A mother will do anything to protect her offspring and a jackal mom snatching its pup from the claws of a tawny eagle in the Masai Mara was a testament to this.
Ateeb Hussein, also known as Bushjunkie, witnessed this sighting on a recent safari trip. ‘The annual wildebeest migration was at its peak and we were on a morning safari. We had received some info about a leopard and a potential crossing and were headed there. On route, we spotted a jackal mother with a pup in its mouth moving briskly.’ Ateeb told Latest Sightings.
‘We stopped at a distance to watch as our guide explained that in all probability this jackal family was moving dens. Initially, we considered watching for a few minutes and moving on. I mean – a river crossing vs jackal with a pup is a no-brainer, right?’
The jackal was already a bit nervous because of hyenas in the area, so the safari vehicle kept its distance. ‘After a while, a Tawny Eagle swooped down and tried to grab the pup from the mother’s jaws,’ Ateeb continued.
‘The jackal ducked and avoided the eagle. The eagle landed some distance away and kept watch. Following this, the jackal kept moving forward stopping and scanning around. The eagle would make a few more attempts but each time the jackal would outmanoeuvre it. After a few failed attempts, the eagle finally managed to grab its quarry, the action was fleeting and lasted only a couple of seconds. The eagle grabbed the pup, the jackal lunged after it and the pup was dropped mid-flight.’
The pup appeared to be unharmed from the near encounter. ‘We followed the jackal for a kilometre or so until we saw it reunite with its partner at a new den site. The entire sighting must have been an hour and a bit,’ Ateeb concluded. See his incredible shots below.
Pictures: @bushjunkie
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