Photos That Put Nature’s True Savagery In Display
When people hike through natural environments, they are surrounded by nature's beauty. The atmospheric rushing waters, lush greenery, and colorful rock formations can make a strenuous hike worth it and many of the creatures encountered on the way are absolutely adorable.
However, those in bear country or areas with other hazardous fauna are usually warned that nature's harmony isn't always so peaceful. Many of the world's species need to hunt each other to survive and their methods can be as impressive as they are fearsome. Understandably, that means many of the pictures we're about to see were taken from a safe distance.
It's Hard To Tell Whether They're Playing Or Not
Although it's true that many animals attack each other to feed themselves, that's far from the only reasons animals fight in the wild. And when the animals involved are as ferocious and expressive as these bears, it can be hard to tell how serious the fighting between them is.
For instance, the roaring and pawing between these two grizzly bears could be aggressive roughhousing or it could be a genuine conflict over resources or territory. The only way to know for sure is to know how the fight ends.
This Proud Parent Came Back With Quite The Haul
Although red foxes are very cute animals, that doesn't mean it's a good idea to underestimate how vicious they can be. This one's been very busy hunting mice, voles, and other rodents that someone would have to reach into its mouth to identify.
However, considering that it has all of this prey gathered to feed its young, that doesn't seem like it would be a particularly good idea. The fox's eyes alone say that.
Some Hunting Animals Are More Common Than Others
Those who visit beach environments like the Hobart Park Beach in Eatons Neck, New York, can surely attest that seagulls will eat practically anything. They've also long made it clear that they don't care who's holding it, as they'll snatch fries and ice cream cones alike from unsuspecting humans.
However, this is what they're more likely to eat when no humans are around. In case it's not clear because the gull's beak is smashing it into paste, this is an oyster.
The Gazelle Looks About As Afraid As It Should Be
In the natural world, it seems harder to imagine a more hopeless endeavor than trying to outrun a cheetah. However, that's precisely what this Thomsonês gazelle needs to do if it has any hope of staying alive.
Judging by its panicked facial expression, even it seems well aware of how slim its chances of survival are. Considering how close the cheetah is and how focused it looks by comparison, it's probably going to eat soon.
Nobody Wants to Come Between These Two
Sometimes, it's not immediately obvious who the dominant figure in a battle between animals will be. Although a rhinocerous is certainly powerful and both it and its horn look imposing, that doesn't mean other animals are left without ways to deal with them.
Still, it's hard to deny the raw power of a rhino when something makes it upset. Although it's unclear what these two specimens are fighting about, what is clear is that the powerful clash between them is not something to get caught in the middle of.
It's A Little Different From The Lion King
Despite how impressive their manes look and how vaunted their "king of the jungle" reputation is, this photo shows the truth: Male lions don't do most of their pride's hunting. So when Mufasa saved Simba from the hyenas in The Lion King, a more realistic version would have Queen Sarabi do that instead.
There's also a very real possibility that the hyena this lioness is chasing would be laughing about it. That's not because it finds its impending demise fun. Instead, hyenas actually make that laughing noise when they're stressed.
The Garden Dormouse Isn't As Innocent As It Looks
Usually, the most adorable and small of the animals we encounter in nature look as though they wouldn't hurt a fly. Although many of them do exclusively eat plants and hide when there's danger, it's also true that looks can be deceiving.
For instance, here we see a cute, timid-looking garden dormouse chowing down on a lizard. While many animals can and do eat the dormouse, it can be prey and a predator all at once.
It Looks Pretty Happy About Its Latest Meal
Anyone who's ever owned a snake can attest that while they're not always great at recognizing what they can eat, they're certainly adventurous eaters. Nature doesn't give anyone much of an opportunity to be picky and it's a lesson snakes like this one embody well.
After all, many animals have an aversion to eating members of their own species but snakes are not one of them. As far as this snake is concerned, anything that fits down its throat and provides nutrition is A-OK.
It Can Be Hard To Catch Fish But Birds Are Naturals At It
There's nothing most waterfowl love more than a nice plump fish and this Great Cormorant just hooked a big one at Taudaha Lake near Kathmandu, Nepal. That's where it likely flew for the winter and while it was in the area, it caught a catfish.
As we can see, the grooved nature of its beak makes these wriggling fish a lot easier to hold once the bird catches them. Considering that only its head is above the water, this was a pretty lucky shot for the photographer.
A Majestic Animal Just Casually Eating Another One
Thanks to this picture's high quality, the vibrant colors and intricate patterns on this jaguar's fur really pop and show how incredibly beautiful the animal is. At the same time, the photo also shows why it's a bad idea to try and keep one for a pet.
Although it doesn't have the largest animal in its jaws, its skin is coarse enough to demonstrate how powerful the jaguar's jaw is to eat it. The prey here is a Yacare caiman, which is similar to an alligator.
Sometimes, The Hunting Isn't The Impressive Part
Although this Baya weaver is indeed feeding on prey in this photo — and it looks to be some type of insect similar to a slug — that's clearly not what stands out here. Instead, the most outstanding thing about this little bird is its namesake.
While it's true that a lot of birds in this world make nests, it's hard to match how sophisticated and elaborate the Baya weaver's nest is. If it weren't for the building materials, it would be hard not to mistake this for a large beehive.
This Tense Scene Had some Humans Behind It
Although this is likely what it looks like when a bird of prey happens upon its lunch in the wild, this particular attack is part of the Salburun traditional hunting festival in Kyrgyzstan.
That region is known for indigenous falconers who can train their birds to hunt game like this hapless smaller bird. The prey looks appropriately scared of the majestic bird.
Nothing Wants To Be Caught In A Spider's Web
While the clarity and closeness of the photo makes this wasp spider look massive, it might help any squeamish viewers to know that they prey the arachnid has in its clutches is a common bumblebee.
Although many people feel very nervous around spiders, it's still hard not to be impressed by how methodically they work. After all, not much escapes these webs once they're stuck in them.
A Little Disagreement Over Who's Prey This Is
Although hyenas hunt more often than they scavenge, they're nonetheless not averse to picking through carrion that they didn't kill themselves. Indeed, it seems that in this photo, a pack of them butted heads with another scavenging animal.
That's because these spotted hyenas are chasing away a group of vultures who were happily chowing down on a Cape buffalo carcass in South Africa before the hyenas arrived. They seemed to know when they were beaten, though.
There's Always A Bigger Bird
Although it's natural for small land animals to flee in terror when a bird of prey is swooping down, taking to the skies doesn't necessarily make an animal any safer from their wrath. As we can see, that's what one pigeon in Kyrgyzstan found out the hard way.
While it's true that the larger bird doesn't fully have the pigeon in its clutches yet, the fact that it was able to hook one of its talons under the pigeon's wing doesn't bode well for the prey.
The Hunt Is Over But The Escape Isn't
Before this photo was taken in Namibia's Etosha National Park back in 1969, the lioness we saw in this photo was likely pretty satisfied. After all, she had just hunted some unspecified prey and was bringing what she could back home to her young.
However, it seems that she wouldn't be doing so unopposed. Whether she hunted one of the friends of the elephant behind her or it just didn't like her presence, she soon discovered that the elephant was chasing her.
Experts Know Not To Go Anywhere Near This
Despite how goofy and pleasantly round they are to look at, one of the worst mistakes somebody can make in the wild is underestimating a hippopotamus. Not only are they much faster than they look but they're one of the world's most vicious creatures.
Indeed, we can get a hint of their true fury by watching these two hippos fight. Messing with one is generally a bad idea but it's especially bad in the water, where they can hold adversaries under with their weight.
Those Talons Do Some Intense Damage
Although it's certainly been demonstrated how hard it is to escape a bird of prey's clutches, this photo shows just how much damage one of them can do before they're even in a position to start feeding.
This hare has already sustained a severe wound from the bird but just one strike from its talons has knocked it so violently that it lifted into the air. Sadly, it would take some miraculous luck for the hare to survive much longer.
In The Animal Kingdom, There's No Such Thing As "Dibs"
Although one of the tigers at the Hengdaohezi Siberian Tiger Park in Mudanjiang City, China, has a chicken firmly in its jaws, it's clear from this photo that it wasn't the only one chasing it. The tiger on the left is clearly interest in the hungry big cat's prize but there's one that's clearly much closer and much more jealous.
While there may be satisfied scrunch in the tiger that caught the chicken's eyes, its fight for its prey isn't over until it manages to eat it. That isn't a guaranteed outcome at this point.
They Couldn't Have Gotten A Better Photo If They Tried
While your average seagull can go for anything edible, the European herring gull pictured here has the right size to keep more of it down than their smaller counterparts. Good luck finding a better way to demonstrate that than with this crisp photo.
Considering the flurry of activity that happens whenever an animal catches their prey, it's amazing that someone was able to get this shot of the gull right as it was swallowing a fish whole.
