THIS is the heart-stopping moment a leopard pounces on a zebra – only to be challenged by a huge crocodile who charges out of a river to try and steal it for itself.
The mother zebra was attempting to head back across the river to encourage her family to join her Credit: Konrad Wothe/Minden/Solent
On her way back, the mother, followed by one of her foals, was caught by a crocodile who dragged her underwater.
The zebra was able to break free from the struggle and quickly jumped out of the water and made it to a riverbank – only to encounter a hungry leopard hiding in the bushes.
The leopard pounced on the zebra, killing it almost instantly, and started tucking in.
But moments later the crocodile who originally attacked the zebra – not wanting to give up its prey – charged out of the water and up the riverbank, challenging the leopard.
The dramatic pictures capture the 13ft Nile crocodile opening its jaws in an attempt to snap the carcass away from the leopard, who wasn’t having any of it and continued eating,
Fortunately for the leopard, the croc couldn’t navigate its way up the rocks and wasn’t able to steal the carcass.
The crocodile wasn’t giving up that easily – and attempted to take back his prey Credit: Konrad Wothe/Minden/Solent
Photographer Konrad Wothe described the scene as a ‘once in a lifetime’ moment Credit: Konrad Wothe/Minden/Solent
“At the same time a leopard approached out of the bush. With one powerful bite in the throat the big cat killed the mother zebra.
“The young went on and joined the rest of his family, luckily it is already old enough not to be depending entirely on the mother’s milk.