Born in 1971, Thorsten Hanewald lives in beautiful Palatinate, Germany – but his heart is in Kenya.

He is a passionate nature and wildlife photographer with a focus on African wildlife. He says Africa has fascinated him since childhood, with a life-long dream to travel to Kenya. As soon as he set foot on African soil, he was infected with the ‘African virus’ and every draw he is drawn back to capture new spectacular moments and unique nature experiences.

From the wildebeest migration in Kenya to wildebeest calving in Tanzania, impressive encounters with gorillas and chimpanzees in the rainforests of Central Africa and the deserts of Namibia – he has travelled through many African countries but is always drawn back to the Maasai Mara.

Along with his contributions to The Greatest Maasai Mara Photographer of the Year, his photography has been featured in a number of photographic competitions such as the BiophotoContest, Glanzlichter, Africa Geographic and the African Photographer of the Year.