On an African Savannah, it's survival of the fittest all day, every day - raw, relentless, and unforgiving. Below are some of the most beautiful and chilling shots of brutal wildlife in Africa.
- What's the most dangerous animal in Africa?
- 10 deadliest apex predators in the wild: which ruthless mammals are the best – and most brutal – killing machines?
Brutal Africa wildlife photographs
Vulture picking away at Wildebeest carcass in Kenya
The white-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) is the most common and widespread vulture in sub-Saharan Africa. This scavenger is vital to its ecosystem, because it only feeds on carrion - the carcasses of dead animals, thus eliminating dangerous bacteria and viruses that otherwise grow on decomposing carcasses.
Cheetahs hunting Topi Antelope in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Everybody knows that cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are the fastest land animals, capable of reaching speeds up to 70 mph (112 km/h). But did you know that, despite this, they are successful in only about 40-50% of their hunts? Well, this one is definitely one of them.
- The extinct, mighty prehistoric Acinonyx pleistocaenicus was the largest cheetah ever, weighing up to three times more than modern cheetahs
- These 9 ruthless, brutal cheetah photos reveal the raw power, speed and lethal grace of Africa's fastest cat
Cheetah feeding on an impala carcass in South Africa
An impala's (Aepyceros melampus) strategy when running away from a predator is... jumping. Impalas can jump up to three times their height, leaping up to 10 feet in the air and traveling as far as 33 feet in a single bound.
- How to photograph the movement and motion of wildlife
- Remembering Cheetahs: beautiful photographs of the world's fastest mammal
Crocodile catching blue wildebeest in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, Africa
Crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) are not picky eaters - their diet is mainly fish, but they will attack almost anything unfortunate enough to cross their path. Even humans, since to them there isn't much difference between a wildebeest and a villager. A crocodile is also capable of eating up to half its body weight (up to 500 pounds) at a feeding, so... there's that.
- Staggering crocodile photos reveal just how ferocious these apex predators can be
- 10 greatest wildlife spectacles on the planet: Where and when Mother Nature puts on her biggest and most spectacular shows
Spotted hyenas eating a hippopo carcass
Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are famous scavengers - their meal is often leftovers of other predators. But they're also skilled hunters and can take down animals way larger than them. Like hippos - working in a gang, spotted hyenas will attempt to separate the young from the rest of the herd long enough to kill it. But this is rare, since there is way easier prey for hyenas.
- These 8 astonishing, brutal hyena photos reveal the raw chaos, power and intelligence of these top predators
- Hyena pseudopenis: Just why do female spotted hyenas have a fake penis? Discover the strange benefits it gives them
Hippos splashing during aggressive encounter in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
Fights between male hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) are often territorial - in the dry season particularly, competition for the remaining waterholes can become fierce.
- 6 animals that can kill a hippo – "Weighing a mighty 4500kg the hippo is a huge, dangerous animal that only the boldest predator would dare approach"
- Astonishing power and resilience of hippos revealed in 16 incredible photos
A Spotted hyena chases Ruppell's vultures away from its zebra foal kill in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Both spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) and Ruppel's Vultures (Gyps rueppelli) are scavengers, so despite their shared goal of finding food, they're in constant competition with each other. Vultures are the 'early detectors', the eyes in the air - once they locate a carcass and start circling it, it will signal to other, often larger, scavengers that there is food in the area. Then, unfortunately, the vultures will have to wait their turn.
- Dead elephant kills 94 endangered vultures
- “I watch as a hissing, jostling scrum of over 60 vultures tears into the remains of a zebra foal”
Lioness attacking and killing kudu in Etosha National Park, Namibia
Greater kudus (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) are one of the largest antelopes, and produce one of the loudest sounds made by antelope (a kind of gruff bark). This will be usually accompanied by a curl of their tail, exposing the white underside - both signals act as an alarm and marker for the rest of the herd to follow.
- 9 jaw-dropping lion photos that showcase the raw, brutal power and savage majesty of these deadly apex predators
- “That’s never going to heal.” A lion suffers a broken leg in Botswana. Will he be able to survive?
Two zebras raise up on their hind legs and fight in Londolozi Game Reserve, South Africa
Even though they seem docile at first glance, zebras (Equus quagga) will often engage in quite aggressive fights with each other - these fights are often between males protecting their own. Male zebras' mating strategy is forming harems to mate with as many females as possible, and once that harem is formed, the stallion will engage in fierce fights if it's threatened.
- Kick-ass female zebra saves foal from infanticidal male
- Hyena with zebra head in jaws among 14 powerful images from close-up photo challenge
Two black-backed jackals fighting in Dawid Kruiper, Northern Cape, South Africa
Did you know that adult jackals (Lupulella mesomelas) form monogamous, lasting relationships, which is relatively unusual in the animal kingdom, particularly among mammals? It is quite common in the Canidae family - which includes jackals, foxes, coyotes, wolves and African wild dogs.
