Eagle Swooped a Fox Clutching a Rabbit

It only lasted for a savage, fleeting instant, but for 8 intense seconds last week an eagle, a fox, and a rabbit flew across the sky as one.

In an incredibly rare scene, photographers have captured the moment a bald eagle swooped down upon a young red fox clutching a rabbit, and in its whirlwind attempt to steal the fox's prey, the whole trio becomes airborne.

The surreal episode is a dramatic example of kleptoparasitism – where an animal steals food or prey from another – and the phenomenon probably doesn't get much more extraordinary than this fierce display witnessed at the San Juan Island National Historical Park in Washington State last week.