Stunning images of nature at its most brutal have emerged after a photographer captured the moment that a jaguar killed a crocodile.
39-year-old Justin Black took the pictures during a trip to Brazil’s Pantanal Wetlands as the entire incident played out across a sandbank by the Cuiaba River. A yacare caiman was simply trying to enjoy the sunshine when it was pounced on by a jaguar that had glided through the water and then crept up onto the small island where its prey had been resting.
The jaguar then attacked the yacre caiman, which is a species of medium to small-sized crocodile that is located specifically in central South America, and thanks to the fact that it allegedly weighed in at around 20 stone it was able to overcome the reptile. This was no mean feat, especially when you consider the fact that the caiman itself weighed in at close to 150lb.
It did this by sinking his teeth and claws into the back of it’s impending meal. The jaguar, who is nicknamed Mick Jaguar by biologists based in the area, then hung on and attacked the caiman as it tried to viciously throw the animal off of its back. It then clamped its jaws around the caiman’s body and dragged it into the water.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Black has since described the scenario in more detail. “He lifted the 150lb caiman from the ground and trotted toward the water like it was a doggie bone,” he explained. “The fact he attacked from the water is astonishing. It was reminiscent of crocs attacking land animals in Africa.”
Black, who hails from Washington, revealed that he was on a boat alongside fellow photographer, Jeff Foott, when the pair spotted the jaguar on his mission to bring down the caiman. “He slowly entered the small channel and swam up directly behind the caiman,” he noted, “keeping his profile as low as possible.”
He went on to add, “Once at the edge he exploded from the water and onto the caiman’s back, swinging the claw of his right paw into its side. He then hooked the caiman with his left paw as well and went for a killing bite at the back of the skull – but he didn’t have a good angle.”
Black continued his amazing tale by proclaiming, “In the process, his momentum carried them both into the water where he readjusted his position and his teeth found purchase on the back of the caiman’s neck. He then pushed the caiman into the water broadside, pushing a bow wave ahead of them as he swam. When he reached the opposite beach he quickly disappeared into the grasses with his kill.”
You can watch a similar incident unfold, courtesy of the National Geographic channel, below:
[Image via Bing.com ]
