A Stressful Standoff
Seasoned wildlife guide, Dean Robinson submitted this heart-stopping footage to Latest Sightings while out on safari in Kruger National Park. He and his group were enjoying a sunny day in the bush when they came across a high-stakes sighting.
Dean’s video begins right amid a tense standoff between a mother giraffe, her baby, and a pride of lions. The baby was glued to its mother’s side and watched the lions anxiously as they lay only a few meters away.
While the lions planned their attack, Dean and his guests waited in anticipation for one of them to make the first move. Nobody knew how the battle would play out, but held out hope for the sweet baby and its mother.
Chaos Erupts
Then, after only a few seconds, the attack was launched! The mother giraffe charged towards something off-camera, what we can only assume to be another lion who initiated the attack.
With the mother giraffe distracted, her baby, which was the true target, was momentarily left alone. It seemed as though the lions had carefully planned their attack, and it was unfolding perfectly.
The baby giraffe stood there vulnerable and terrified, and one of the closer lions knew it had to seize the opportunity. It pounced right onto the baby’s back and began to bite at its neck!
Tiny But Mighty
As the lion tried to bring down its prey, the baby cried out for its mother, but since she was several meters away, the baby knew it had to last a few crucial moments until help arrived. It began to buck and kick furiously, knocking its attacker off-balance.
Luckily for the young giraffe, its strategy worked! The lion fell off just in time for the baby’s mother to come rushing back and kick away the remaining lions.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
The pride scattered, and with Mom back in position, they had lost the upper hand. Although Dean’s footage cuts off before we are unable to see how the sighting ended, hopefully, the family lived to see another day.
It’s unlikely this giraffe mom would let the lions fool her again, and even if they did, her baby proved it could hold its own well enough.
A Fierce Defence
Giraffes use kicks as their primary form of defence against predators like lions. They are able to kick in any direction and can even kick mid-air!
The force of their kicks can certainly cause damage to an attacker, and combined with the strength and weight of their legs, it can sometimes even be lethal. This defensive mechanism paired with their ginormous size makes giraffes formidable opponents, clearly even at a young age!
Animals born in the African wilderness have to be tough in order to survive. This baby giraffe learned how to defend itself early on in life, and thanks to its instincts and training, managed to fend off a full-grown lion!
This sighting is a reminder that in the wild, you should never underestimate your opponent, no matter how small! Dean and his group were lucky to have both witnessed and captured such an incredible display of strength and determination!