In the Altyn-Emel National Nature Park, a camera trap captured an unusual encounter between a predator and its potential prey, reports infohub.kz.
The Instagram account of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan showed an interesting moment from wildlife: at one watering hole, a golden eagle and goitered gazelles appeared simultaneously.
"In nature, their meeting usually has a different character: one is a predator, the other is potential prey. But this time everything happened differently. Despite the close proximity, the golden eagle and the gazelles behave calmly and almost pay no attention to each other," the ministry noted.
Experts said that the golden eagle is capable of hunting young goitered gazelles, while the gazelles themselves usually try to avoid this predator. Therefore, such peaceful coexistence at one watering hole in Altyn-Emel is especially interesting.
"One of the factors behind this behavior could be the intense heat and the need for water. In summer heat, watering holes become especially important for wild animals, and the need to quench thirst can sometimes be stronger than usual caution," the Ministry of Ecology added.