WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTURES INCREDIBLE MOMENT MOTHER JACKAL DEFENDING CUB AGAINST EAGLE

Inspired by his passion for animals, nature and natural history, Atib Hussain has been photographing wildlife for over a decade. Hussain lives in Dubai and has a special interest in African animals. He frequently visits the continent to hone his photography skills. And in 2021, he witnessed the unbelievable during a trip to Kenya's Masai Mara. While there, Hussain and his party noticed the jackal's mother pacing around with the  pup in her mouth. As she looked tense, they began stalking her in her car from a distance. A short time later, one of the rarest and most dramatic animal interactions Hussain had ever seen began to unfold. 

"The red eagle flew in and tried to snatch the young from the mother's mouth. The jackal  ducked and avoided the eagle. The eagle landed some distance away and kept watching," he tells My Modern Met. "After that, the jackal kept moving forward and stopped and looked around." "The eagle made several more attempts, but each time the jackal outwitted it. After several unsuccessful attempts, the eagle finally managed to capture him; The action was fleeting and lasted maybe a few seconds,” recalls Hussain. “The eagle grabbed the pup, the jackal swooped after it, and the pup fell in flight. The puppy looked normal despite all his problems. 

The story itself is exciting, but the images take it to a whole new level. Hussain's photo of a jackal pup falling from an eagle's claws is incredible. The poor puppy has its mouth open and is probably screaming in terror. At the same time, it is clear that his mother is running at full speed to be near the puppy. Although Hussain seems to have grasped the ending of the story, there was  more drama before  mother and pup were safely returned to their hiding place.