An incredible clash of Titans shows how apregnantwarthog desperately tries to defend herself - and herunborn baby -as a wild leopard savagely launches a stealthattack.
The explosive battle was caught on camerabyBritish amateur photographer Mike Bailey as he holidayed intheremote Kwando River area of northern Botswana, Africa.
The spectacular dual between the huge spottedcatand the stouter tusked pig amazingly lasted over 10 minutes astheleopard tried to get the better of its prey.
But after flipping, clawing, biting andscrabblingin the exhausting fight the hungry male leopard was leftemptyhanded when a hyena charged at the pair - making an attemptto cashin on the big cats gruelling efforts.
Seizing her opportunity, the battered andbruisedmother-to-be warthog dashed away in the confusion and madeit tothe safety of a burrow.
The pictures appeared in the May issue ofBBCWildlife Magazine, on sale now.
自然界裡很多親情畫面都是令人感動的。《每日郵報》公布了一組一隻懷孕的疣豬「準媽媽」為了保護自己和肚子裡的寶寶而與一隻野豹搏鬥的照片，看似血腥，但卻令人感動。整個搏鬥過程持續了10分鐘以上。