LONG LIVE THE QUEEN
Serengeti, Tanzania 2017
It's not a given that fantastic encounters yield fantastic images. Uncontrollable by nature, wildlife photography - and particularly wildlife portraiture - is often more a test of patience or composure than artistry or technical literacy. There are an infinite amount of variables, and in a field where each single moment only exists once, one must do their best to make the best of each unique situation. However, this particular encounter was just about as good as it gets, and it led to am exceptionally captivating and impactful image.
Morning came early this day. The great wildebeest migration, rightfully one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, was flooding the Mara valley and a palpable energy filled the air. The dinner bell was ringing for all to hear; it was that time of the year again. The notorious river crossings began filling up with seemingly as many spectators as predators and prey. The big show was about to start, but the real show was somewhere else a few miles south where nobody was bothering to look.
On the border between two of the world's most famous national parks, the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti, lives the queen of the plains and the most fascinating subject I've ever had the honor to photograph. She was the embodiment of grace and elegance and she gave me a look into the adversarial lives led by all who call the African plains home.
After following Queen G for 8 hours, she showed us a hunt, a kill, a feed, and perhaps most incredibly, a near-death run-in with a territorial lioness. You may be thinking, 'no way, why would a lion attack a cheetah?'. The answer: competition. Even in Africa's most meal-rich territories, the big cats don't want to share with other cats and within the big cat world, a natural hierarchy exists and cheetahs are relegated to the bottom.
At the moment this photo was taken, Queen G had just discovered a hidden lioness stalking her on the other side of the creek, unbeknownst to me. She began to hiss, and I reasoned that she was warning a big monitor or snake. After her drink, she continued on her way and we bolted downstream to find a shallow crossing that wouldn't sink our vehicle. As we made our way back upstream, we spotted what we thought was G about 300 yards ahead of us. As we got closer, we realized the cat we spotted was not Queen G, but another queen hot on her tail. As Queen G wailed, the lioness gave chase, nearly catching her on several occasions. Now, in any regular instance, the cheetah's speed would be no match for even the fastest lion, but, this cheetah has just eaten her first meal in about a week and had roughly 30lbs of fresh gazelle in her belly. The lioness gave up after about 15 minutes. Both were exhausted, but the Queen had a special motivation on her side to continue her journey.
We followed here for another hour, and as we had anticipated, she lead us right to two cubs hidden in a small hillside. The sun was rapidly falling, so we had to leave her. But I could still be with her now, and this picture helps to remember the journey.
**UPDATE 11/14/2017: I was just made aware via email from a friend in the Mara that Queen G lost one of her cubs. The reason is not clear.
AVAILABLE SIZES
LARGE: 60" X 66"
STANDARD: 30" X 33"
AVAILABLE EDITIONS
LARGE: Edition of 14
STANDARD: Edition of 14