These are the dramatic scenes as a jackal and a vulture fight with each other for the rights to feast upon a wildebeest leg which had been left on Kenya’s Masai Mara.
And unlike Fredrick Forsythe’s thrilling novel, this time the jackal succeeds in his mission.
The two-minute-long fight was observed by German photographer Ingo Gerlach.
She said: ‘The Jackal won and ran off with the bone. The vulture just looked like a sore loser. I love the special moments you experience when photographing animals. Especially when you witness fighting and survival scenes like this.’
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/29/16/30B0E4D400000578-0-image-a-89_1454083530037.jpg)
This is the amazing scene as a vulture swooped down from the sky in a bid to steal a wildebeest leg from a jackal in the Masai Mara, Kenya
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/29/16/30B0E1F400000578-0-image-a-85_1454083352546.jpg)
The jackal closed its eyes as the scavenging vulture closed in on the section of wildebeest leg
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/29/16/30B0E47600000578-0-image-a-91_1454083687226.jpg)
The jackal refuses to drop the wildebeest leg despite the intense level of intimidation displayed by the far larger vulture
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/29/16/30B0E48400000578-0-image-a-87_1454083450067.jpg)
The vulture, which is far larger than the jackal, attempted to intimidate the smaller animal by expanding its massive wings
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/29/16/30B0E2E300000578-0-image-a-93_1454083839047.jpg)
Having being foiled with its first attempt to hijack the jackal’s wildebeest leg, the vulture considers a different method of attack
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/29/16/30B0E49000000578-0-image-a-97_1454083989826.jpg)
Instead, the vulture decided to use its aerial advantage and in typical fashion launched its attack from behind
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/29/16/30B0E4C000000578-0-image-a-100_1454084010471.jpg)
The jackal was forced to drop the wildebeest leg, left, as the vulture’s large talons rapidly approached so it could defend itself
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/29/16/30B0E4AA00000578-0-image-a-99_1454083996800.jpg)
The jackal deftly turned around to defend the wildebeest leg from the far larger aggressor
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/29/16/30B0E4CC00000578-0-image-a-102_1454084022663.jpg)
The vulture again tried to buzz the jackal and force him away from the area allowing the bird to devour the wildebeest leg alone
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/29/16/30B0E21800000578-3423049-image-a-2_1454084905166.jpg)
The vulture manages to force the jackal away from the wildebeest leg, but the smaller animal still has no intention of giving up
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/29/16/30B0E20800000578-3423049-image-a-6_1454085057183.jpg)
Eventually the vulture decides that the jackal is a far too determined adversary and it should fly off to find some less well defended carrion
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/29/16/30B0E21000000578-3423049-image-a-3_1454084992697.jpg)
Photographer Ingo Gerlach said: ‘The Jackal won and ran off with the bone. The vulture just looked like a sore loser. I love the special moments you experience when photographing animals. Especially when you witness fighting and survival scenes like this’