To witness a predator vs prey interaction is to see Mother Nature in her rawest from. To see an animal take down another is both horrifying and entrancing. It instills a deeper knowledge and respect for the wild and the eat-or-be-eaten way of life.
On a trip to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, avian and wildlife photographer Louise Victor would unknowingly bear witness to the ultimate showdown of two predators: a caracal and an African wildcat.
Louise Victor spoke to Getaway Magazine and explained her incredibly lucky sighting.
‘On this particular trip, I stayed at Two Rivieren for a week. During the morning I decided to do a trip to Mata Mata side of Two Rivieren. At Houmoed waterhole I decided to spent some time to hopefully capture something. Around 9 am, I decide to drive a little bit further up the road.
‘While driving, my eye caught a sudden movement, on the right side of the vehicle in the grass. I immediately stopped and readied my camera. Unfortunately the sun was not ideal for taking photos on the right side of the vehicle.
Victor explained that she waited a few moments before the caracal was visible.
‘As I looked for the source of movement, I spotted the caracal moving through the tall grass, when suddenly it started chasing something. It was just dust everywhere, so I was not sure in the moment what he caught,’ she continued.
When the dust settled, the caracal lay still for a moment with its prey gripped in its jaws.
‘The caracal was laying in the grass with his catch for a few minutes. I then decided to wait it out and hopefully see what he caught. It was a big surprise when he got up and started walking in my direction with the African wildcat in his mouth.
‘It started crossing the road, right in front of my vehicle, and went to lie down next to my vehicle. It then stood up again and walked over the dunes with its prey. I unfortunately did not witness when he started eating, but I will never forget this moment in my life.’
Take a look at the jaw-dropping sighting below:
Image credit: Louise Victor
Image credit: Louise Victor
Image credit: Louise Victor
