A scavenger's meal turned into a balancing act in Brazil's Pantanal, where a black vulture was spotted standing on a dead caiman that kept spinning beneath it in the water.
What may have looked still from a distance quickly revealed itself as a chaotic struggle, as the bird tried to feed while its floating perch rolled beneath its feet.
Here's what to know
Wildlife photographer Sandesh Kadur shared the hilarious footage with National Geographic, showing the bird struggling with its meal.
Kadur told the outlet that "I wasn't sure what was going on, so our amazing Boat Guide, Branco, veered towards the vulture. That's when I saw a dead caiman floating on the water's surface… The log-rolling caiman proved to be quite the challenge—like trying to eat while on a treadmill."
Black vultures are scavengers that help break down dead animals, recycle nutrients, and limit the spread of disease in the surrounding environment. But that only happens if they can actually feed on the deceased animals they find.
Commenters under National Geographic's reposting of the footage shared in their joy and amusement at the situation. One wrote, "before I read the caption, I had it in my mind that [this] caiman was living its best life with a new friend."
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Another joked, "I'm glad this is the official NatGeo account, otherwise, I would've decided it was AI." Others clearly resonated with this notion, as the comment picked up nearly 14,000 likes. A third user wrote, "bro had the 'death roll' reversed on him." And another commenter joked that now "the 'circle of life' gets another meaning."
Where can I learn more?
Here are a few more stories about scavengers and other animals under unusual pressures. They cover other black vultures, a bone-swallowing vulture, and pollution found in vultures' bodies.
• In the Midwest, black vultures have begun attacking livestock as farmers report calves eaten alive.
• In a jaw-dropping video, a bearded vulture swallows a massive bone whole in one gulp.
• Near waste sites, vultures show heavy metals in feathers, raising food-chain concerns.
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