In the heart of Tanzania, our adventure took an unexpected turn during a lunch break beneath a colossal sausage tree. The serene atmosphere was suddenly shattered by the uproar of baboons. Males charged up the tree, while vigilant females scooped up their little ones, an instinctive response to an impending threat.
Intrigued, we investigated and discovered a hidden secret among the treetop branches – a stealthy leopard had infiltrated their realm. Chaos unfolded as the baboons relentlessly pursued the intruder, escalating the pursuit to dizzying heights. The leopard, cornered and increasingly terrified, attempted to assert dominance in a desperate bid to ward off its aggressive assailants.
Caught in the whirlwind of this high-stakes confrontation, the shutter of our camera captured the essence of the moment. The resulting photograph vividly portrays the leopard's wide-open eyes, mirroring both the palpable fear coursing through its veins and the undeniable power that simmered beneath the surface.
The shot was taken with a Canon 500mm f4.0 lens (+ 1.4x teleconverter) on a 1DX Mark II. Only light editing was performed to better bring out more details in the shadows.
Terrifying