This is the rarest moment an African python was caught on camera trying to eat a whole wildebeest.

The huge snake looked like its eyes were bigger than its belly when it was discovered in the South African jungle gobbling down the huge meal.

The gruesome encounter was photographed in Welgevonden Game Reserve, South Africa, by manager Rudi Hulshof.

The incredible elasticity of the python’s jaws is clear in this eerie shot.

These are the first known photographs of a python hunting such large prey

The powerful reptiles usually target smaller animals like rabbits.

Rudi, 35, said: “This was the first time I saw something like this, and he was working as a gamekeeper for 15 years in South Africa, and also traveled to other African countries.”

“This is an incredibly sighting and, to my knowledge, is the first time a southern African python has been recorded, much less photographed and documented, taking prey as large as the blue wildebeest, albeit a baby wildebeest.” .

“The herpetologists I have consulted are all impressed and stunned by the images when they have seen them.

“It is not uncommon for pythons to catch live mammalian prey, but this would usually consist of smaller species such as hares, rabbits, impala lambs, duiker antelopes, squirrels, birds, rats, cane rats and rodents, etc.

But to have achieved something so big is amazing. This can be seen by how the python really needed to stretch its mouth to the limit to try to swallow the prey.

“I have been photographing wildlife for the last 15 years whilst working in the industry, at various lodges and game reserves spread across South Africa.”

Game reserve manager Rudi Hulshof said watching the python eat the wildebeest left him ‘speechless’

Rudi said he came across the unusual encounter by chance while searching for lions and leopards. He said: “I decided to investigate the area in the afternoon and arrived at the spot where the alarm calls had been heard hours before, I stopped and scanned the area with my binoculars, seeing only a few scattered wildebeest and a herd of impala. ‘The impala were facing the back of a cliff about 150 meters away, and it was enough for me to think it might have been a leopard or a pride of lions feeding on something out of sight. I took my rifle, left the guests in the vehicle and went inside to try to establish if it was in fact what I thought, and if I would be able to accompany the customers. safely to see the action.

A gruesome close-up shows how wide the reptile can stretch its jaws to consume its prey.

He added: ‘However, I found nothing, and just as I turned to return to my guests, I saw this snake lying on the ground. I approached and saw that he was swallowing the baby wildebeest, about two months old. I could hardly believe what I was seeing, and as someone normally very composed, my guests must have thought the worst, because I ran back to the road as fast as my legs would carry me. “I just had to get my camera back and take photos, and let my guests take photos, before the sun set, which was just a few minutes away.” with their own cameras, without revealing the secret yet, and led them to the sighting. We watched for about 30 minutes, before darkness descended and forced us to get out and return to the car, all speechless at what we had just done. witnessed

We returned first thing the next morning, but found nothing. No footprints, no marks, no pitons and no prey. Everything was gone, and because it had rained, we couldn’t read any clues to see which direction the snake might have slithered.’

African pythons are the largest snakes found on the continent.

The next morning, all traces of the python and its prey were gone.