful moment nonetheless. Ultimately the lion left the calf as you see it. Sadly this calf did not survive the night. This was an emotional tough day for @russ_wildlife and I. As much as we wanted to do something for this baby, care or assistance here is not realistic. Our hearts broke watching this unfold. There is no shortage of empathy for a distressed elephant or any animal but sometimes the indifference of Mother Nature is a hard thing to witness in the animal kingdom. This is a sad fact of the savage reality in the dry season in Botswana. It is not for the faint of heart. Big cats eat well this time of year and elephants struggle. Why did the lion leave the calf? My guess is the lion was full, hot and exhausted and just changed its mind. We’ll never know but this day will stick with us forever. Photos by me, VIDEO by @russ_wildlife #mokete @sonyalpha

In the sweltering heat of the mid day central African sun, on the flood plains of the Rigueck in Parc Nationale De Zakouma, Chad, a wild and free lioness leaps to protect her mud-bound buffalo calf kill from a relentless yellow billed kite looking for a free meal. #zakouma @africanparksnetwork @sonyalpha

Lions are very territorial, so it’s a bad idea to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s easier said than done in the dry season when water is scarce. This pack of wild dogs found out the hard way while going for a drink too close to a lion pride. Photos by me. VIDEO by @russ_wildlife #mokete #sonyalpha @reddigitalcinema @sonyalpha

Beware the tawny cat in the tawny grass. Photos by me, VIDEO by @russ_wildlife swipe left -> #mokete #sonyalpha @reddigitalcinema

Just a picture of a lion for the new year. #lion #safari #mokete #botswana #wearewilderness #sonyalpha @sonyalpha @wearewilderness @wildfreelions

Mum and nugget take a walk through the marsh. #elephant #mokete #botswana #hasselblad @hasselblad