Camera: Canon R5

Lens: 400m 2.8 III

Aperture: f5

Shutter speed: 1/1250

ISO: 125

Description: Young cub playfully & bravely pats one of the prides males

Story from behind the lens: We found the Hammerkop pride just after sunrise on a zebra kill. The three males were on the kill, whilst the rest of the pride would intermittently try & take a bite without incurring the wrath of the males. As the scene in front of me was quite a bloody one, I waited patiently for those moments where you could see interaction & behavior between the lions. This was one such moment as one of the smaller cubs patted one of the males on his face in a touching interaction & the male was very tolerant of the little cub.