My life is an incredible adventure that has taken me down some very exciting and extraordinary paths. I have been fortunate to be able to follow my passions in life. This has been a challenge, and at times a difficult road, but worth it in unimaginable ways. A life with tigers and lions has been a dream of mine since I was a child. My work with the big cats eventually led me to wildlife conservation in East Africa. Currently, I am working for the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Uganda. In 1998, the sanctuary was founded by Dr. Jane Goodall and a group of founding trustees. This website is an account of my journey.
To learn more about my collaborative NFT project with Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Uganda, visit NFT.ChrisAustria.com. A portion of sales from the chimp NFTs goes towards the feeding and veterinary care of the orphaned great apes. You will also receive a signed print that you can frame and hang on the wall. This handsome chimp is “Eddie” and one of my favorite great apes here. Eddie was rescued from a circus. Ngamba Island is home to 52 chimpanzees that have been rescued from the illegal wildlife and bushmeat trade..To learn more about their work, visit NgambaIsland.org.
I’m excited to be photographing so many talented fashion designers here in Kampala, Uganda. This stunning dress is modelled and designed by Juan Harriet. Her dresses are so unique and she selects gorgeous fabrics.
I love lion moms. They are so caring and protective over their offspring. This gorgeous lioness killed a zebra and was waiting patiently for her cubs to come over for breakfast. She wouldn’t let them out of her site. I photographed her in Kidepo Valley, Karamoja in the northeast region of Uganda.
This was a beautiful moment photographing a female lion and her young cub. My travel clients and I encountered these big cats in Kidepo Valley in the Karamoja region of […]
While sheltering in place, I focused my time on expanding my creativity. The process of digitally painting my photographs was a fantastic experience, and helped me get through these challenging […]
I was excited to see this magnificent lion in Kidepo National Park, northeast Uganda. He looked so majestic as he surveyed his territory high up in the rocky terrain. Nothing […]
This is my footage of the elephants in Uganda- East Africa. I filmed these powerful giants in Kidepo, Queen Elizabeth, and Murchison Falls National Parks. Thirty five thousand elephants are […]
It is a great honor for me to work for Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary. We were founded in 1998 by Dr. Jane Goodall, and a group of founding trustees. The […]
This is a photo of Sara, one of my favorite chimpanzees at Ngamba Island. Sara (along with 3 other females) was rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, and brought to […]
Chris Austria 