Cate Reilly, Stand-off. The Pantanal, Brazil, September 2025 (SINGLE SHOT 2025)

On a recent photo safari in the Pantanal Norte, our group witnessed a stand-off between a group of five giant river otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) who were making their way along the bank of the Rio dos Três Irmãos, hunting, and on collision course with a male jaguar (Panthera onca), who was crossing the river. The jaguar - known, locally, as Amadeus - hauled himself out of the water, only to find himself trapped on a narrow ledge below a steep bank. Spotting him, the otters let out blood-curdling shrieks and rushed at the bank. Amadeus, cornered, came back out of the shadows, snarling, growling and, claws bared, swiping at the otters when they came within reach. Apparently, jaguars and giant river otters are mortal enemies - nobody seems to know exactly why - and the stand-off lasted until Amadeus eventually managed to scramble to safety after several failed attempts. I processed this particular image from the encounter in black and white. The light was strong and, with all the textures and the patterns from the jungle and the jaguar’s coat, the photo seemed to demand to be rendered in monochrome to bring the focus to big cat’s face - especially his eyes - and the adrenaline-pumping drama of the moment. Even jaguars don’t want to mess with giant river otters.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.