Masai Mara, Kenya

The Last Supper

01 / 04

OM-1 Mark II · OM 150-600mm F5.0-6.3

391 mmƒ6.11/2000ISO 2000

The story

In the late afternoon, on our way back to the lodge, we spot a few vultures circling overhead. We follow their gaze down to the plain nearby, where something is clearly stirring. The closer we get, the more obvious it becomes — this is going to be properly wild.

We pull up to the scene. A topi — in any ordinary encounter, a robust and elegant antelope — is very far from that state right now. A pack of hyenas is helping itself enthusiastically. Vultures land and wait for whatever falls their way — the hyenas have absolutely no intention of letting them join the feast. One moment they’re tearing, the next they’re letting out that terrible laugh that only they can produce. A little later, jackals arrive too, managing to snatch whatever scraps they can.

One hyena trots off with a set of ribs in its mouth, another with a tail, a third — impressively — with an entire leg, each heading a little distance away. Apparently they prefer to dine in private. The marabou stork joins the party too — a stork-like scavenger with a wingspan of over three metres. It steals a chunk of meat, whereupon a hyena immediately gives chase.

Yes, at times it was borderline revolting. But it’s simply proof that out here, nothing is pretend. This is a daily fight for survival.

So why “The Last Supper”? Don’t go looking for any religious undertones. Maybe I should rein in my imagination a little — but with the chaos of all those groups and the poor antelope scattered across several dozen metres, Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting just appeared before my eyes. What can I say.

Masai Mara, Kenya · February 12, 2026