WATCH | Eagle snatches baby warthog despite mother trying to fight back

What seemed like a mundane sighting turned into an incredible live kill for a group of visitors in the Kruger National Park.

Nazeem Mohammed, a 49-year-old trade finance banker, filmed the rare sighting of a martial eagle catching a baby warthog near Malelane Gate in the south of the park. 

"At first, just filming the warthog, it appeared to be an uneventful, run-of-the-mill drive. For some reason, I kept filming as the piglets ran from beneath one tree to the next before crossing the road," Mohammed told Latest Sightings.

"My son was first to notice the eagle swoop in from the left, just out of shot and thankfully I maintained a steady hand and kept the piglets in focus. Only once the eagle hooked its target did I realise just what a remarkable sighting I had just caught."

The footage shows the eagle snatching one of the warthogs and digging in its talons as the baby pig tries to escape. The warthog's mother chases the eagle away, but the piglet has already succumbed to its injuries. 

With the warthogs leaving the scene, the eagle returns to enjoy its spoils.

"I would advise visitors to stop and enjoy everything of interest and not just chase that elusive cat sighting ... Given time, as this video proves, anything can happen at any time," said Mohammed.