The stunning photographs were taken by amateur photographer Nick Fleer, 27, on a visit to the Shingilana Dam in Londolozi Private Game Reserve, South Africa.

He said the wildebeest was drinking the water when a hungry crocodile appeared out of nowhere and launched its attack. 

Seconds later a furious hippo joined the fight after apparently becoming irritated that the battle to the death was going on so close to where it was wading.

Mr Fleer said the crocodile snapped at the unsuspecting wildebeest while it was taking a drink on the bank's edge, dragging it into the water where a furious battle ensued.

The thrashing caught the attention of a nearby hippo, which became aggravated and initiated a fierce three-way tussle.

An hour of fighting then ensued, with the wildebeest thrashing and trying to make its escape while the crocodile attempted to tear at its flesh and the hippo tired to sink its massive incisors in to struggling animals back.

To make matters worse a pack of hungry hyenas gathered at the waters edge hoping to pick off the wounded wildebeest should it manage to make it out of the water. 

Eventually the exhausted wildebeest gave up the fight, allowing the crocodile to have its dinner and the hippo to return to its wading. The hyenas, needless to say, went hungry.

Mr Fleer said he took his photographs during a visit to South Africa's Londolozi Private Game Reserve.

He stumbled upon what became an hour-long battle while standing close to the Shingilana Dam - an area of the game park where numerous animals come to drink.

Describing the fight to the death, Mr Fleer said: 'It was such an unexpected and aggressive reaction from the hippo towards the wildebeest.'

'I was under the impression the hippo would go for the croc instead of the wildebeest - but that was not the case,' he added.

'It was such a surreal experience and we couldn't quite believe what was happening. It was incredibly exciting,' Mr Fleer went on to say.

The Londolozi Private Game Reserve is part of the larger Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve, situated on the western border of the Kruger National Park in eastern South Africa.

Londolozi is a Zulu word meaning 'protector of all living things', with the park having been converted from a hunting farm to an ecological centre in the 1970s.

The park has five separate lodges in which visitors can stay, with all of the so-called 'big five' African game animals living in the area.

Although the term 'big five' was coined by game hunters to refer to five animals it was hardest the kill, it has since been adopted by tour organisers to describe the five animals to try to spot on safari.

The 'big five' African game animals are the African lion, the African elephant, the Cape buffalo, the African leopard, and the white or black rhinoceros.

(dailymail.co.uk)