Photographing the swamp crossings was never a treat. Here, Mike (right) and the team are not traversing the bottom, but walking the length of a tree that has been cut — hence the sticks to balance with. The water is actually head-deep in many places.

The shotgun was confiscated from a poaching camp the team discovered and burned to the ground. The gun was later burned too. I never, ever carry guns on assignment — discussion with the animals (or humans) always leads to a better result.