We all have to start somewhere in life – and that goes for the most deadly and ferocious apex predators, too. Just ask this unsuspecting stork and his miniature opponent. Fear me! I am mighty!
The clip was captured by YouTuber roaneric at a dam in South Africa's Kruger National Park, and while we'd love to say this little reptile was just incredibly ambitious in its choice of lunch, we're pretty sure this was a case of two creatures getting in each other's way.
Yellow-billed storks hunt by wading into the water open-beaked and stirring up sediment with their feet, so the little croc probably found its underwater lurking spot disturbed. After an initial jump, the stork seemed mostly unconcerned, hopping to a nearby branch and continuing its fishing mission.
It's hard to say for sure how old this little poser is, but Nile crocodiles enter the water very shortly after emerging from the egg. And it won't be long before this youngster makes more of an impression when it lunges onto land:
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Top header image: Global Water Partnership, Flickr
Predator vs Prey
Predator vs Prey
Predator vs Prey
