THIS is the bone-chilling moment a hyena emerges from the bushes holding a severed zebra’s head.
In one image, the spotted hyena is covered in blood and looks worn down while holding the zebra’s decapitated head in its mouth.
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In another image, four 132-pound hungry hyenas clamour nearby the 88-pound zebra’s head as one of its clan clings to it.
The gory images were taken by retired national park owner Louis Kruger, 63, from Pretoria, South Africa, who captured the vicious feed in the country’s Kruger National Park from 49-feet away.
Louis captured the bloody moment using a Canon 7D MKII camera with a Canon EPF 500mmm lens.
“I was out on an afternoon drive around the Kruger National Park, where we came across a waterhole and decided to spend time there,” Louis said.
“After around two hours, we heard some hyenas in a nearby bush and after a while, they came running out with a bloody, decapitated zebra head.
“There were four hyenas in total and I believe the hyena clan must have hunted the innocent zebra whilst in the dense bush.
“Although we didn’t witness the attack, I was very excited to have captured this moment as it was a very unique sighting.
‘A unique sighting’
“I think as the photos took place in the late afternoon sun, this adds another dimension to the images which really show the gory side of nature.”
Plains zebras are native to eastern and southern Africa and typically live in treeless grasslands and woodlands.
They can reach up to four feet at full adult size and graze on grass, as well as leaves and stems.
Spotted hyenas are native to sub-Saharan Africa and are also known as the ‘laughing hyena’ due to their call when attacking fellow prey.
At full adult size, they can reach up to 170-pounds and five-feet in height and typically feed on any animal they can get their hands on.
This comes as one photographer from Leeds captured a 500lb lion looking over animal carcasses used to feed his pride.
Simon Needham caught the incredible Lion King-esque moment while he was visiting the GG Conservation Wildlife Reserve and Lion Sanctuary in South Africa.
He said: “I’d been invited by GG Conservation to generate some marketing content for them.
“At their location they have a bone yard where all the animal carcasses are taken once the lion’s finish eating.
“One morning, I decided to hang there and was lucky enough to catch one large male lion as he stood on top of the bone hill overlooking his land.
“He only stood there for a minute or so, but I was lucky enough to get a few shots before he moved on.
“It was a very exciting moment and one I could have only dreamed of prior to going there that morning.
“I see people interpreting the image in many ways, but I see it as the proud lion king surveying his land.”
Lions typically hunt medium-sized prey such antelope and zebras.
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