Camera: Canon R5

Lens: 400M 2.8 III

Aperture: F4

Shutter speed: 1/1000

ISO: 1600

Description: Osupaat mates with one of the Moniko Pride lionesses

Story from behind the lens: We were barely 5 minutes out of camp on my afternoon game drive when my guide James spotted lions in the distance. When we got closer he recognized Osupaat, a legendary lion in the Olare Motorogi conservancy. Whilst Osupaat & his brother Nyekundu belong to the Enkoyanai pride, this afternoon Osupaat was with two lionesses from the Moniko pride who he was mating with.

We stayed with the trio of lions for most of the afternoon as they would rest & then one of the lionesses would walk a little & decide it was time to mate. My guide had to be quick to manoeuvre the vehicle to get me into the best position. Of all the images I liked this tighter framing shot as Osupaat bites into the neck of the lioness as mating begins.