A four-feet-long cobra was caught and torn apart by an eagle at a lake in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The attack was incredibly captured by photographer Gowathaman Ganesan.

Speaking to Daily Mail on Monday, 48-year-old Ganesan said the incident took place at Thenneri Lake in Kanchipuram district on Tamil Nadu in August this year. He said the short-toed Snake Eagle was searching for prey and finally after a prolonged flight in the cloudy sky, it set its eyes on the reptile.

Recalling the incident, he said, “We approached the bird then the eagle started diving towards the prey; by the time we got to there, the eagle caught the head of the 4-feet-long Indian cobra.”

“After cleaving the snake's head, the eagle ripped the meal into two pieces and started feasting on the bottom part - it was crazy to see,” he added.

The series of photos released Monday showed the eagle catching the reptile and using its sharp beak to tear the cobra’s scales apart. However, instead of chopping it further, the eagle swallows it whole and enjoys its meal. The last photo of the series shows only the tail of cobra sticking out of the eagle’s mouth.

The incident comes days after 28-year-old Canadian photographer Mike Welton captured a huge python being bitten by a leopard when the reptile tries to eat the animal at Kenya’s Maasai Mara Triangle Reserve. Welton said the snake and the animal were both trying to capture an impala. However, the python suddenly changed its mind and decided to attack the big cat instead. Despite being trapped in the snake’s grip, the leopard manages to escape before crushing and biting the reptile.

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Representational image of an eagle. AFP / TAUSEEF MUSTAFA
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