Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Lens: 500mm L IS

Aperture: F9

Shutter speed: 1250

ISO: 800

Description: The African cape buffalo signalled the end of the need for his nose cleaning job shooing away the red billed oxpecker.

Story from behind the lens: A common sight while photographing the cape buffalo is the cleansing exercise carried out by the Oxpeckers (both red & yellow). There is a symbiotic relationship where both mutually benefit. While I had taken many images of this feeding etc, I wanted to see if I could frame either the landing or the closing of the bird during this routine. After a few tries I was able to zero in on one individual which had only one Oxpecker on him. This is the moment the buffalo signalled the end of the need for the cleaning job and I was lucky to get the bird just in frame as it made a quick exit from him (just to land on the neighbour).