Eagle Snatches Crocodile From Riverbank

Photographer and safari guide Mark Sheridan-Johnson captured an amazing sequence of images showing an eagle as it snatches a crocodile from the bank of a river in the Selous Game Reserve.

According to ABC, African Fish Eagles typically eat fish and small mammals. Apparently, they’ll also like to dine on baby crocodiles.

Sheridan-Johnson, 32, works as a safari guide at the Selous Game Reserve. The photographer said that he didn’t have any clients one day so he decided to some exploring on his own.

Sheridan-Johnson said:

“I didn’t have any clients to take out that day so I was driving in my land cruiser looking for interesting wildlife to photograph … I saw the fish eagle on the sand bank with something in its beak. I noticed it wasn’t a fish but was in fact a Nile crocodile. The eagle quickly took off but I got a couple of shots of it flying away.”

Here’s one of the photos taken by  Mark Sheridan-Johnson. You can see more images here.

Johnson said that he’s been working at the park for nine years and has never seen an eagle attack a crocodile.

Johnson said:

“In nine years of being a safari guide I would never expect to see this unheard of behavior. I think this eagle could be a lone individual who has learnt how to hunt for crocodiles. It certainly knew what it was doing.”