An image shot by a safari guide shows the powerful bird snatching up a juvenile Nile crocodile from the banks of a river in Tanzania.

The fully grown Nile crocodile is one of the most dangerous predators in Africa. Its diet is varied, and includes fish, zebras, cattle, sheep, young hippopotami, birds, other crocodiles and humans, but until it grows to adulthood, the young crocodile is also prey.

The takedown happened inside the Selous Game Reserve, and was photographed by Mark Sheridan-Johnson, the Telegraph newspaper reported.

Sheridan-Johnson told the paper that he took the photo on his day off.

"I didn't have any clients to take out that day so I was driving in my Land Cruiser looking for interesting wildlife to photograph," he said, adding that he'd never before seen a bird take a crocodile in his nine-year career as a guide.

Another image taken by Sheridan-Johnson shows that the unlucky crocodile had itself been hunting just before it was snatched. The reptile had a fish in its mouth even as the eagle was swooping down upon it.

It was not clear when the images were taken.