An Indian photographer has captured the incredible moment a heron and a snake fight over fish in a lake.

The determined bird managed to catch a fish in a lake in Telangana, India, with its long tail and then tried to fish its lunch out of the water.

However, he didn’t realize that a poisonous snake already had the big fish in its mouth and was in no condition to give it up without a fight. A lot of splashing ensued.

Description: The heron has spotted its lunch splashing in the water and is about to use its long fin to snatch it up in one fell swoop.

This is one heavy fish! The heron got more than he bargained for when he grabbed the fish that the snake had apparently started eating… before it was pulled out of the water.

Finder’s Keeper: The snake was determined to keep its meal and sank its fangs deep into the fish’s body for as long as it could.

A violent fight broke out with neither side willing to let go of the prized catch. Amateur photographer Sunny Inaganti captured these astonishing images in the southern Indian state of Telangana.

The long-legged bird seemed to be hungrier than its scaly enemy and here it is on the verge of killing the snake once and for all.

Down: The heron grabbed the fish in its beak and pulled until the snake had no choice but to give up its dinner and slide back into the water to search for more food.

Finally: proud of its achievement, the heron devoured its fish dinner on a nearby rock in full view of the photographer who captured the photos in astonishing detail.

Going: With the snake back in the water, the bird quickly grabbed its food.

Gone: The remains of the fish are clearly languishing in the heron’s throat, but more importantly for the bird, it received some much-needed punishment.

Grey herons can be found in temperate zones of Europe and Asia and also in parts of Africa. The species’ diet consists of fish, amphibians, small mammals, insects and sometimes even snakes, which it catches in shallow water with its long stinger.

This heron had the courage to hunt down the snake, which could have been huge given its location in southern India where many venomous snakes lurk. However, it is not clear what species it was from the photos. It seems that this heron does not like snakes, but if it did, it could have had two in one!