Two tigers enter the water gracefully—one a dominant male, the other an older female. Suddenly, in a test of reflexes, the female surprises the young one with a sudden attack. Splashing water and their lightening movements shatter the otherwise tranquil setting. It’s not a real confrontation—the mother is teaching her son how to fight, and the scene is forever captured through the lens of Indian photographer Mangesh Ratnakar Desai.
It’s the winning photograph in the 2024 Nature’s Best Photography International Awards, chosen from over 25,000 entries from 62 countries.
