Animal Conflict – Photographs by Steve Bloom

Lions maul a young hippo, bald eagles fight over scraps of food, Siberian tigers tear at each other in a battle for dominance. Photographer Steve Bloom captures the tension in the wild as animals across the continents battle for survival in a harsh and barbaric world.

“It’s tough surviving,” said the South African born photographer. “People sometimes have a sentimental view of the world’s wildlife, with expectations that animals live quiet lives in tune with nature, but they are usually very stressed as they battle to survive. They are constantly trying to deal with the struggle to find food and avoid being killed and eaten. That is their overriding pre-occupation, along with reproducing and enduring life for as long as possible. There is a huge amount of conflict.”