Fantastic Mr. Fox! Fiesty Critter Fights Back Against Lions

A PRIDE of lions left with their tails between their legs after being held off by a tiny snarling fox

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No escape: The feisty fox is sandwiched between the male and female lion

The fierce critter even bit a lioness on the nose as it defended itself on a path in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana.

Fantastic Mr. Fox: The determined animal would not go down without a fight

The feisty bat-eared fox was seen struggling to move after being attacked by one of the pride.

Stand off. The small canine fox was able to fend off the larger feline despite their size difference

But as the cats closed in, the injured animal showed it wasn’t going down without a fight.

Spot the odd one out: The young cubs looked bemused by the fierce critter

South African wildlife photographer Graham Dyer, who captured the images, said: “When we got there the lead lioness had caught a bat-eared fox and had evidently injured its spine as it couldn't stand on its hind legs.

Fighting back: The lioness had injured the fox's spine - but it continued to snarl at the predator

"The lioness had received a bite to her nose for the trouble.

What does the fox say? The lions look perturbed by their prey's resolve

"The plucky fox was alarm-calling and snarling at the lions for the first five to six minutes but then, later, only when a lion approached.

One of the family? For a moment it appeared as if the fox was an unlikely member of the pride

“Suddenly all the lions heard what sounded like other lions fighting over food in the distance, they paused for a second and then all quickly ran off in that direction.”