Back in the living desert

From January 22nd to 29th 2024, as a journalist, I accompanied a trip to the Dubai Desert organised by Biosphere Expeditions. Participants engage as citizen scientists for mammals, birds and…

Georgia’s big mammal goodies

I visited Georgia between 28. 10. and 11. 11. 2023. The main purpose of this trip was to find and photograph Caucasian Chamois. For me it is the last of the ten chamois subspecies, that I wanted…

How to (not) find a Mediterranean Monk Seal in Greece

Between May 27th and June 10th 2023 I went on a family trip to Greece just to relax and explore, but of course also to look for wildlife. The Mediterranean Monk Seal (MMS) is considered the world’s…

The world’s best mammal watching

Kenya is undoubtedly one of the best places to observe wildlife – as many trip reports on mammalwatching.com proof. The biodiversity is simply overwhelming. Anyone who visits the country learns that Kenia needs visitors in…

With poachers and other friendly folks through Turkey

During the last week of October and the first week of November 2022 I did a 3000 km road trip through Anatolia. My main goal was to find Anatolian Mouflon,…

Road trip to the whales of Norway

I watched for big and small wildlife during a three-week family trip to the archipelagos of Vesteralen and Lofoten. – Just a few general notes: I wouldn’t consider Norway a good wildlife…

Challenging Zeus

I visited Greece between June 7th and 16th. It was a family trip, so I restricted myself mammalwise to one main goal: observing Balkan Chamois at Mt. Olympus. – Mt. Olympus is the…

Die siehst Du! Tiere um dich herum – Der Kosmos-Naturführer

DA SIND SIE! Rund ums Haus, auf der Wiese, im Wald, in den Bergen, auf hoher See oder unter der Erde: unsere heimischen Säugetiere leben überall. Und ganz…

Wildlife of the Arabian Desert

I visited the UAE between January 8th and 15th 2022. My aims were to make a story for terra, a German travel magazine; to look for one of…

Mammal encounters in Sweden

I was looking for mammals during a family trip between 24th of August and 7th of September in 2021. I brought along my camera, a flashlight and bat detector and left my thermal imager at home. I…

Looking for Carpathian Chamois in Romania

My quest to document all species and subspecies of chamois let me to Romania in August 2021. 8.8.: Coming from Germany via Austria, Slowakia and Hungary, I leave…

Mammal watching joys in Hungary

5.8.: Coming from Slovakia my next stop is Aggtelek National Park in Northern Hungary. I stay at a lovely hostel, where I am the only guest. It rains and I decide:…

Tatra Chamois and other Slovakian mammal goodies

I visited the High Tatras in August 2021 to continue my observations of Tatra Chamois. I then resumed my trip towards Hungary with stopovers at Spiš Castle and Muránska Planina National Park. In total I had five days to look for wildlife in Slovakia.

Mammal watching stopover in Austria

I was travelling East this summer (2021) and came through Austria, where I spent some hours at three different locations: two at Lake Neusiedl, one in Vienna. 1.8.:…

Wildlife in the Darwaz Mountains of Tajikistan

I visited Tajikistan between February 15th and March 2nd 2020. They main purpose of the trip for me was to see Markhor. Of course I was equally excited to observe all other wildlife species –…

Winter birds of Darwaz, Tajikistan

Here are some of the birds that I encountered on my trip through Tajikistan. To find out more about the country and its wildlife switch to my other…

Afghanistan, 2020

No, I haven’t been there. But during my trip to Tajikistan I had the chance to look across the border every day, got an impression how life is…

Anatolian Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra asiatica)

The Anatolian Chamois is a very rarely discussed and documented taxon. Lydekker described it for the first time in 1908. Find below a summary of facts and some…

Bighorn Tour, USA 2019

During September 2019 I visited the United States to attend the 7th World Mountain Ungulate Conference. Before and after I had a total of 10 days to look for…

Dovrefjell–Sunndalsfjella National Park, Norway 2019

I visited Dovrefjell–Sunndalsfjella National Park from June 11th to June 17th. The area is considered the last highland wilderness of Europe, where one can observe free ranging Reindeer,…

„Caprinae world“: That’s what it’s all about.

„Caprinae world“ is an online catalogue with information about wild goats, sheeps and related species. Some of the data has never been made accessible online – accept here.

Dwarf Bharal Tour. China, Yunnan, Rini Mountain 2018

You won’t find a picture of a real one on Wikipedia! There is no photo of a life animal in the internet at all – except here. It…

Birds of the Tien Shan

Some birds I encountered during a Biosphere Expeditons trip in the West-Karakul-River area, Kyrgyz Range, Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan.

Searching for THE GHOST in Kyrgyzstan

From July 30th to August 12th 2018 I had the pleasure to be on a „Biosphere Expeditions“-Trip to support a conservation project regarding the very elusive Snow Leopard…

15 hours in the Chartreuse Mountains, France

I basically had 15 hours on May 3rd and 4th 2018 during a family trip to look for Chartreuse Chamois. I got great views of this subspecies. And…

Magic Mishmis – A wildlife watching trip to India’s furthest northeastern corner

There were two species, which I wanted to see in the Mishmi Hills for my caprinae world project: Mishmi Takin and Red Goral. And I was very, very…

Mishmi Hills Birds

Check this illustrated list of birds (70+ species) if you want to find out what you can expect when you go birding in the Mishmi Hills, Arunachal Pradesh,…

Mammalwatching in Slovenia + Risnjak NP

Through Jon Hall from mammalwatching.com I heard of a 3-day-press-trip through Slovenia and Croatia. I applied and the organizers from LIFE DINALP BEAR welcomed me. My family and…

Mit sieben Falken unter einem Dach

Sechs Jahre haben wir auf sie gewartet. 2017 ist sie nun endlich eingezogen: eine Turmfalken-Familie. Vier Monate habe ich sie mit der Kamera begleitet.  

Wildlife and birds of Mandra Edera, Sardinia

In June my family and I spent a few days at Mandra Edera. This country hotel in Western Sardinia, Italy, is mainly a destination for horse riders, but…

India & Bhutan, 2016 – a mammal trip report

It has been a dream for years to visit Kaziranga Nationalpark. Pobitora and Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in India and finally Bhutan were equally on my wish list.

Kontakt

Northern Chinese Argali (Ovis ammon jubata)

The Northern Chinese Argali or Shansi Argali is an extinct subspecies of Ovis ammon. According to IUCN no records have been identified based on literature reviews, interviews, and field work for several decades.

What’s the difference between mouflons and urials?

Mouflons and urials are two groups of old world wild sheep in the genus Ovis. Compared with other sheep, they have much in common: For example they are…

Ralf’s magazine articles

Find below a selection of articles that Ralf wrote for various magazines including Kosmos, Geo, Natur, Terra, Zoon, etc. (cover pages shown).