This is the moment a stork looked like it was about to lose more than its lunch as a crocodile’s jaws came within inches of its head.
The yellow-billed bird was fishing in the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania when it spotted the head of a tiger fish floating in the water.
But as it picked the snack up in its beak, a four-metre long reptile suddenly appeared in the shallows.
Looking delighted with its catch the hungry bird was about to tuck in when a hungry crocodile swooped in and snatched the fish right out of the stork’s beak.
The crocodile came within just inches of the stork and in one image it looked like the stork may have soon become lunch itself. But happy with its catch, the content crocodile left the stork to continue fishing.
Photographer Mark Sheridan Johnson, captured the images at the Selous Game Reserve, where he works as a safari guide.
Mark, 35, said: “I noticed the stork was playing with something in the water, it turned out to be the head of a tiger fish.
“While playing with the fish head the stork attracted the attention of a young crocodile, who came swimming in at speed to steal the bird’s dinner. Once the croc had the fish, the stork realised the battle was lost, so decided to carry on fishing near the crocodile.
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You will quite often see these storks fishing close by to crocodiles, they know that as the croc moves along the shoreline of the lake, it will scare fish away from it, which the stork will catch.
“Similarly you’ll find different species of birds such as the yellow billed stork and the spoonbill hunting side by side, this is called ‘twin hunting strategy’.
“These bird and crocs live in general harmony, but sometimes the crocs do .k.i.ll them.”\
The photographer added that it was common to see storks fishing close to crocodiles.
He added: ‘They know that as the croc moves along the shoreline of the lake, it will scare fish away from it, which the stork will catch.
‘Similarly you’ll find different species of birds such as the yellow billed stork and the spoonbill hunting side-by-side. This is called a “twin hunting strategy”.’
