From ferocious Siberian tigers grappling in the snow to a hungry pride of lions feeding on a hippo, these graphic images show the savage and barbaric realities of nature. Natural world photographer Steve Bloom has spent the last sixteen years travelling the globe capturing some of nature`s brutal battles. Brought together in his `Conflict` portfolio, the award winning photographer and writer lays bare the fight for survival. "Its raw," said the 56-year-old South African. "People often have their sentimental view of wildlife and they have this idealistic view, but animals are experiencing the same sort of stresses that we experience, but in a different way. "They are constantly trying to deal with killing and finding food and avoiding being killed and eaten. "That is the overriding pre-occupation along with reproducing and trying to stay alive. "There is a huge amount if conflict and a huge amount of stress." Steve first photographed wildlife in 1993, and was interested in all aspects of animal behaviour. Mindful of the threatened status of a large number of the animals and the issues of global warming, he decided to visit all the world`s continents, eager to capture the greats of the animal kingdom in their natural states. The result was the publication of a book, `Untamed`. "Nature is difficult to predict," he said. "I was interested in the animals that we perceive as icons of wildlife such as the lions, elephants and bears. "The `conflict`` theme developed over time "They can be very violent and incredibly dramatic and from the point of view of the spectator its thrilling and terrifying at the same time." Witnessing savage and often exhilarating encounters, Steve also discovered the role of spectator brought its own anguish. "It can be exciting but there are times when it can distressing," he said. "The image of the lions on top of the hippos is a perfect example. "The hippo had ventured a little too far away from the water and a pride of lions jumped on the hippo and essentially mauled the hippo to death. "The lions weren`t hungry. It was during the migration season and there were plenty of Zebras and Wildebeest around. "They were doing the same thing as a cat does when it plays with a mouse. They were just torturing this hippo. "They say you must not interfere with nature and I probably been thrown out of the park if I had done anything to try and drive the lions away from the hippo. "I think at times if a human being can protect an animal from another animal then I don`t see anything wrong with that, as long as it`s not interfering with the food chain. "I know its a controversial issue but if I was in the water and I was in the water about to be attacked by sharks I would want the dolphins to come and protect me, rather than keep a distance and not interfere with nature. He added: "Seeing that hippo being killed was quite harrowing for the primary reason that this was the case of animals enjoying the violence, rather than killing for food. "Its a poignant reminder that humans are not the only species capable of gratuitous violence." In the 16-years during which he photographed wildlife, Steve has produced eight books, including `Elephant!` and `The Spirit of the Wild`, which has since been produced as a major outdoor exhibition in cities around the world. And even though his work has taken him around the world, Steve is still mindful of the images and situations that have so far eluded him. "There are hundreds of scenarios," laughed Steve. "When I started doing this it wasn`t just the ones that eluded me, it was the ones I had missed, the ones that arrived a second too late or when I hadn`t had my camera. "It used to frustrate me to miss something. "I used to get upset about the photographs that had got away and then I changed my view and accepted that the world is full of missed opportunities. "I became philosophical about it and it and am grateful for the pictures that I had been able to get. "Obviously when photographing conflict I may be gaining a picture but somewhere along the line there has been terrible suffering and very often death connected with that which is a difficult position to be in." More recently Steve has produced two books on Africa. The first, Living Africa, is an homage to the continent of his birth, and is about the common thread linking all life in Africa. Steve`s new book, "Trading Places - The Merchants of Nairobi" (published by Thames and Hudson), is a portrait of the shopkeepers of Nairobi and their street Art. You can learn more about his work and books at stevebloom.com