This is the incredible moment when two birds flew up a buffalo’s nose and began eating the contents of his nostrils.
The parasites in large mammals such as buffalo, giraffe, and zebra are almost entirely consumed by the tiny oxpecker birds.
And these two oxpeckers couldn’t resist having a feast by cleaning out the buffalo’s nose and ears simultaneously, even though the large animal didn’t seem to mind.
Nico van Amstel, a Dutch amateur photographer, captured the moment the buffalo became a feeding ground for birds, as well as the indignant look on his face.
Mr Amstel of Alkmaar, the Netherlands, was on a vacation safari in Tanzania when he noticed the strange sight.
‘I was so pleased when I looked at this shot close up,’ he said.
‘It’s normal for birds to feed on what they can find on a buffalo skin, and the big animals usually don’t mind.
‘However, it was amazing to see so many birds on one buffalo’s face all at once.
‘I enjoy photographing wild animals because it is exciting, like hunting, but with a lot more respect for nature.’
Oxpeckers are a type of bird that lives in Sub-Saharan Africa and feeds primarily on impala, which carries many ticks.
However, whether the birds are genuinely semi-parasitic is debatable.
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