This angry rhino was captured rushing towards the camera in a split second, taken in a thrilling close-up encounter.
It was taken in Nairobi National Park, Kenya, after an altercation between a pair of female white rhinos – which both of their respective cubs also joined.
In a brief moment of dust settling, one of the three-ton monsters began to pounce on photographer Gurcharan Roopra, 42, who saw the perfect opportunity to capture the chilling moment.
Gurcharan, from Nairobi, Kenya, said: ‘At first I just thought the rhinos were play-fighting but when I looked back at the pictures they had some bloodstains so it must have been intense.
“We watched them for about 30 minutes and they moved around a lot during the fight.
“One of the mothers turned and ran towards us and the man who was with me was absolutely terrified.
“I have been photographing this family of rhinos for the past 5 years, and I know they are not aggressive characters, so I am quite calm – the complete opposite!
“When one of the mother rhinos lunged towards us, it was the perfect photo opportunity, and I was really pleased with how it turned out.
All four rhinos took turns running towards the photographers – but fortunately jumped to the left and ran past them in a nearly shaved encounter.
Gurcharan added: “I got the whole shot of her feet going up and down on the ground, but the best shot is where she looks like she’s flying with all her feet on the ground.
“People are always quite shocked when they see this photo. I always get questions about the plot and whether she is attacking me.
“Photography gives me the best form of relaxation, and whenever I come home from the park, I fall asleep instantly without worry.
“It’s so relaxing when a rhinoceros rushes right at you!”
