by Emma Thomson
on May 4, 2018
2 min read

In the African bush the age-old law of ‘eat or be eaten’ clearly applies. It is the definition of survival of the fittest. A rare but incredible sighting in the bush is to watch one of Africa’s big cats, or any other animal in fact, on the hunt. This makes it all the more impressive that some of our Africa’s Photographer of the Year contestants managed to get up close and personal with some ferocious felines on the prowl. Here are some of our top picks for exciting hunting photos selected from our incredible submissions so far…

The hunting queen and her kill

A lioness with her kill and a backdrop of hot air balloons

A lioness and her kill 
Photo Credit: Thorsten Hanewald

Two cheetahs with their eyes on the prize

Two cheetahs in hot pursuit of a young buck

Two cheetahs working together to catch their prey
Photo Credit: Grenouillet Marie

A lioness going for the throat of her prey

A lioness going for the throat of her kill

A successful hunt for the queen of the jungle
Photo Credit: Thorsten Hanewald

The question is, who is faster?

A cheetah in hot pursuit of its impala prey

A cheetah in pursuit of an impala
Photo Credit: Christoph Voellmy

Teamwork makes the dream work

Several lionesses working together to take down a buffalo

Lionesses working together to take down a buffalo
Photo Credit: Jeff Rodgers

Oh how the tables have turned

A cheetah being chased off by a warthog

A cheetah being chased by a warthog
Photo Credit: David Cox

An unusual sight of two male lions taking down their prey

A rare sight of two male lions working together to take down their prey

Two male lions working together to take down their prey
Photo Credit: Thorsten Hanewald

The satisfaction of a job well done

Members of the pride trying to get their share of the latest kill

Everyone trying to get their share of the kill
Photo Credit: Sybil Morris

Enjoying the spoils of a successful hunt

A leopard and its kill after a successful hunt

A leopard with its kill
Photo Credit: Fabrizio Bignotti

If you have any amazing photos for our current category ‘Roaring Lions & Big Cats’ or any questions about our Africa’s Photographer of the Year competition, visit our website for more information.

Keep an eye on our blog for more showcases of the sensational submissions we’ve received so far, we can’t wait for many more!

Feature image photo credit: Andrea Baratte