Two cheetahs walked single file, one behind the other, through the tall grass as photographer Robert B. Haas crouched nearby. “I heard this low grumbling sound,” Haas told us. “It sounded just like a small lawn mower.”

As the cheetahs approached, Haas raised his arm to cover his face in case one of the cheetahs decided to take a swipe. Instead, to Haas’s surprise, one of the cats rested his chin on his arm. "My eyes were only a few inches away from his. He rubbed against me back and forth the way a house cat will, then the other cheetah did exactly the same thing."

The photographer calls the encounter both “one of the most frightening and one of the most thrilling moments of my life.” That’s saying a lot for a guy who’s been chased by elephants and charged by a massive hippo! These are just a few of the adventures Haas describes in African Critters, a book packed with his photos and stories about the animals on his favorite continent.

Africa’s Amazing Animals
After taking his first trip to Africa in 1994, Haas fell in love with Africa and the animals there. "There was a sense that I was watching something beautiful and natural and timeless. I felt I was observing things you could have seen thousands or even tens of thousands of years ago. I was drawn to Africa over and over again."

Of all the animals he's photographed, Haas says it's hard to pick a favorite because "the more you photograph, the more you realize that each animal has its own unique qualities." He does admit, however, that after his encounter with the cheetahs, he has a soft spot for the smallest of the big cats.

"Photographing animals in the wild isn’t like going to the zoo or the circus," says Haas. "The animals do not perform for you. They act in their own natural way." In order to shoot their daily routines, you have to be quiet and patient.

“You want to be no different than a tree or a bush out there,” Haas continues. “If you become a player in the drama, the drama will change.”

Wildly Rare Wildlife
Cheetahs may be among Haas’s favorite critters, but wild dogs are some of the rarest animals he has photographed. There are only about 5,000 wild dogs left in all of Africa. In fact, in all his trips, Haas has seen wild dogs only once.

As for the bad rap that animals such as wild dogs and hyenas get, Haas says it’s not fair. “I think a lot of it is based on looks. Lions, leopards, and cheetahs are magnificent-looking creatures. Hyenas and wild dogs may not be the most beautiful animals, but there aren’t good guys and bad guys out there. There are only animals trying to survive.”

 

Spotting the Spotted Ones
Wild dogs are an uncommon sight because there are few of them left in the wild. However, other animals are difficult to get photos of because they stay so well-hidden. One example? Baby leopards. When mother leopards go out to hunt, they leave their young hidden in a den or tall grass, making them very tough to spot.

"Once, we found cubs in a cave when their mother was away,” Haas tells us. “We never got close—we were actually on the other side of a river. We watched as the very young cubs came out of the cave. One was very shy and one was a tough guy. The tough guy growled at us. We got that shot [see the photo on the right]. Later their mom came back and the cubs felt secure enough to come out and play. To see a mother and cubs like that is a rare sighting.” It’s also what draws Haas back to Africa—and its critters—again and again.

Read more of what Haas has to say about Africa and its critters!

Photos reprinted with permission of the National Geographic Society from the book African Critters By Robert B. Haas. Copyright ©2008 Robert B. Haas. Available where all books are sold.