Remarkable photographs
which capture the vicious battle for survival in the wild
It's fight not flight that keeps them
alive.
From snarling lionesses in the bush to a
great white shark snatching a seal from the air, these amazing
pictures show nature at its most dramatic.
The wildlife photographers who took them
prowled four continents and placed themselves within yards of some
of the world's most lethal creatures to take these spectacular
images.
 Bald move: Photographer and
writer Steve Bloom has spent a decade trekking the globe in a bid
to capture some of nature's most feared species in moments of
conflict such as these two bald eagles battling it out in Alaska
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Photographer,
Steve Bloom, 58, compiled the incredible set of pictures and took a
walk on the wild side to capture many of the images himself.
While
visiting a nature reserve in Assam, India, Steve found himself
face-to-face with a two-ton rhino. 'I managed to gain permission to
visit a section of the reserve people aren't usually allowed to go
to,' explained Steve.
'The
rhino was standing around happily grazing - until it saw me and suddenly
charged. It ran with full force like an accelerating car. I was in an
open jeep so I was in a quite vulnerable position. The armed ranger I
was with tried to fire a warning shot into the air but his rifle
jammed.
'Then
the driver tried to start the jeep but in the heat of the moment the
engine stalled. There was nothing I could do but point my camera at
the beast. It suddenly swerved and covered us in dust. It felt like
you could hear my heartbeat from the other end of India.'
 Team
effort: A group of bloody-mouthed African lions casually maul a
hippopotamus as it is dragged to the ground in Masai Mara, Kenya
 No
escape: Four large male lions attack a buffalo from all sides, again
in the Masai Mara, Kenya
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Dirty dancing: One polar
bear raises its left leg towards its rival as they spar at Cape Churchill
in Manitoba, Canada, while two kangaroos are at each others throats on
Kangaroo Island in Australia
Rustling up a storm: Two African elephants kick up
dust as they prepare to charge at each other in Botswana
 Deep dive: A great white
shark is caught mid-attack in South Africa as it emerges out of the ocean
depths, flinging itself towards its prey
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Beary scary: Two grown
polar bears spar in Cape Churchill, Manitoba, Canada (top) while two young
brown bears play-fight in Katmai National Park in Alaska (bottom)
 What
big teeth you have: Two hippopotamus - famed for their large mouths -
battle it out in a river in Botswana
 Water
fight: Two hippos bear their teeth while they violently writhe in a Kenyan
river
He began wildlife while
on holiday in South Africa in 1993 and three years later decided to make it
his full-time career.
Explaining his
inspiration he said: 'As a child in South Africa, I’d always been
interested in visual images, as well as cinema. There was no TV in South
Africa, too, as the authorities at that time had banned it, so I spent a
lot of time looking at Life and other photo magazines.'
But not all animals
involved in conflicts reach in a messy end. In many cases animals are
fighting creatures of the same species for dominance - as shown in the
picture of Japanese macaques squabbling in hot springs. In other situations
it is the prey that has the upper hand.
 Tusk
tackle: This aerial view shows two African elephants fighting at Amboseli
National Park in the Kajiado District, Rift Valley Province, Kenya.
Elephants use their tusks for digging for roots and for fighting each other
during mating season
Mud bath: Two male African Elephants thrash around on a
muddy river bed battling it out in Botswana
'For example a cheetah is
the fastest land animal at around 70 miles-per-hour,' said Steve. 'But it
can only run in short bursts of speed. If it doesn't catch the antelope
it's chasing within the first few seconds it's the antelope that will
outrun the cheetah.
'So creatures need to be
adaptable, learn from their surroundings and above all stay strong.'
Over recent years he has
published numerous books exhibiting his work including Trading Places:The
Merchants of Nairobi, Living Africa, Elephant!, Spirit of the Wild, Untamed
and In Praise of Primates.
 Lethal
embrace: A cheetah attacks a wildebeest head-on in the Serengeti, Tanzania
 Group
outing: Two pairs of polar bears rear up as they duel in the snow in Cape
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
RESPECT AND ADMIRE THESE MARVELS OF NATURE IN THEIR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT DOING WHAT COME NATURALLY, BE IT EATING, FIGHTING, MATING AND SLEEPING!
THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR THEM?
LET THEM BE AND LEAVE THEM ALONE! THERE IS ROOM FOR EVERYONE AND EVERTHING ON THIS PLANET WE CALL EARTH
the end
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