by Katherine Yaksich

A sea of pink flamingos 

#bigcatsplayball #thisisafrica

(at Lake Manyara, Tanzania)

A sea of pink flamingos

#bigcatsplayball #thisisafrica

(at Lake Manyara, Tanzania)

by Katherine Yaksich

Our first up close and personal lion encounter in the Serengeti. 

We easily saw over 100 big cats in the Serengeti. 

#stayfierce #bigcatsplayball


(at Serengeti National Park, Tanzania)

Our first up close and personal lion encounter in the Serengeti.

We easily saw over 100 big cats in the Serengeti.

#stayfierce #bigcatsplayball

(at Serengeti National Park, Tanzania)

by Katherine Yaksich

Lions don’t have a very high success rate when it comes to hunting. We saw 4 prides of lions fail to capture their prey, and here is an image of 2 lions failing to take down a Cape buffalo. It literally scared the crap out of the buffalo after…

Lions don’t have a very high success rate when it comes to hunting. We saw 4 prides of lions fail to capture their prey, and here is an image of 2 lions failing to take down a Cape buffalo. It literally scared the crap out of the buffalo afterwards.

#keepitwild #bigcatsplayball

(at Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania)

by Katherine Yaksich

One rite of passage from boyhood to the status of junior warrior is a painful circumcision ceremony, which is performed without anaesthetic. These young Masaai warriors have been recently circumcised. 

#bigcatsplayball

(at Serengeti National Park,…

One rite of passage from boyhood to the status of junior warrior is a painful circumcision ceremony, which is performed without anaesthetic. These young Masaai warriors have been recently circumcised.

#bigcatsplayball

(at Serengeti National Park, Tanzania)

by Katherine Yaksich

Maasai and their cattle on the way to the Serengeti. Sometimes the Maasai have to defend their cattle from lion attacks using their spears.

#bigcatsplayball

(at Serengeti National Park, Tanzania)

Maasai and their cattle on the way to the Serengeti. Sometimes the Maasai have to defend their cattle from lion attacks using their spears.

#bigcatsplayball

(at Serengeti National Park, Tanzania)

by Katherine Yaksich

Kakesu
Maasai village of Baraka, Tanzania

The Maasai are a semi-nomadic people that live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They still continue their age old customs despite pressure to become modernized.
 
#bigcatsplayball

(at Tanzania)

Kakesu Maasai village of Baraka, Tanzania

The Maasai are a semi-nomadic people that live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They still continue their age old customs despite pressure to become modernized.

#bigcatsplayball

(at Tanzania)

by Katherine Yaksich

At the summit we were greeted by spectacular views, like this one of the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro casting a shadow across Mt. Meru

#bigcatsplayball

(at Mount Kilimanjaro)

At the summit we were greeted by spectacular views, like this one of the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro casting a shadow across Mt. Meru

#bigcatsplayball

(at Mount Kilimanjaro)

by Katherine Yaksich

Above the clouds at 14,000 ft 

#takeflight #bigcatsplayball


(at Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania)

Above the clouds at 14,000 ft

#takeflight #bigcatsplayball

(at Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania)

by Katherine Yaksich

11:27 PM | Barafu Base Camp | 15,357 ft

The scene at base camp approximately 30 min before making the push for the summit. Those glaciers look absolutely spectacular from the top. 

#bigcatsplayball

(at Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania)

11:27 PM | Barafu Base Camp | 15,357 ft

The scene at base camp approximately 30 min before making the push for the summit. Those glaciers look absolutely spectacular from the top.

#bigcatsplayball

(at Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania)

by Katherine Yaksich

6:36 AM | 19,341 ft above sea level

We somehow managed to make it to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro on day 5 of our journey. At this point I had been up for over 24 hours, and it was probably one of the most challenging days of my life. It’s d…

6:36 AM | 19,341 ft above sea level

We somehow managed to make it to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro on day 5 of our journey. At this point I had been up for over 24 hours, and it was probably one of the most challenging days of my life. It’s difficult to describe everything that went into this journey, but for sure the human spirit can endure much more than we think.

I was emotional at the top because when we embarked for the summit at midnight, I didn’t think I could make it. Surely I thought I would pass out and fall over the edge, or have a heart attack as my heart was racing the entire time. My fellow teammates even saw me stumble on the way up and barely make it on the way down, assisted. Kilimanjaro broke me, and perhaps even transformed me.

Kilimanjaro is all about the journey. I will probably barely remember the 10 minutes that we spent at the summit. But I will never forget the people we met and the beauty we experienced along the way.

Photo by @andrewmklein

#keepexploring #bigcatsplayball

(at Mount Kilimanjaro)

by Katherine Yaksich

Paul, aka Mr. Pole Pole, is a legend on Mount Kilimanjaro. He’s been climbing the mountain for 15 years and has summited more than 200 times. He has spent the night inside some of Kilimanjaro’s caves and is very well respected on the mou…

Paul, aka Mr. Pole Pole, is a legend on Mount Kilimanjaro. He’s been climbing the mountain for 15 years and has summited more than 200 times. He has spent the night inside some of Kilimanjaro’s caves and is very well respected on the mountain. He is sometimes referred to as Babu (Swahili for grandfather) because he has mentored and helped train a lot of the guides.

Kilimanjaro was one of the most challenging things I have ever done, and I wouldn’t have been able to make it without people like Mr. Pole Pole.

#makeportraits #bigcatsplayball

(at Mount Kilimanjaro)

by Katherine Yaksich

| 8:05 AM TODAY |

A great white shark breaches the surface while hunting near Seal Island in False Bay just outside of Cape Town, South Africa. This great white shark breaching behavior has only ever been observed around Seal Island in False Bay.

…

| 8:05 AM TODAY |

A great white shark breaches the surface while hunting near Seal Island in False Bay just outside of Cape Town, South Africa. This great white shark breaching behavior has only ever been observed around Seal Island in False Bay.

It was absolutely mind blowing and surreal to finally get a chance to experience and photograph this firsthand!

#sharkaholic #bigcatsplayball #saveoursharks #airjaws

(at Cape Town, South Africa)

by Katherine Yaksich

| ELEPHANT FACE OFF |

For #worldelephantday last week. 
According to Aristotle, the elephant is “the beast which passeth all others in wit and mind.” 

#keepitwild #bigcatsplayball


(at South Africa)

| ELEPHANT FACE OFF |

For #worldelephantday last week.

According to Aristotle, the elephant is “the beast which passeth all others in wit and mind.” #keepitwild #bigcatsplayball

(at South Africa)

by Katherine Yaksich

The Ann van Dyk Cheetah centre has been dedicated to breeding, conserving, and re releasing the Cheetah and other endangered species back into the wild since 1971. 

The cheetah is the fastest land animal and there are an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 c…

The Ann van Dyk Cheetah centre has been dedicated to breeding, conserving, and re releasing the Cheetah and other endangered species back into the wild since 1971. The cheetah is the fastest land animal and there are an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 cheetah today compared to a cheetah population of 100,000 in 1900. #savethecheetah #keepitwild #bigcatsplayball (at J Bay - South Africa)

by Katherine Yaksich

Baboon portrait, Kruger National Park, South Africa

#keepitwild #bigcatsplayball #makeportraits

(at South Africa)

Baboon portrait, Kruger National Park, South Africa #keepitwild #bigcatsplayball #makeportraits (at South Africa)

by Katherine Yaksich

The Milky Way bulge rises above us at Kruger National Park, South Africa, which was completely unexpected. 

#keepitwild #bigcatsplayball

(at Kruger National Park)

The Milky Way bulge rises above us at Kruger National Park, South Africa, which was completely unexpected. #keepitwild #bigcatsplayball (at Kruger National Park)