Camera: Canon R5

Lens: RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1

Aperture: f/6.3

Shutter speed: 1/1600

ISO: ISO 5000

Description: A serval cat is coiled for the pounce

Story from behind the lens: Every part of this female serval. including her whiskers, telegraphed to me that she was ready to pounce. Her entire body was taut. Her large ears were swiveled forward and at their maximum height and her eyes were laser focused on prey only visible to her. Within seconds of striking this pose, she made the leap. It took me several days of observation with her, to learn to look for openings in the tall grass for a clean shot as well as to anticipate her hunting behavior. I was positioned on the jeep floor with my RF 100-500mm positioned on a tripod with opened legs to get the lowest angle possible.