Photographer Captures Amazing Shots Of Fox Versus Eagle - And It All Happens 20 Feet In The Air

Sep 20, 2018

We all know the rules of the animal kingdom: predator vs. prey. Sometimes, though, it's actually predator vs. predator! A photographer recently witnessed a dramatic scene in the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. Both an eagle and a fox had their eye on a rabbit dinner. It was all a matter of who could get there first.

It looked like the fox had captured it - until the eagle tried to snatch the rabbit away! The kicker? This incredible showdown all happened 20 feet in the air.

Kevin Ebi described what happened in his photo blog. He explained that eagles are truly ruthless hunters. They don't play around when they have prey in their sights. Looks like this eagle finally met its match.

The young red fox was just trotting along with the rabbit in its jaws. That's when a bald eagle literally sprang into action. It decided to help itself to that tasty morsel. Ebi had been watching a group of kits (the name for young foxes) and their parents all playing together in the fields of the San Juan islands. He was taking photos in the hopes of getting the perfect shot. 

He heard a bald eagle's cry not far behind him. Ebi turned around and was able to capture the showdown.

It all happened in a matter of moments, so it was a one-in-a-million shot!

Ebi had originally assumed that the fox would just let the eagle have the rabbit. Why put up a struggle, right? Wrong! The eagle ended up lifting both rabbit and fox up into the air. Over the next 8 seconds, eagle and fox battled with each other. Ebi wasn't certain who was going to win.

Ultimately, the fox realized that it couldn't get very far up in the air. Its domain is on land instead. Sensing victory, the eagle dropped the fox but kept the rabbit. The fox tumbled 20 feet back down to the prairie. Incredibly enough, Ebi didn't see any injury! It lived to fight another day.

You can watch the fight below:

Did you find this battle incredible? What were your thoughts while watching this epic moment? Let us know below and don't forget to send this to all your friends!