A southern ground hornbill is seen snacking on a venomous puff adder in South Africa's Kruger National Park on February 21.

The bird, which has been listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, patrols some grassland before emerging with the deadly snake in its beak.

Robert Humphries, who filmed this footage, told Newsflare: "Although they can fly, ground hornbills spend much of their time on the ground, hunting.

"They are formidable predators, taking a range of prey from large invertebrates, frogs, reptiles such as small tortoises, lizards, and snakes and small mammals."

The Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvis leadbeateri) is an endangered, turkey-sized bird found in low numbers, mainly in protected parks and reserves in the southern Africa savanna. Although they can fly, Ground Hornbills spend much of their time on the ground, hunting. They are formidable predators, taking a range of prey from large invertebrates, frogs, reptiles such as small tortoises, lizards, and snakes and small mammals. Ground Hornbills usually hunt in family groups of 3-4, stalking through the grass and grabbing prey with their long, black beaks. Smaller prey items are tossed into the air, caught and swallowed, while larger prey is stabbed or dropped repeatedly to break it into manageable pieces. One of this group of Ground Hornbills caught a venomous Puff Adder (Bitis arietans), a viper commonly found in the savannas and grasslands of Africa. It had disabled the snake by spearing it through the head. It then carried it aloft, writhing, before it stopped and swallowed the Puff Adder whole.