I spent days searching for the Verreaux's Eagle Owl (Bubo lacteus) all over Kruger National Park, South Africa. After exploring the park through unexpected downpours and the typical alternating sun and rain of the rainy season, one day, while driving, I caught something out of the corner of my eye. It was him: the owl, perched on an African acacia branch, peacefully dozing. An incredible sight. His pink eyelids and dark eyes held an almost hypnotic intensity, locking my gaze in a way I couldn’t escape.