Camera: Canon EOS R5

Lens: Canon 500mm f/4 IS II USM

Aperture: f/4

Shutter speed: 1/250

ISO: 1250

Description: A lion pride awakens in the last rays of magical light of the Mara, ready for a night of hunting and activity.

Story from behind the lens: The final rays of light in the Mara are often the best. Not only because the light is beautiful, but also nocturnal animals such as predators wake up and start to get active again.

This was our final night of the Mara on this particular trip. After some heavy rain and an overcast sky, we didn't expect much. But on our way back to Zebra Plains camp our guide Kiarie picked up a couple of lionesses. We decided to invest some time and follow them. After a while, they rested on this plateau. In the meantime, the sky got this magical soft color. Kiarie, knowing that this could mean a potential photo opportunity, positioned the car in such a way we had the nice sky and layered hills in the background, and also in time for getting the right moment - in this case, the cat in the middle doing a big yawn while the others are vigilant and keep an eye out.