Welcome to Florida, where the water is warm, news is weird and the animals are your living nightmare.
According to First Coast News, John Bailey, a photographer in Vero Beach, Florida claims he spotted a bobcat snatching a 4-foot shark out of the water for dinner. The shark was in shallow waters in search of smaller fish to eat, Baily said.
Florida photographer catches food chain in action: (C/o John Bailey): http://t.co/PtuI0EfbZr pic.twitter.com/YfY0GSeYBF— First Coast News (@FCN2go) April 7, 2015
Bailey says he managed to captured the moment just as the big cat was taking away its prey. However, his presence scared the bobcat, he told First Coast News, causing the feline to drop the shark and run toward the woods.
Though some are casting doubt on the photo's authenticity, local wildlife experts believe it is real.
Liz Barraco, a spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, told Mashable that several biologists examined the photo provided by local media on Tuesday. They concluded "that the feline in the picture is a bobcat," but could not identify the shark species.
Barraco says fish make up a small portion of a typical bobcat's diet, since they prefer to hunt on land and eat rabbits and other small creatures. However, hunting for fish in shallow waters is not unheard of, though this particular case is unique.
"This is the first time we’ve seen something like it," she said of the shark photo. "It’s not totally unreasonable but it’s just the first time.”
Apparently alligators are not the only things you should be worrying about in Florida, so start learning to fashion makeshift spears and tools if you're ever out for a walk on the beach.
Excuse us while we go huddle in fear.
Additional reporting by Mashable's Andrew Freedman
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