This is the moment two angry squirrels went head-to-head in a spectacular fight over food.
The African ground squirrels showed the lengths they will go to in order to protect their precious dinner as they can be seen charging at one another and scrapping in the sand as they viciously fought over a watermelon.
One of the squirrels was enjoying his fruity snack in peace when he was launched upon by a brazen rival hoping to steal a bite of his meal.
Survival of the fittest: When it comes to feeding, it’s survival of the fittest in the squirrel world, as this feeder gets taken by surprise
Scrap: The two angry squirrels then went head-to-head in a spectacular fight over the food
But his attempts to chase the cheeky creature away from his dinner failed, when he flew at him with a kung-fu style move.
The two squirrels then became locked in a vicious battle somersaulting through the air and rolling in the sand as they scrapped over the half-eaten meal.
He said: ‘Most people going to reserves wants to see the big five, I just love the interaction of the smaller less noticed animals. To tell the truth I do not even have a proper image of a lion or elephant.
‘These squirrels were in our camp and I spotted one of them eating a melon. Every now and then one of them would charge at the other.
The squirrels then became locked in a vicious battle somersaulting through the air and rolling in the sand as they scrapped over the half-eaten meal
Somersaulting: The pair leapt and tumbled as they fought over the meal
Grapple: Photographer Francois Loubser, 40, captured the images of the striped ground squirrels fighting in Kgalagadi, South Africa
‘So I set myself up as low as possible focused on the one eating and photographed away.’
Francois said the squirrels move so fast, it can be difficult to get a picture, but he continued to snap away in the hope of catching some good shots.
‘Luckily managed to capture most of the action.
‘I saw that there was a dominant squirrel and that he wants everything, he’s always chasing the other squirrels for food.
‘When one of the squirrels was eating it would slowly creep closer to try and steal the food and then jump on the other squirrel while it was eating.
‘The squirrel eating charged at him and tried to chase him away but I think the dominant one got what he wanted in the end.’
Bully: Francois noticed there was one dominant squirrel constantly chasing and fighting the others for food
‘The squirrel eating charged at him and tried to chase him away but I think the dominant one got what he wanted in the end,’ Francois said