Staring death in the face: The final moments of a vole snatched by a heron

This incredible picture shows the dramatic moment a water vole stared death in the face seconds before it was swallowed whole by a heron. Steven Cook from Leyland in Lancashire, captured the tussle on the river bank as the vole tried to break itself free from the clutches of the heron’s beak. After putting up a valiant fight it finally accepted its fate and was gulped down while still alive by the heron.