See Rare Close Ups of Secretive African Animals

1 minute read

The World Wildlife Fund teamed up with photographer Will Burrard-Lucas to photograph African animals that typically stay far away from humans—especially humans with cameras.

“We spent around two weeks in the field and I was driving around trying to get photos in a traditional sense, but it quickly became apparent that these animals have learned that the only way to survive is to avoid humans,” Burrard-Lucas says.

The photographer set up camera trap equipment that wouldn’t disturb the animals in order to get photos that seemed impossible to take. Burrard-Lucas managed to use low-light photography to capture images of lions, bush pigs, elephants and more wild animals native to the Namibia region of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, known as KAZA.

“This is truly wild Africa and you have to work a lot harder to get the photos, but it’s so rewarding,” he says.

A camera trap image of a lion using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of a lion using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of a hyena fowl using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of a hyena using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of a giraffe using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of a giraffe using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of an elephant using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of an elephant using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of a leopard using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of a leopard using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of a porcupine using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of a porcupine using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of elands and giraffes using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of elands and giraffes using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of an eland using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of an eland using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of a wildebeest using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of a wildebeest using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
Camera trap image of bush pigs using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of bush pigs using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of a honey badger using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of a honey badger using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of a serval using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of a serval using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of a genet using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of a genet using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
Camera trap image of a common duiker using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of a common duiker using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of eland and guinea fowls using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of eland and guinea fowls using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of guinea fowl using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of guinea fowl using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of an elephant using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of an elephant using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of warthogs using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of warthogs using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
A camera trap image of a wild dog using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.
A camera trap image of a wild dog using Camtraptions PIR motion sensor.Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com