In the spotlight: Jonathan Scott, the Big Cat Man

The name Maasai Mara might conjure images of elephants and zebras roaming vast plains, or lions and leopards stealthily stalking their prey through tall grasses. Few people know these animals better than Jonathan Scott, the Big Cat Man. For decades, he has brought their world into our homes through television programs like Big Cat Diaries, while also serving as a dedicated conservation advocate. In this Jonathan Scott interview, we talk with him about his new autobiography, the challenges facing wildlife conservation, and his top tips for photographing the Mara’s extraordinary wildlife.

What inspired you to write your autobiography, The Big Cat Man?

It was an attempt to gain a better understanding of who I really was, or who I believed myself to be. Making sense of that turned out to be far more challenging than anything I might encounter in the African bush, whether it was a charging elephant or an angry leopard. Maybe my story can help others who are dealing with anxiety or self-doubt to seek the support they need.

What conservation work are you involved in outside of your BBC show Big Cat Diaries?

The priority today is finding ways to conserve wild places and their inhabitants while also supporting initiatives that benefit local communities. Many of these communities live directly alongside wildlife and bear the brunt of ongoing conflicts. Our main focus is to ensure that local people see an economic return from conservation, showing them that it’s a worthwhile investment. Without the support and backing of local communities, conservation efforts will undoubtedly fail.

I am also an ambassador for several conservation organizations around the world, including the Galapagos Conservation Trust. In Africa, I serve as Patron of the Rhino Ark in Kenya and the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia, as well as being an Ambassador for the Mara Lion and Mara Cheetah projects.

Both yourself and your wife, Angela, have won awards for your wildlife photography, do you have any tips for capturing the perfect shot?

If you want to take great wildlife photos, you need to understand your subject. Everyone should take the opportunity to research the place they’re visiting next and find out how to make the most of the photographic opportunities. Every camp and lodge in Africa and India (another one of our favorite destinations) will have a website with information about the local wildlife.

For big cats, try to plan your visit when there are cubs to see. Being up before dawn and out until after sunset will ensure you get the best light for photography, the first and last golden rays of warm light to illuminate your subject. Look at what others have achieved with their images and try to create something different. Be inspired by all types of photography, sports, lifestyle, food, weddings, reportage… and constantly evolve your own style! To move from “snapping” memories of your travels to producing great images, you need to visualize the photos you want to capture and then execute them in the field.

Have any of the destinations you’ve visited and researched overturned your expectations?

Bhutan and Antarctica exceeded my expectations. The Bhutanese Buddhist way of life, one that respects all of life’s creatures – is an inspiration to both Angela and me. Antarctica, on the other hand, was the perfect antidote to years spent among East Africa’s charismatic big game, especially its big cats, which have been our obsession for most of our adult lives! Antarctica is a continent beyond reality; the abundance of wildlife and vast ice landscapes are truly stunning. A safari to East Africa and an expedition to Antarctica are our two top travel highlights, experiences that everyone should try to have in their lifetime.

What are your favorite memories of your travel and photography experiences?

I always say that if I only had one day left in my life, I would spend it right here in the Maasai Mara with Angie. We were married in the Mara 25 years ago, that’s how much we love this place. Our other great love is Antarctica. We’ve made 17 expeditions to the frozen south, including a month-long semi-circumnavigation of the continent from Ushuaia at the tip of Argentina all the way to Christchurch in New Zealand.

Plus, we’ve done two expeditions to photograph Emperor Penguins at their breeding colony on Snow Hill Island in the Weddell Sea. Unforgettable. We got stuck in the ice for a week on the Russian icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov on one of those expeditions, and we were the most remote ship on the planet on another occasion. Visiting Scott and Shackleton’s Huts on Ross Island was equally unforgettable, Scott never returned after reaching the South Pole, so his hut is a very special place full of meaning. It’s an inspiration for all of us to live life to the fullest with courage and determination.

You’ve spent decades working in the Maasai Mara, how has the area changed over that time?

There have been major changes. The Maasai community has become more sedentary. Gone are the days when they could roam freely in search of food and water for their cattle. Communal land ownership has ended, with old Group Ranches now divided into 100-acre plots, each with an individual title. The shift from cattle as a symbol of wealth to a cash economy is slowly gaining ground. Children now attend school, with primary education being mandatory in Kenya, rather than working on the family’s livestock. The Maasai are also being encouraged to manage their herds more sustainably, fattening them for slaughter rather than losing them to drought. Traditional dung-covered houses and thorn-enclosed homesteads have been replaced by tin-roofed huts, and motorbikes are now common.

The Mara’s landscape is becoming more open, with grasslands replacing acacia thickets due to fires and a growing elephant population. The number of camps and lodges around the Maasai Mara has skyrocketed, and many trees have fallen or been damaged by elephants, who strip the bark and allow termites and disease to take their toll. Elephants also prevent woodlands from recovering by pulling out acacia seedlings. The rhino population, despite anti-poaching efforts, remains a shadow of its former self. Still, there’s nowhere like the Mara for easily viewing wildlife. Whether it’s big cats or the Great Migration, few places on Earth offer such diversity and vibrancy.

What are your thoughts on what what role wildlife tourism plays in the ongoing struggle to protect these beautiful animals?

Without wildlife tourism, Kenya’s wilderness areas would likely disappear. Tourism is one of the top four revenue earners for the Kenyan economy, generating a significant portion of the country’s foreign exchange needs while creating tens of thousands of jobs. The money visitors pay in park fees during their safaris helps fund ranger salaries, supports anti-poaching efforts, and empowers local communities by building schools and medical clinics. There is immense pressure on parks and reserves from the growing human population. Only by generating revenue can they survive the constant demand for land.

Wildlife tourism does have its morally grey areas, do you have any advice on how our customers/wildlife lovers can see the animals of the Maasai Mara ethically?

The area surrounding the Maasai Mara is private land owned by the Maasai. These lands still support large numbers of wild animals, there are no fences separating the Reserve from the dispersal areas. Much of this land is now designated as wildlife conservancies. The landowners have agreed to keep these areas unfenced, forming partnerships with tour operators who bring tourists to the conservancies, where they stay in eco-friendly tented camps. The landowners are paid a fee per acre each year, which is either better than or comparable to the profits from farming or intensive cattle ranching. The wildlife conservancies offer some of the best game viewing in the Greater Mara, places where you can see all the big cats with fewer vehicles jostling for position than inside the Reserve. Elephant Pepper Camp and Kicheche Mara Camp in Mara North Conservancy are two of our favorites.

Our ethos is all about bringing travelers as close as possible to local expertise. Have you ever been saved by a bit of local advice?

To get the most out of travel, you need to spend time with local people, immerse yourself in the culture, and take in the sights, sounds, and smells of your destination. The best way to do that is by getting out into the streets and countryside to see how people really live, steering clear of big international hotel chains that can disconnect you from the very experience you’re looking for.

In Africa, choosing the right camp is all about finding the best safari guides. A great guide can make or break a safari. I remember one time, while climbing the Siria Escarpment on the western edge of the Maasai Mara, I nearly walked right into an old bull buffalo hidden in the tall grass. Our friend and local Maasai guide stopped us, advising us to climb onto a termite mound before moving into the open grassland. From that new vantage point, he pointed out a curved horn sticking up through the grass, an old bull with a broken horn lying directly in our path. If we’d surprised him at close range, he almost certainly would’ve charged.

What country will you be traveling to next?

We’ll soon be trekking to see gorillas in Uganda, and after that, we’re heading back to Sri Lanka, a fantastic hotspot for leopards. Later this year, we’ll be filming in the Maasai Mara for a new wildlife TV series. It’s a hectic schedule, but incredibly rewarding. I’m 68 and Angie is 64 this year, but there’s no retiring from the life we love.

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