Camera: NikonD6

Lens: Nikkor 180-400 mm F4

Aperture: f5

Shutter speed: 1/1600 sec

ISO: 450

Description: A serval cat feeds on a young antelope she has just killed – an uncommon sight.

Story from behind the lens: When we do wildlife photography, we always search for something rare and strange. And it was our luckiest day. Our camp expert guide spotted a sighting that is very rare to witness, a serval with a Thomason’s gazelle kills. What makes this sighting very special is that there have rarely been recordings of servals feeding on young antelopes. Serval will kill rodents and other small species including birds, they are even able to snatch insects out of the air! However, this serval was clearly very hungry as the antelope in its jaws is probably the same size, if not slightly bigger than the cat! It is very unusual to see this and to get it on camera is really amazing, I assume that the cat will probably not be hungry again for a while.

As it is mostly nocturnal, this uncommon, secretive feline is rarely seen during the day, especially at such close range. It is one of the smaller, more elegant cats, with relatively large ears, which it uses to locate its prey. This particular serval let us get very close while it was busy feeding.