One lucky turtle defied the odds and swam away unscathed after being tossed into the air and nearly swallowed whole by a crocodile.
This series of images captures the moment the turtle seemed certain to become lunch until the crocodile discovered it was a bit too big to eat in one bite.
Taken at Panic Lake in Kruger National Park, the crocodile fails to drop the turtle in one bite, so it then tries to crush it between its powerful jaws.
However, thanks to the wet surface of its shell, the small reptile managed to escape the crocodile’s clutches and return to the safety of the murky water.
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The crocodile in Kruger National Park in South Africa tosses the turtle into the air as it tries to eat it in one bite.
South African safari guide Mario Moreno, 49, managed to capture the fleeting moment on camera despite originally visiting the area for its birdlife.
Moreno said: “I was concentrating particularly on a landscape shot of the lake when one of my guests alerted me that one of the crocodiles was moving.”
“I quickly turned to my right and was lucky to get some shots of the action.
‘The crocodile was tossing the terrapin in what I believe was an attempt to put it into position and swallow it. But while doing this the terrapin slipped out of the crocodile’s jaws and quickly disappeared.
‘It was only about 30metres away from where we were and there didn’t seem to be any visible damage. We saw the turtle later on and despite looking a little shook up, it seemed unharmed.’
He added: ‘I have over 15 years worth of experience as a wildlife photographer I have never seen this happen before.
‘The crocs are all over the place patiently waiting for an opportunity, you could sit there for hours and the crocs would just float motionless.
‘We were just lucky to be at the right place at the right time.’
After its attempt to swallow the turtle whole is unsuccessful, the crocodile tries to crush it with its powerful jaws.
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However, the turtle’s shell is too slippery and he slips out of the frustrated crocodile’s mouth to safety.
The flurry of activity was brief and ended with the crocodile (pictured) swimming without lunch
It was later seen lurking partially submerged from where it lay and awaiting its next victim.
Meanwhile, the terrapin was photographed relaxing on a rock after its close encounter with the giant crocodile.