Actually it’s not a cannibal and it’s a heron, but ‘cannibal pelican’ had such a nice ring that I wanted to type it, though the truth of the matter is equally disturbing to those of a sensitive nature.

In the Netherlands a heron has been seen catching a rabbit, holding it under water to drown it, then swallowing it whole.

This type of heron has been known to eat frogs and rats, it is true, but the photographer Sprang Vianen couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the bird creeping up on a young rabbit. The rabbit captured, it shrieked and struggled while being hung from its ear in the pelican’s mouth.

The bird the flew 50 metres to a ditch where he drowned the rabbit and, against all feeling of proportion, easily swallowed it whole.

This is just a warm up. They’re coming for us next. You have been warned.

You can see a couple of rather distressing photos of this odd moment in nature here.

Link initially found here, my translation of the article was aided by this and this.