‘Dramatic Standoff’: Jackal Approaches Fish Eagle in Botswana

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Stephen Wilkes recently witnessed a “mesmerizing” exchange between a fish eagle and a jackal in Botswana, Africa. Wilkes is a photographer and Nat Geo Explorer, and his photo of the dramatic standoff between two African predators has attracted a lot of attention online. In the photo, the fish eagle spreads its wings wide, staring the jackal down as it approaches. Wilkes describes what happens next in his photo caption.

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“This was a dramatic standoff in the Boteti River Valley; a fish eagle squaring off against a determined jackal,” Wilkes wrote in his Facebook post sharing the photo. “There are always surprises when documenting wildlife. All of us including our incredible guide were taken by surprise when the jackal approached the fish eagle. As the jackal stared him down the fish eagle spread his wings and the jackal took off. The whole exchange was totally mesmerizing.”

See the dramatic standoff between a fish eagle and a jackal in Africa here:

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