I don’t think I’ve ever felt as lucky as I did that afternoon.
I had spent hours tucked away in a hide near Ciudad Real, Spain, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Iberian lynx—one of the world’s most endangered wild cats—at a nearby watering hole. It was a blisteringly hot day, and I was simply relying on the hope that these elusive felines might come to drink around dawn or dusk.
As golden hour arrived and the sun began to dip, something extraordinary happened: not just one lynx, but six appeared. The small water hole was surrounded by buzzing bees, keeping the lynxes on their toes as they tried to drink. I was so mesmerized by the scene that I didn’t know where to look. In moments like these, I try to focus on a single subject to capture its story. This time, I chose one of the curious little cubs. As I watched, the cub became fascinated by the bees flitting around and took a small step toward them, intrigued. That’s when I clicked the shutter and captured this scene.