Paul D Stewart / Illustration of Giant Octopus (Octopus dofleini) attacking a ship, 1815 copperplate engraving from Bertuch's 'Bilderbuch fur kinder' 16 plate 5. with contemporary colour. 'Colosal Polypus' (octopus) a...

Suzi Eszterhas / African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) pack attacking Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), northern Botswana

Suzi Eszterhas / African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) pack attacking Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), northern Botswana

Suzi Eszterhas / African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) pack attacking Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), northern Botswana

Suzi Eszterhas / African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) pack attacking Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), northern Botswana

Bence Mate / Low angle view of grey heron feet (Ardea cinerea), leaping to attack gret white egret (Egretta alba), egret wings visible. Hungary. WINNER: Erik Hosking Award portfolio image 1/6 - Wildlife Photograph...

Edwin Giesbers / Portrait of Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) crouching in snow, ears back and ready to attack, captive

Martin Gabriel / Green parrot snake (Leptophis ahaetulla) defensive attack, Tenorio National Park, Costa Rica

Kim Taylor / European hornet (Vespa crabro) worker flying with middle and hind legs extended ready to attack and sting an intruder threatening the nest, Surrey, England

Kim Taylor / European hornet (Vespa crabro) worker flying with middle and hind legs extended ready to attack and sting an intruder threatening the nest, Surrey, England

Piotr Naskrecki / Beetle predating on snail who responds with defensive bubbles, Atewa Range, Ghana

Mitsuaki Iwago / African Lion (Panthera leo) female attacking Burchell's Zebra (Equus burchellii), Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Suzi Eszterhas / African Lion (Panthera leo) female attacking Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer), Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania

Pete Oxford / African Lion (Panthera leo) fending off Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer), Africa

Pete Oxford / African Lion (Panthera leo) group killing Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) while fending off rest of herd, Africa

Pete Oxford / African Lion (Panthera leo) group catching Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer), Africa

Pete Oxford / African Lion (Panthera leo) group catching Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer), Africa

Pete Oxford / African Lion (Panthera leo) attacking Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer), Africa

Pete Oxford / African Lion (Panthera leo) chasing Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) herd, Africa

Pete Oxford / African Lion (Panthera leo) female bringing down Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger), Africa

Pete Oxford / King Penguin {Aptenodytes patagoni} wounded and covered in blood from Leopard seal attack. Southern Georgia.

Mitsuaki Iwago / African Lion (Panthera leo) group surrounding wounded Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta), Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Mitsuaki Iwago / African Lion (Panthera leo) female attacking wounded Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta), Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Mitsuaki Iwago / African Lion (Panthera leo) females attacking Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta), Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Mitsuaki Iwago / African Lion (Panthera leo) females working together to take down a Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer), Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Mitsuaki Iwago / African Lion (Panthera leo) male attacking a Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Mitsuaki Iwago / African Lion (Panthera leo) females and young males attacking and eventually killing a Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta), Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Mitsuaki Iwago / Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) attacking Thomson's Gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii), Serengeti, Tanzania

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) herd trying to cross Mara River, fleeing from hungry Crocodiles, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Mark Moffett / Leafcutter Ant (Atta cephalotes) worker carries leaf with its jaws full, workers carrying leaves must rely on a special cast of smaller ants riding on the leaves to defend against Phorid fly (Phoridae...

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii) gold morph lying in wait on Heliconia (Heliconia imbricata) to strike at Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) rainforest, Costa Rica

Matthias Breiter / Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) adult male charging opponent, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

Norbert Wu / Viperfish (Chauliodus sp) attacking Mysids, luring prey with photophores, deep sea

Michael Quinton / Bobcat (Lynx rufus) fighting with Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) in winter, Idaho. Sequence 2 of 4

Michael Quinton / Bobcat (Lynx rufus) fighting with Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) in winter, Idaho. Sequence 1 of 4

Michael Quinton / Bobcat (Lynx rufus) hunting Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) in winter, Idaho. Sequence 3 of 4

Fred Bavendam / Giant Nudibranch (Dendronotus iris) attacking a Tube-dwelling Anemone (Pachycerianthus fimbriatus), Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Sequence 4 of 5

Fred Bavendam / Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) attacking with mouth open as he launches from the water, Neptune Islands, South Australia

Mark Moffett / Jumping Spider attacking Ant, Singapore

Mark Moffett / Crab Spider (Thomisidae) on Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) practices cannibalism

Doug Perrine / Amberjacks {Seriola dumerili} attack school of Bigeye scad {Selar crumenophthalmus} (Non-ex).

Mark Payne-Gill / Peregrine falcon in flight {Falco peregrinus} Captive, England, UK. Peregrines have been recorded at speeds of 217mph in an attack dive - more than nine times the maximum speed of a human (27mph). Per...

Sue Flood / Grey whale mother tries to lift her calf as Killer whales (Orcinus orca) attack, Monterey, Pacific, California USA

Doug Allan / Emperor penguin {Aptenodytes forsteri} wounded in attack by Leopard seal, Antarctica

Sue Flood / Beluga whales caught in ice hole wounded from Polar bear attack. Canadian high arctic. June 1999

Jabruson / African wild dog pack {Lycaon pictus} attack Wildebeest {Connochaetus taurinus} Serengeti NP, Tanzania

Michael Richards / John Downer / Spitting cobra sprays twin jets of venom with deadly accuracy at eyes of attacker (Resolution restriction - image digitised from film, 'Weird Nature' tv series)

Ashok Jain / Fishermen wearing masks to protect from tiger attack. Sunderband, W Bengal, India. Tigers attack by biting back of neck, mask with prominent eyes intended to mislead and prevent tiger from attacking f...

Eric Medard / Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) on the ground after a failed attack, France, September

Ernie Janes / Coot (Fulica atra) swimming in water about to attack rival, UK, March.

Mark Moffett / Green Tree Ant (Oecophylla smaragdina) group attacking scorpion, Cambodia

Richard Du Toit / Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) mobbed by Fork-tailed Drongos (Dicrurus adsimilis), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

Norbert Wu / Leopard Seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) with Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) prey, Palmer Station, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica

Konrad Wothe / Yellow Baboon (Papio cynocephalus) troop ganging up on one individual, Lake Tanganyika, Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania

Konrad Wothe / White-necked Raven (Corvus albicollis) attacking its mirror image, Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania

Andy Sands / Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) male in snow with apple. The ants on his beak are from a previous attack on an ant nest. Hertfordshire, England, UK. February.

Philippe Clement / Military attack dog, Belgian Shepherd Dog / Malinois (Canis familiaris) biting man in protective clothing during training session of the Belgian army, Belgium

Chien Lee / Plain-pouched Hornbill (Aceros subruficollis) male approaching nest cavity being mobbed by Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus), Uthai Thani, Thailand

Steve Gettle / Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) male stealing food from Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus), Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Mark Moffett / Weaver Ant (Oecophylla sp) pair defending against Driver Ant (Dorylus nigricans) attack, Africa

Christian Ziegler / Army Ant (Eciton sp) group attacking Katydid (Tettigoniidae), Barro Colorado Island, Panama

Kathryn Jeffs / Weddell seal on ice floe (Leptonychotes weddellii) under attack from Southern Type B Killer whales (Orcinus orca) Antarctica. Taken on location for BBC series, Frozen Planet series, January 2009

Kathryn Jeffs / Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) on ice floe under attack from Southern Type B Killer whales (Orcinus orca) Antarctica. Taken on location for BBC series, Frozen Planet series, January 2009, Bro...

Markus Varesvuo / Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major) perched by its hole with a beak full of ant larvae. Some ants are making a futile attack on the bird's wings. Vaala, Finland, June.

Christian Ziegler / Fringe-lipped Bat (Trachops cirrhosus) attacking frog, Smithsonian Tropical Research Station, Barro Colorado Island, Panama

Suzi Eszterhas / Side-striped Jackal (Canis adustus) attacking White-backed Vultures (Gyps africanus) at kill, Okavango Delta, Botswana

Mark Moffett / Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta) attacking Argentine Ant (Linepithema humile), Parana River, Argentina

Juergen Freund / Reef octopus (Octopus cyanea) foraging on coral reef when a Moray eel comes out for a surprise attack, Komodo NP, Indonesia, Indo-pacific.

Donald M. Jones / White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) attacking deer decoy, western Montana. Sequence 6 of 6

Donald M. Jones / White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) attacking deer decoy, western Montana. Sequence 3 of 6

Donald M. Jones / White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) attacking deer decoy, western Montana. Sequence 2 of 6

Tui De Roy / Zebra (Equus quagga) female protecting foal, El Karama Ranch, Kenya

Tui De Roy / Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) mobbing Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni), Mpala Research Centre, Kenya

Chien Lee / Army Ant (Leptogenys sp) group overwhelmimg and dismembering a hapless katydid, Lundu, Malaysia

Chien Lee / Marauder Ant (Pheidologeton affinis) team attacking a beetle grub with minor workers assisted by their larger sisters who cut the grub into smaller pieces, Lambir Hills National Park, Malaysia

Chien Lee / Marauder Ant (Pheidologeton affinis) team attacking a beetle grub with minor workers assisted by their larger sisters who cut the grub into smaller pieces, Lambir Hills National Park, Malaysia

Chien Lee / Marauder Ant (Pheidologeton affinis) team attacking a beetle grub with minor workers assisted by their larger sisters who cut the grub into smaller pieces, Lambir Hills National Park, Malaysia

Andrew Parkinson / Great skua (Stercorarius skua) launching an airborne attack, trying to prevent a sheep wandering too close to its vulnerable chick. Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK June. (non-ex)

Andrew Parkinson / Great skua (Stercorarius skua) launching a territorial attack on a group of walkers, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK, June. (non-ex)

Michel Poinsignon / Coot (Fulica atra) running across water to attack rival entering it's territory, Lorraine, France, March

Winfried Wisniewski / Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) attacking flying White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), Norway

Pete Oxford / Orinoco Crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius) female used for captive breeding program, Hato Masaguaral working farm and biological station, Venezuela

Suzi Eszterhas / African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) pack attacking Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), northern Botswana

Suzi Eszterhas / African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) pack attacking Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), northern Botswana

Mark Carwardine / Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) fluking - lifting the tail in the air before a dive - showing killer whale rake marks on tail fins after an attack, Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico

Stephen Dalton / Underground Wasp nest after badger attack, UK

Vincent Grafhorst / Scorpion (Parabuthus stridulus) ready to attack, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Lethiau Valley, Botswana

Murray Cooper / Treehopper (Umbonia sp) female defending eggs against Assassin Bug (Reduviidae) predator, Amazon, Ecuador

Murray Cooper / Great Thrush (Turdus fuscater) predating on Plumbeous Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus unicolor), Ecuador

Murray Cooper / Great Thrush (Turdus fuscater) predating on Plumbeous Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus unicolor), Ecuador

Murray Cooper / Treehopper (Umbonia sp) female defending eggs against Assassin Bug (Reduviidae) predator, Amazon, Ecuador

David Woodfall / Woman carrying water home from well, walking past shrimp aquacultures, Ganges delta, Bangladesh, July 2008 Shrimp aquaculture has led to increased salinity in the local wells. Villagers now have to t...

Jeff Rotman / Rodney Fox shows his scar from attack by Great White Shark when he was badly bitten around the chest and arm in December 1963. South Australia. Model released.

Alan Williams / Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) predating on Lapwing chick(Vanellus vanellus) whilst under attack from parent adult Lapwing. North Wales, UK, May

Alan Williams / Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) hunting Lapwing chick(Vanellus vanellus) whilst under attack from parent adult Lapwing, North Wales, UK, May.

Patricio Robles Gil / Tawny eagle (Aquila rapax) perched, watching for possible attack by bird of prey, Simien Mountains NP, Ethiopia