The “aerial tug-of-war” between an eagle and a red fox was captured by wildlife photographer Ebi at San Juan National Historical Park in Washington State, USA.
The photographer managed to snap a moment when the eagle attempted to snatch prey from the red fox during the struggle at a height of about 6 meters.
The fox struggles with the eagle for its prey in mid-air.
Ebi mentioned that he had visited the park a few days earlier to observe the red foxes hunting before sunset. One of these foxes had caught a rabbit and was dragging it away.
“I took my camera to capture this scene. Then, from behind, I heard the sound of a bald eagle. I turned around and saw it charging towards us” – photographer Ebi recounted.
“I was astonished by the scene, which was more dramatic than I expected. I thought the fox would drop the rabbit to give the eagle an easy meal. But instead, the fox held onto the rabbit tightly and was pulled along by the eagle. The eagle then lifted both the fox and the rabbit into the sky, creating an even more intense confrontation.” – the photographer shared.
The confrontation lasted about 8 seconds at a height of 6 meters, with both refusing to give up the prey. Ultimately, the eagle managed to snatch the rabbit from the fox’s mouth and then dropped its opponent to the ground.
