We were in a small boat on the Chobe River in Botswana when we saw these hippos squaring up to fight. Our guide pulled the boat to shore, where we watched as the fight moved from land into the water and back onto land again.

The slideshow presents a series of photos in the sequence the fight developed. The action was fast, and many of the shots are blurred from movement or focus. I have nonetheless included a number of the technically flawed shots because they give a sense of the intensity and violence of the battle.

The photograph shown here, the final I took in the series, was Highly Commended in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition in 1995.
All images © Warren K. Corning. All rights reserved.