An unlucky zebra managed to escape from the jaws of a hungry crocodile, only to be attacked by a leopard waiting on the shore.
The zebra became lunch for both beasts in Kenya’s Massai Mara nature reserve, and the extraordinary hunt was captured by photographer Ingo Gerlach.
The majestic animal, together with another zebra, first escaped from the clutches of the enormous crocodile in the Mara River before running headfirst into the waiting leopard.
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Close call: The zebra, which was crossing the Mara River in Kenya’s Massai Mara nature reserve, only narrowly escaped from the crocodile
Escape? The zebras fled from the crocodile but ran towards a waiting leopard, which then crept towards them from the top of a rock
Attack: The quick-thinking leopard grabs the zebra by the neck and plunges its teeth into it in Kenya’s Massai Mara nature reserve
Shared: The hunt was a joint effort and the enormous crocodile and the leopard share the spoils. Both seeme happy to split lunch
Thirsty work: Following the attack, the leopard heads back to the river for a drink while the crocodile makes its way back into the water
The pair split their hard-earned catch before the crocodile headed back to the river and the leopard approached the shoreline for a drink.
Gerlach said: ‘A large herd of zebras were already waiting to cross the river but at this point, the water was swarming with crocodiles.
‘The zebras spotted them but they had no choice but to cross so after a while they went into the river at a fast gallop – most of them arrived with no problems.
‘I saw one get caught but with its last strength, she managed to rescue herself onto the rocky riverbank and collapsed in shock.
‘Just at that moment, a male leopard appeared and, considering its injuries, the zebra had no chance.
‘The wild cat attacked its neck to suffocate it and by the time it had taken it down, the crocodile reappeared to share the catch.’
Lucky escape: ‘I saw one get caught but with its last strength, she managed to rescue herself onto the rocky riverbank,’ Gerlach said
Opportunity: The zebra collapsed on the bank and the hungry lion took the opportunity to pounce before it had a chance to react
Pounce: ‘The wild cat attacked its neck to suffocate it,’ Ingo Gerlach, who shot the pictures in Massai Mara nature reserve, said
Meal: The fierce leopard and the huge crocodile come face-to-face over their kill, but allow each other to share the dead zebra
Photographer Ingo Gerlach shot the extraordinary hunt in Kenya’s Massai Mara nature reserve after watching the zebras cross the river