Deadly Instinct Pictures - National Geographic

Wild Stallions
Photograph by Melissa Farlow
Two rearing stallions appear locked in a combative embrace as they battle for the right to mate with the mares of a wild herd.
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African Elephants
Photograph by Michael Nichols
In a playful pulling match, two baby African elephants test the strength of their trunks (which contain approximately 100,000 muscles).
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Silverback Gorilla
Photograph by Ian Nichols
A 300-pound silverback western lowland gorilla announces his presence—and dominance—with chest beatings and a low, booming roar.
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Porcupine
Photograph by Robert Thomas
A well-defended porcupine pauses on a riverbank. Porcupine quills are barbed, and tend to work their way deeper into flesh over time if not extracted.
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Leopard Seal
Photograph by Paul Nicklen
A female leopard seal hunts down a penguin, then offers her kill to the photographer before diving to consume her prey. Leopard seals grow to more than ten feet long, making them the most powerful hunters of all seals—and one of Antarctica's chief predators.
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Culex Mosquito
Photograph by Chris Johns
A Culex mosquito perches near the eye of an 'i'wi, a bird native to Hawaii. The insects have spread deadly avian malaria across the state, devastating Hawaii's bird populations.
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Carnivorous Caterpillar
Photograph by Darlyne Murawski
A carnivorous caterpillar uses its grappling limbs to seize a fruit fly in a tight embrace.
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Bengal Tigers
Photograph by Michael Nichols
Captive born, these two young Bengal tigers could not survive if released into the wild. Yet they still share much with their wild counterparts, including a love of play-fighting.
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Brown Bear
Photograph by Randy Olson
A brown bear goes fishing—successfully—for spawning Pacific salmon in Kamchatka’s Kurilskoye Lake.
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African Wild Dog
Photograph by Chris Johns
Spattered with blood, an African wild dog pauses from feasting on his kill to scan for members of his pack, which join in on the meal after the hunt leader enjoys the privilege of dining first.
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