The color versions are still better than the b/w in my view.


Here's the thing: you are too far above your subject, and too far away. Even if you had a longer focal length, you would still be looking down, which means you won't get a lot of figure/ground separation. The animals have the coloration they do in order to provide camouflage from predators.


Unfortunately, you're stuck in a bad position and you're trying to make the most of it through creative composition. You can't control the lighting, subject distance, color, or vantage point. All of these things are chosen for you as you are riding around on a guided tour. The result is a series of images that, while respectable, end up rather flat. Color is one of the few visual cues in the images that allows some kind of contrast between the animals and the ground.


In summary, my position is that if the view of the ground is not sufficiently interesting in its own right, it should not be given such prominence in the photo.