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Vicious circle (of life): 10 nature videos that will make you glad to be human

Mother nature videos
David Persson/Shutterstock

Warning! This post contains content some readers may find distressing or disturbing.

When nature gets angry, none are spared – not man or beast. In most situations, all that could be done when faced with Earth’s uncontrollable events, is to hunker down and hope for the best. It could be an oncoming super storm, or being eaten by a bigger fish (ah, the circle of life), but whatever the fury, it seems there’s always a camera nearby. Here are 10 videos we found that will make your heart skip a beat.

Crab vs. Octopus

Octopus Vs Crab

The sea is a place of beauty and wonder, home to some of the most fascinating creatures that make up much of the planet’s life forms. But in the cold blue waters of the ocean, one finds no sanctuary from death.

Crab vs. Octopus II: Electric Boogaloo

Octopus gets crabby in Yallingup

With the number of reported incidences of octopus-on-crab violence, one could reasonably assume there’s a deep-sea blood feud between the two species, especially when the attacks are as sudden and shocking as this one.

Sea Lion devours prey

World's Deadliest - Sea Lion vs. Octopus

There’s always a bigger fish, or in this case, mammal. Though octupuses may have the upper hand in their war on crabs, the oppressed crustaceans can find solace in having allies like the sea lion to exact terrible and cunning revenge.

Sinkhole opens under traffic

A Sinkhole on the Road Happening in Real Time as Cars Pass

We often invoke the ground we stand upon as a metaphor for stability and security. What fools we are, to put our trust in something that, at any moment, could open beneath us, and swallow us forevermore into its shadowy maw.

Anaconda-Alligator stalemate

Anaconda vs Caiman Alligator

We are led to believe that the fittest will survive, that in a battle between two formidable foes, one will emerge victorious. But when neither can overcome the other, a gruesome deadlock ensues.

Ants vs. Spider

Black Widow Vs Red Ant.

If you, like many people, suffer from arachnophobia, you can rest easy knowing the swarm is here to eradicate your eight-legged foes. These ants not only possess strength in numbers, but painful bites that bring this otherwise deadly spider to its knees. (We apologize for your newly-realized fear of ants.)

Lions eat Gazelle… alive

Cruel Nature: Lions eating their prey while it is still alive!

To be eaten alive – is there a more horrifying notion? This poor gazelle finds itself becoming the living meal to a trio of lioness huntresses. Nature is not known for its mercy.

Icelandic snowstorm

Iceland Windstorm

Do not be fooled by idyllic photographs in travel guides and advertisements: the Nordic countries can be sinister to their inhabitants. Perhaps none more than Iceland: an island of impassable glaciers, active and destructive volcanoes, and – worst of all – brutal winter storms.

Catfish hunts pigeons

Catfish birds hunting

In the south, the sport Okie Noodling involves inserting one’s arm into a dark hole in a river bank, and hoping a giant catfish takes hold. Alas, these birds find themselves the victims of the catfishes’ own version of this absurd game.

L.A. tornado

Tornado in South Los Angeles - December 2014

“Why live in the flat plains of the American Midwest?” some may ask. “They have tornadoes there.” A compelling argument. Surely, in the star-studded city of Los Angeles, the terrible cyclones of fly-over country are but a vague myth: nothing more than a plot device in a movie.

Brendan Hesse
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brendan has written about a wide swath of topics, including music, fitness and nutrition, and pop culture, but tech was…
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