Photographer Nilakshi Lohi (@nilakshilohi) had been crouching near the water for quite some time, camera in hand, waiting for the heat to drive the tiger toward the water.
That’s exactly what happened: the feline lay down in the water to cool off, as tigers often do, unlike almost all other felines. But what she didn’t expect was for a tiny frog, attracted by the moisture of that soaked fur, to decide to climb right onto its front paw to rest there.
That silent wait became one of the year’s most-shared wildlife photographs: two species that almost never cross paths, sharing the same corner of the habitat for a moment.