This mind-boggling photograph of a clan of impalas has got people guessing about just how many of the four-legged creatures are actually visible in the shot.
A plethora of pointed ears, camouflaged bodies in the long grass, and legs just sneaking into the frame make it tricky to know how many of the herd animals are really there.
Clustered together to take shade under the trees from the baking sun, the antelope were photographed at the Kruger National Park, South Africa .
Impalossible! This photo shows a herd of impalas resting in Kruger Park, South Africa – can you spot them all?
The herd of impalas were photographed by Luis da Cruz, 56, from Johannesburg, South Africa.
‘However, in this case I could not resist it because of the way they were posing. The number of babies instantly reminded me of a daycare centre.
‘What caught my attention was how close they were huddled together and lying down. They are usually standing and moving around.
‘It’s really hard to count how many are impalas there are because most are newborn and very small, and they are huddled together.
‘I think there are 16 in the picture, but there were at least 50 in the immediate area. I found it easier to count by looking for the ears.
‘The challenge was to get as much of the herd in the frame and to portray the image of an infant daycare centre.’
Love and care: The impala parents were seen looking after their young ones which had huddled up together
Safe: The herd had laid down underneath trees and bushes in order to escape from the baking hot sun
Mr da Cruz, who works as a legal specialist manager, says the day’s high temperatures were responsible for the impalas’ chilled behaviour.
But he says he had not realised at the time just how difficult it was to spot all of the animals in the group.
Mr da Cruz, originally from Mozambique, said: ‘I did have it in mind to get as many in the frame as possible. At the time of taking the picture I did not think of actually counting them.
‘It was an extremely hot day and the impala adults and many newborn foals were lying in the shade of the trees.
‘They were all sat together – it is a behavioural thing as Impala mostly congregate in herds and to protect their foals from predators. They are very delicate-looking animals.
‘They are normally fairly calm and they can normally be found close to the roads in the park. The heat also contributed to their calm state.
‘I may not have got that close if it had not been so hot. They can move very fast when needed.’