Jaws of death: Amazing moment wildebeest escapes crocodile smile

Caters

The wildebeest migration in Kenya is one of nature's most awe-inspiring spectacles, and one photographer captured the amazing moment a wildebeest quite literally escaped becoming a crocodile's dinner by the skin of its teeth.

Eli Weiss, 58, captured the moment after waiting for the 1.5 million-strong herd to cross the Mara River for hours.

And Eli wasn't the only one lying in wait - the crocodiles, too, are already there when the wildebeest arrives, and this was one of the lucky ones.

Eli, a conservationist as well as a photographer, told the Daily Mail: "Moments like this happen in seconds and I was shooting at 15 frames-a-second so it was only when I got back to look at the pictures I thought 'what's that pink thing?' and then I released it was the croc's mouth.

"The crocodiles actually arrive at the river days before any wildebeest arrive, crocodiles are pretty smart and they know, through weather changes and memory, when the herds will arrive.

"When you are filming something like this it is a waiting game, you can be there for hours before any wildebeest go into the river.

"It's not the ones in the front of the herd that lead it's the ones at the back that eventually push them in because of the sheer weight of numbers."

But Eli admitted it wasn't always pleasant to watch, adding: "Your heart is literally in your mouth willing these wildebeest to get across and of course many don't make it."

But, luckily, this one did.

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