Camera: Canon EOS R6

Lens: RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

Aperture: F/5

Shutter speed: 1/2000

ISO: 2500

Description: Sunset with two male cheetahs, Mbili and Milele in the Mara North Conservancy. The incoming rain provided a rainbow backdrop as the sun began to set

Story from behind the lens: It was our first drive in the Mara North conservancy after arriving earlier that day. Our guide (Peter) had heard of the cheetah boys Mbili and Milele passing through the conservancy, so we raced off to find them given the likelihood they could be out of our area the next day.

We arrived to watch them resting in the sun, tall grass and still very warm at 5pm. We patiently watched them and decided to have our sundowners in hope of them waking. I went onto joke how it would be very convenient of them to both wake and pose on the termite hill next to us. I then noticed some rain clouds in the background and went onto add how that would be even better with a rainbow and perhaps a kill at the same time.

At 6:30pm, the universe delivered. Both cheetahs woke and walked to the termite hill, briefly pausing while a rainbow began to form. We couldn’t believe our eyes. With everyone else gone we positioned around to face them. It was truly a magical moment. Of course we missed the initial pose and there was no kill…but we were ecstatic and silently shouting at each other as the scene unfolded.

After a quick cheers of the drinks and a couple snaps, we drove back to camp with the rain and thunder following.