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Titled ‘Hyena Portrait Zebra’, this image won the top prize in CUPOTY’s themed challenge ‘Death & Decay’, shot at 1\/2000 sec, f\/5, ISO 800. | Credit: \u00a9 Willem Kruger \/ CUPOTY<\/p>\n
“In nature, almost nothing goes to waste \u2013 even hyenas have a family to feed, and they do it with remarkable commitment,” says photographer Willem Kruger about his image that won Close Up Photographer of the Year’s ‘Death & Decay’ challenge.<\/p>\n
Kruger’s <\/a>awarded image shows a hyena carrying its prey \u2013 a zebra’s head. The hyena locks eyes with Kruger and his top-tier 600mm super-telephoto lens, mounted on a full-frame <\/a>mirrorless camera<\/a> widely regarded as one of the best on the market.<\/p>\n It’s a wildlife image that “stops you in your tracks,” says Tracy Calder, Co-founder of CUPOTY, and continues that Kruger’s photo is a “powerful reminder that death is the end of one story and the beginning of another.”<\/p>\n The winner: ‘Hyena Portrait Zebra’ The Nikon Z9 is widely regarded as the pro mirrorless flagship camera in Nikon’s lineup, packing 120fps bursts, 2\u00bd hours of 8K video, and constant evolution | Credit: Future<\/p>\n Shot info Kruger explains the story behind his winning image, “Early one morning during a game drive in Kruger National Park, South Africa, my wife and I came across three spotted hyenas walking along the road.<\/p>\n “One was carrying the head of a zebra, presumably from a nearby lion kill, and was heading straight towards us.”<\/p>\n He took the chance to photograph the scene, capturing nature’s raw truth in one single frame.<\/p>\n “We parked at the roadside as the hyena approached and walked past our vehicle. We followed for a while, hoping it would lead us to the den. After a short distance, the hyena left the road and melted into the bush,” says Kruger.<\/p>\n The CUPOTY competition<\/p>\n The CUPOTY competition<\/p>\n The main Close Up Photographer of the Year competition invites photographers from all levels and corners of the globe to showcase their finest close-up work, captured with any camera, camera phone,<\/a> or even microscope<\/a>.<\/p>\n Next to this annual competition, the CUPOTY runs themed challenges with a specific theme, like ‘Death & Decay’. For more information and to discover more winning images, visit the CUPOTY website.<\/a><\/p>\n You might like…<\/p>\n Browse the best cameras for wildlife photography, and the best lenses for bird photography and wildlife. <\/a><\/p>\n![\"Nikon](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/fa213688858b9566f50663e8f4b27e54.jpeg\"\/)
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Gear: Nikon Z9<\/a> + Nikon 600mm f\/4 ED AF-S VR<\/a>
Accessories: Gimpro head on Gimpro window mount attached to vehicle
Exposure: 1\/2000 sec, f\/5, ISO 800<\/p>\n