Jaguar takes on caiman lizard in Brazil in epic battle (video)

Jaguar safari guide Leen Gillis always carries a camera on her trips in case something extraordinary happens.

Recently she and a boat of tourists spotted a male jaguar, about five or six years old, prowling on the riverbank.

See also: Jaguar amazes zoo visitors by swimming for its supper

With all eyes on the big cat, none of the onlookers noticed anything in the water... except the jaguar.

The footage shows the big cat launching himself into the water before a tough struggle begins.

The jaguar's target is an adult caiman lizard ,which Leen estimated was somewhere between 15 and 20 years old.

See also: Tourists risk lives for pictures of rare jaguars fighting

Caimans are closely related to alligators and crocodiles and generally live along the edges of rivers, according to Britannica.

The pair can be seen tussling in the water as they try and overcome each others brute strength and incredibly sharp teeth.

The dramatic struggle continues for 20 minutes before the jaguar emerges victorious.

But that's not the end of the big cat's dilemma. He then has to try and find a way of getting the large alligator-like animal out of the water and onto dry land.

The jaguar can be seen struggling to pull the lizard up the sharp incline and out of the water, attempting various different points along the riverbank where thick roots and shelves can be used as climbing aids.

To the amazement of the watching tourists the jaguar finally manages to make his way onto dry land and drags his predator into the undergrowth.

While jaguars often hunt caimans because they are widely available, they are more likely to kill them in enclosed vegetation than the wide open.