Karine Aigner (USA) recognises the skin of a yellow anaconda as it coils itself around the snout of a yacare caiman.
Karine was leading a tour group through the wetlands of the Brazilian Pantanal. They’d stopped to photograph some marsh deer when she noticed an odd shape floating in the water.
Through binoculars, Karine quickly recognised the reptiles. She watched as they continuously struggled in bursts of power, much of the action taking place underwater.
For Wildlife Photographer, Biologist and Competition Judge Chien Lee, the image is remarkable “in capturing a seemingly peaceful moment – the still water with reflections, the two opponents staring, the snake taking time to taste the air with its tongue. Indeed it seems difficult to distinguish predator from prey.”
Caimans will eat a variety of prey, including snakes. As anacondas get larger, they will eat reptiles. It’s hard to say who is the aggressor here.
On the snake’s back are two tabanids, blood-sucking horse flies that are known to target reptiles.
USA
Karine is an award-winning photojournalist who captures visual stories that explore the relationships between humans and the animal world. Her work has been featured in National Geographic Magazine, Audubon, The New York Times, Nature Conservancy Magazine, The Guardian, WWF and BBC Wildlife. In 2022, Karine became the fifth woman in 58 years to ever win the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Grand Title.
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