Check mate: Seeing lions mating is top of many wildlife enthusiast’s wishlists, but it is a rare treat. This photo, by Heidi Pay, was highly commended in The Greatest Maasai Mara Photographer of the Year competition in 2019. See www. thegreatestmaasaimara. com for more
A grey heron floated across the waters of Lake Tagalala, standing upright, feet submerged. The ears and eyes of a hippo were just visible above the surface, seemingly content to be doing the hard work for the passenger riding on its back.