Babies of the Wild
Veteran shooter Suzi Eszterhas tells us how to go beyond the cute and cuddly to capture the often gritty drama of raising a newborn beast to adulthood
![Hand of Man](https://www.popphoto.com/uploads/2019/01/17/PPTYVXG3VPP57ZSNIZMMSDXABM.jpg?auto=webp)
![Southern Sea Otters](https://www.popphoto.com/uploads/2019/01/17/MLOTVNDLTTZNCG64HESRNXW4GA.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&width=100)
Southern Sea Otters
The breeding male at right harasses a mother with a 3- to 6-month-old pup, which she drags away with her mouth. Eszterhas used a 1.4X Canon Extender EF for more reach with her 500mm f/4L Canon EF IS lens. Exposure in an EOS-1D Mark III: 1/500 sec at f/7.1, ISO 400.
![Bat-eared Fox and Pups](https://www.popphoto.com/uploads/2019/01/17/KOZXYLJRLAUVIKX6O2EUYL3R6Q.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&width=100)
Bat-eared Fox and Pups
A new father guards over his 13-day-old pups in his den. The photographer used the same gear as in the otter photo, facing page, minus the teleconverter, to make the shot at 1/320 sec and f/7.1, ISO 640.
![Mind Mama](https://www.popphoto.com/uploads/2019/01/17/5IC7FCQJ62LLAPILPR5R5F7LWE.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&width=100)
Mind Mama
![African Lion and Cub](https://www.popphoto.com/uploads/2019/01/17/J3KNHMYA2F4THXA42EIMCBOM44.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&width=100)
African Lion and Cub
The five-week-old plays with Dad after meeting him for the first time. Eszterhas used a Canon EOS-1D Mark II and 70–200mm f/2.8L Canon EF IS lens; expo-sure, 1/800 sec at f/8, ISO 400.
![Multitask!](https://www.popphoto.com/uploads/2019/01/17/Q6TKY5UWDU77A3Y63BKVYBUOHQ.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&width=100)
Multitask!
![Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth And Newborn](https://www.popphoto.com/uploads/2019/01/17/CLINCDOOAA2RSDQKXUSE53U6RM-683x1024.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&width=100)
Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth And Newborn
Mom with a less-than-week-old baby. EOS-1D Mark III, 500mm lens; 1/1000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 800.
![Cheetahs with Fawn Prey](https://www.popphoto.com/uploads/2019/01/17/Z4IXTFEHI7O5VYLCUY6TE4EWJI-692x1024.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&width=100)
Cheetahs with Fawn Prey
Eight-month-old cubs pin down a Thomson’s gazelle fawn while learning from their mother how to hunt. Eszterhas captured the life-and-death moment with a Nikon F5 and 500mm f/4 Nikkor lens on Fujichrome Provia 100; exposure not recorded.