Photo shows bobcat catching shark

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- A Florida photographer captured a picture of the food chain in action.

Photographer John Bailey was walking on the beach Monday when he spotted a bobcat, staring into the Atlantic Ocean. It was apparently watching a shark in the shallows feeding on smaller fish, according to a Facebook post on the Florida Wildlife Commission page.

Bailey snapped a picture as the bobcat hauled its prey by the tail into the sand.

The agency believes the photo is real, Liz Barraco, a spokesperson for the Florida Wildlife Commission, told WPLG-TV in Miami.

Bobcats are typically most active at sunrise and sunset, but the large cats usually don't want anything to do with people, according to Terry O'Toole, a park services specialist at the Sebastian Inlet State Park.

"Bobcats are in this area and are seen regularly occasionally," O'Toole said.

Commission biologists believe the shark may be a three-foot adult Atlantic Sharpnose Shark, according to the Facebook post.

Bailey told the agency that he might have gotten too close while taking the picture because the cat abruptly dropped its snack and took off into the nearby forest.

Contribuiting: JD Gallop, FLORIDA TODAY