The Story Behind the Photo

Embarking on a thrilling safari expedition to the vast landscapes of Kruger National Park, my mission was to capture the untamed beauty of wildlife in their natural habitat. Excitement surged through my veins as the anticipation of encountering magnificent creatures filled the air with mystery and wonder.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, I found myself in a day-long quest without a single encounter of lions, my time rapidly slipping away. I started to run out of time after a long day of dusty driving the park was about to close, I had 30mins left and I was about 20 minutes away from the exiting gate.

Yet, with persistence and following my instinct, I opted for a less-traveled path, a small dirt road weaving through the bush. It was a gamble, and against the odds, the unexpected happened – a rare sighting of lion cubs, a unique encounter in the fading twilight. I had been in this park probably 15 times but it was the only time I encountered them.

The journey unfolded rapidly, with only a few minutes left before the park gates would close. The once serene scene turned chaotic as eager visitors flocked in, unwittingly blocking our view of those incredible lion cubs.

In the chaos, a moment of despair struck as the cubs retreated, scared away by the frenzy of approaching vehicles. Darkness threatened to ruin this discovery, and it seemed that my luck was slipping away.

But then, right before disappearing into the obscurity of the night, the lion cubs made eye contact. Within effusion, their gaze met mine among anyone else, an out-of-time moment that ended time in that moment.

The result is this photograph capturing the pride of a unique eye contact. The reflection in the puddle mirrored the innocence and curiosity in the lion cubs, a moment frozen in time, that you now get to admire within your home, enjoying the unrivaled beauty hidden within the heart of the wild.