Bence Máté's Image

It's not often that wildlife photographers simply come across a subject.

This, though, was just about as spontaneous as a shot can be. Bence had spent a long, hard day building a hide. As he headed back to his lodge in Brazil's Pantanal, he encountered a 3-metre-long (11-foot) caiman ambling across the lawn. Dangling from its jaws were the remains of a young armadillo. In the dry season, caimans are forced to venture farther afield to hunt, but it's rare to see one with prey. 'I raced to get my telephoto lens,' says Bence. 'By the time I got back, the caiman was nearly at the river, so I dropped to my knees and started shooting. I had no strategy, no plan, no hide. I was so lucky to get the shot.'