Flipping lucky! Terrapin gets tossed in the air by hungry crocodile… but manages to get away thanks to its slippery shell
A lucky terrapin has defied the odds and swum away unharmed after being tossed in the air and nearly swallowed whole by a crocodile.
This series of images captures the moment the terrapin looked sure to become lunch until the crocodile discovered it was slightly too big to be eaten in one gulp.
Taken at Lake Panic in Kruger National Park, the crocodile is unsuccessful at tossing the terrapin back in one bite, so then tries to crush it between its powerful jaws.
However, thanks to the wet surface of its shell, the little reptile managed to slip from the crocodile’s grip back into the safety of the murky water.
The crocodile at Kruger National Park, in South Africa, tosses the terrapin into the air as it tries to eat it in one gulp
South African safari guide, Mario Moreno, 49, managed to capture the fleeting moment on camera despite originally visiting the area for its birdlife.
Mr Moreno said: ‘I was focusing particularly on a landscape shot of the lake when one of my guests alerted me to one of the crocodiles making a move.
‘I quickly turned to my right and was lucky enough to get a few 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 terrapin whole is unsucccessful, the crocodile then attempts to crush it in its powerful jaws
However, the terrapin’s shell is too slippery and it slides out of the frustrated crocodile’s mouth and away to safety
The flurry of activity was brief and ended with the crocodile (pictured) swimming away without any lunch
It was later spotted lurking partially submerged from where it would lie and wait for its next victim
The terrapin, meanwhile, was pictured relaxing on a rock after its close encounter with the giant crocodile