One woman documented the animals she’d been photographing over the course of a year – by framing with them.
Shannon Benson – who marketed herself as ‘Shannon Wild’ – 36, from South Africa, has walked hand in trunk with an elephant and was even licked by a leopard while she was on a safari.
The brilliant photos show up close and personal how willing some of her subjects are to get when allowed to approach, although some of the smaller creatures caused chaos as they climbed all over her camera gear.
She’s got it licked: Shannon receives the affection of a leopard while on safari in South AfricaThirty-six-year-old Shannon says she keeps calm in most situations during her meetings with the wild animalsShannon has admitted that she has been chased by an elephant during her job as a wildlife photographer, but this one is happy letting her touch its trunk
Shannon, a wildlife photographer, lives and breathes the wild lifestyle even though she has endured a lot of scrapes along the way.
Shannon really has had a brush with the outback, from being chased by an elephant to being mauled by a cheetah.
Shannon said: ‘I’m very passionate about animals, and I wanted to get as many photos as possible.
‘I have a lot of scars and stories over the years when I’ve worked with wildlife and animals have gone too far.
Some of the main problems Shannon experiences are when the animals clamber all over her camera equipment
Some people are happy viewing wild animals from the safety of a safari jeep… but Shannon Benson prefers going one step furtherThe South African daredevil admits she has been bitten ‘countless times’ by snakes and lizards on safariTame: An African wildcat nuzzles up to Shannon during one of her expeditions
‘I’ve been bitten in the face by dogs, charged by elephants, lions, and buffaloes, bitten countless times by snakes and lizards, and mauled by a cheetah, but that doesn’t discourage me.
‘The way I see it, you shouldn’t be a chef if you don’t want to get a burn from hot food, and wildlife photography is the same.
‘I am so excited by every encounter that I am surprisingly calm in most situations, even when watching a lion walking.
Despite struggles getting the perfect shot she is after, it appears no two days are ever the same for Shannon on safari. This lemur used Shannon’s camera as a perch
This African wildcat appears to be keen to show some love for the daredevil photographerShannon beams as she bravely holds the tusk of an African elephant out in the bushShe says her passion for the animals leads her to try and get as many different types of photos as possibleShannon has documented the animals that she photographed over the course of a year – by getting into the frame with themShannon can’t help but laugh like an overly curious meerkat delves into her camera bagShannon appears to be extremely relaxed despite a leopard paying her a visitThe wildlife photographer says that even the bad stories remind her how exciting her job is and how lucky she is to have it
