I am not sure why but I sometimes feel the wildebeest is very overlooked in the wild.I personally am very enamoured by the species.They are brave, playful, intelligent and full of character, but ultimately how can you not respect an animal that is willing to travel hundreds of miles with the sole purpose of following the rainfalls, whilst risking life and limb in the process, a monumental feat in my mind.

It was always my aim to have a wildebeest in The Portrait Collection but finding the right location where there were no predators and the animals were relaxed was the key.That location (recommended by our guide Simon) was an abandoned lodge due to extensive flooding on the edge of Lake Amboseli, where there was an abundance of food, water and what’s more relatively peaceful.

Meet Dumbledore, the name given by my daughter a Harry Potter fanatic who thought the image resembled Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

Amboseli National Park 2019