The snake coiled around the alligator in what turned out to be a dramatic 40-minute struggle for survival on the banks of the Cuiabá River.
The alligator desperately tried to break free as the anaconda contracted more and more, while the giant reptile bit the snake. But the fight eventually ended in a draw after the alligator broke free from its attacker.
Wildlife photographer Kim Sullivan from Indiana said: “The alligator went under [the water]. I could see the tip of the anaconda’s nose straining to get air. The alligator came up still held by the snake and then went back down for a long time. This time it came free again and we didn’t see the snake.
“The alligator calmly returned to the bank and we kept our eyes on the river until we finally saw the anaconda come to the bank and slide back into its hole.”
Shocking photos captured the moment an alligator sank its teeth into an anaconda that grabbed it tightly in a dramatic wrestling match on the banks of the Cuiabá River, Brazil.
Wildlife photographer Kim Sullivan of Indiana witnessed the 40-minute fight between the pair in September, which resulted in a draw.
The anaconda wrapped itself around the alligator, squeezing it tightly, before the gator dragged the snake underwater, where it eventually released it.
The photographer said it was a “big” fight between the camaín and the anaconda and that it was a once-in-a-lifetime sighting.
Kim said: “There were intermittent struggles as the alligator tried to free itself during the 40-minute episode. It gasped for air and the anaconda contracted more and more.”
Kim said in an attempt to escape the anaconda’s strong grip, the alligator dove down where the snake struggled to catch its breath and eventually loosened its grip.
She said: “The alligator surfaced still entwined by the snake, then re-emerged for an extended period. When it resurfaced, it was free and the snake was nowhere to be seen.”
Kim realized there was no winner and said, “The alligator calmly returned to the bank… we finally saw the anaconda reach the river bank and slide back into its hole.”