KENYA, Watamu: In a photograph taken by Make It Kenya 11 Decmeber 2015, Fikiri Kiponda, a member of the Local Ocean Trust team, carries a Hawksbill turtle for release back to the ocean from a deserted beach along Kenya’ Indian Ocean coast.

The Local Ocean Trust and Watamu Turtle Watch work to protect both the future of sea turtles and the wider fragile marine environment along Kenya’s Watamu stretch of coastline through nest-monitoring and protection of turtle nesting sites,  practising a catch and release programme working closely with local fisherman who inadvertently catch sea turtles in the nets, and conservation education and awareness outreach with local communities.

Photo Credit:  MAKE IT KENYA PHOTO / STUART PRICE.

Table Mountain covered in cloud on a calm and beautiful winter’s morning.

Image Credit: Warrenski

Masai (Maasai) youths at the rim of Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Image Credit: Kevin Walsh

Warthog grazing..Note how he folds his front legs

Image Credit: Tambako The Jaguar

At the beginning of the 20th century there were 500,000 rhinos across Africa and Asia. This fell to 70,000 by 1970 and further to just 29,000 in the wild today. Rhinos have become endangered species because of massive poaching of their tusks..

East Asia, specifically Vietnam, is the largest market for rhino horns. By weight, rhino horns cost as much as gold on the black market. People grind up the horns and then consume them believing the dust has therapeutic properties.

The horns are made of keratin, the same type of protein that makes up hair and fingernails

Gorilla face pic. He seems in deep thought. Gorillas are endangered species found in Congo, Rwanda and Uganda..

Photo of a lone elephant taken in Masai Mara, Kenya by Stuart Richards. He commented and said “I really like the effect the long grass has on images like this.”

These gentle giants are an endangered species and its really an uphill task to fight greedy poachers against a team of game rangers who at times are ill equipped to track them.

Amazing shot of a leopard up a tree in the world famous Masai Mara in Kenya

Its not easy to spot a leopard in Masai Mara because they are quite elusive. When on safari, count yourself blessed to get a good experienced driver who knows where to look for these creatures