Lying in the heart of the East African safari country, Kenya and Tanzania are where the classic vision of Africa becomes a reality. A safari is the quintessential East African experience, where tourists can see everything from lions to elephants, hippos to hyenas, zebras to baboons, all set against world-famous vistas such as the Masai Mara, Serengeti, Nogorongoro Crater and Amboseli's Mt Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. This region also offers some of the greatest wildlife sepctacles on the continent - the sights of millions of wildebeest on their annual migration or flamingoes massing in the tens of thosands on the shores of the Rift Valley lakes. For the photographer, East Africa promises exciting wildlife, endless plains and the prospect of a red sunrise set against black acacia trees.
Abundant though it might seem, however, the wildlife of East Africa remains under pressure. Wild meat, ivory and rhino horn are valuable commodities, leading to extensive poaching. Irresponsible tourism adds to the pressure - but opting for low-impact walking, cycling, camel or balloon safaris alleviates the pressure and damage caused by vehicles.

For more information and images, contact timaldred@naturepl.com.

Single-photographer portfolios from this region can be browsed under the search terms ^Anup Shah East Africa^ or ^Peter Blackwell East Africa^.

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