This is the moment a pack of hungry hyenas went head-to-head with a pair of lions in a bid to steal their dinner.
Dramatic pictures taken in the Masai Mara in southern Kenya show the feared predators squaring up as they battle over a zebra the lions had killed.
Showdown: Pictures captured the moment a pack of hungry hyenas went head-to-head with a pair of lions in a bid to steal their dinner
Face-off: Pictures taken in the Masai Mara in southern Kenya show the feared predators squaring up as they battle over a zebra the lions had killed
Smash and grab: After picking up the scent of the zebra, the hyenas – known for being prolific scavengers – surrounded the lions hoping to use their considerable numbers to intimidate them away from the kill
German photographer Ingo Gerlach took the powerful images while on safari in the game reserve, witnessing the brutal side of nature.
Head-to-head: The pack of hyenas were no match for the two lions and eventually ran off after being spooked by the larger predators
With each failed attempt at taking the zebra only serving to make the lions more agitated, the hyena pack were forced to find food elsewhere
Unsuccessful: Despite their numerical advantage the hyenas struggled to steal the kill away from the pair of lions
But despite their numerical advantage the hyenas struggled to steal the kill away from the pair of lions.
The hyenas did not go hungry for long with images showing one using its powerful jaws to capture a young gazelle
Brutal: Within moments, the cruel side of nature showed itself as a new born calf was quickly snapped up by the hungry hyenas
The two hyenas captured a newly born Thomson’s gazelle that was hiding in the grass. With a powerful bite, the calf quickly became a small snack for the hyenas
The ‘small snack’ was in fact intended for the cubs of the hyenas who were in their den waiting for their mother to return
Within moments, the cruel side of nature showed itself as a new born calf was quickly snapped up by the hungry hyenas.
A hyena clamps its powerful jaws around the baby gazelle after finding it in the long grass near the lions’ kill
The hyenas had been running away from the lions when they stumbled across the tiny gazelle calf in the Masai Mara
While the kill showed the brutal reality of life in the Masai Mara, it was later revealed that the calf would feed the hyena’s young
The pictures were captured in the heart of the Masai Mara in southern Kenya by German photographer Ingo Gerlach
While travelling through the park, the experienced German photographer was alerted to the sound of roars and growls