INCREDIBLE MOMENT A BOBCAT LEAPED OVER WATER TO CATCH BLUE HERON IN MID AIR
For Jacob Hall, a day spent exploring the coastal Texas environment with his grandfather became an unforgettable experience. While visiting Canada Ranch, which is near Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, the wildlife photographer noticed a blue heron in the sky. Hall hurriedly pulled out his camera to snap a few images, but he couldn't figure out why the bird vanished from the sky after only a few pictures. He didn't realise the astounding reason until he glanced through his viewfinder.
When Hall took his photos, he was unaware that the blue heron was being stalked by a bobcat. The bobcat can be seen in the lower right corner of Hall's first image, hidden behind some greenery. With its eyes fixed on the heron, the cat is probably planning its next move. The bobcat is seen jumping into the sky to catch the bird in the second picture that Hall was able to take before the heron vanished. Its legs exhibit incredible athleticism as they fly out almost parallel to the water. Upon examining the photos he had taken, Hall became aware of the heron's destiny and his extraordinary good fortune in seizing the moment.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services even published Hall's photo, highlighting the importance of interactions such as these to the ecosystem's functioning.
“It can be hard for some of us to witness wildlife interactions like the one this photographer captured in coastal Texas, but it's a key part of the way that our ecosystems work,” the agency wrote. “The great blue heron eats small fish, frogs or mammals; the bobcat eats the great blue heron; and scavengers like black vultures clean up anything the bobcat leaves behind.”