An Alberta photographer captured a rare escape during a weekend backcountry canoe trip in northeast Alberta.

Photographer David Smith said he was on a backcountry canoe trip with friends at Lakeland Provincial Park.

The group heard a wolf pack howling Saturday morning, before hearing a “big splash in the lake” nearby at about 8:30 a.m.

Smith posted a series of eight photographs, showing a wolf pursuing a buck, which appeared to be making a bid for freedom swimming away.

The wolf is seen closely following its target in the water. In a few images, the predator appeared to bite the buck as both swam in the water.

Eventually it appears the wolf gave up and turned around, Smith said the buck made it to land on the other side - the last two photos in the series show the two animals swimming in opposite directions.

“What happened I don’t think many people will have the luck of seeing, let alone documenting,” Smith said in his post.