A brave squirrel avoided multiple snake attacks to chase the predator away from its babies.
Francesca Carli and her husband Mario were on holiday in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa, when their guide alerted them to a leaping ground squirrel near them.
Incredible footage captured the rodent sparring with the mole snake, managing to dodge lightning fast bites from the reptile.
Having leapt into the air to escape the attacks for almost 15 minutes, the squirrel managed to chase the snake off the grass and into a nearby tree.
Francesca said: “It was so exciting but the thing that impressed us the most was the courage of the little squirrel who kept jumping against the snake.
“The squirrel spreads its tail and places it over its head to make it look bigger, but in reality the snake is much bigger and stronger than it.
“Everything was very quiet due to the high temperatures. We saw something moving in the middle of the valley on our right.
“We stopped immediately and saw the squirrel jumping. Only later we realize that there was also a snake.
“They fought for about 15 minutes then the snake escaped and took refuge in a bush.
“The squirrel kept looking in the direction of the snake, making the alarm sound.
“The ranger explained us that the squirrel probably had the den nearby. He wanted to drive away snake because it is a great danger.”
