TITLE: Out of curiosity

I don’t think I’ve ever felt as lucky as that afternoon. I’d spent hours hidden away in a small hide, hoping for a glimpse of the Iberian lynx—one of the world’s most endangered cats—at a nearby watering hole. It was a blisteringly hot day, and I was simply hoping these elusive felines might come for a drink around dawn or dusk. As the golden hour arrived, just as the sun began to dip, something extraordinary happened—not just one lynx, but six appeared, each arriving in turn. 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 sight that I didn’t know where to look or which way to aim my lens. At the moments like these, I try to focus on one 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. At that moment, I clicked the shutter and captured this scene. Only 20 years ago, fewer than 100 of these magnificent creatures remained in the wild. But thanks to an international repopulation program and other conservation efforts, the Iberian lynx has moved from the brink of extinction and is now classified as a vulnerable species.

AUTHOR: Alexandra Surkova (Spain)