Tarryn Rae and Walter Mugogovhali witnessed this powerful display of motherly affection while on a safari with Mankwe Game Trackers in the Pilanesberg Game Reserve in South Africa.
Watch The Sighting:
A mother’s instinct can be fierce, and this giraffe showed that dedication to her calf when she fought off lionesses that had attacked it.
In an impressive display of dominance, she managed to intimidate the predators and keep them at bay.
Giraffes will usually give birth to one calf at a time, following a gestation period of 400 to 468 days. The female giraffe then takes sole responsibility for raising the new giraffe.
Baby Giraffe Falls Prey To Hungry Lionesses
The calf stood vulnerable in the open when the lionesses spied it from a distance. They closed in on the young animal and, jumping at it, pulled it to the ground.
The young animal scrambled under the weight of the attack, and it seemed it might never get up again, however, Mom arrived on the scene.
This giraffe mother was not going to let the lionesses succeed in their efforts. She bucked her hooves and charged with her neck outstretched in a fierce onslaught which seemed foreign to the usual gentle nature of giraffes.
However, she was a mother looking after her calf, and this gave her the fierceness necessary to chase the lionesses away. She did succeed in freeing her calf from them.
The baby giraffe stood once again, shaking and clearly injured. However, while it appeared for a moment the mother had succeeded in saving her little one, it soon became evident that chances of getting out alive was slim.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
Soon after it had stood up, it had to lie down again, too weak to lift its neck, and more than likely with internal injuries. The attack from the strong lionesses had no doubt dealt a blow to its fragile body.
Young Calf Succumbs To Injuries
Later, the infant giraffe lay at the side of the road, its neck outstretched and its movements limited. It was clear the baby was dying, and its mother attended to it in distress.
The heartache in the moment was unbearable, and one could sense the mother-baby bond, even witnessing the tragic scene unfold.
Tarryn said, “The calf was lying half on the road whilst the four lions were under a tree not far from it. The youngster was still alive, and the mom was pacing up and down, checking on it and keeping an eye on the lions.”
Mother Giraffe Puts In One Last Brave Attempt At Rescue
The lionesses hung around, and the mother giraffe again managed to chase them away. Her loyalty was evident.
Eventually, the tiny giraffe died. “After about an hour, the calf stopped moving and I realized it had succumbed to its injuries”, said Tarryn.
Tragically, the lionesses returned, and the four lions dragged the small animal into the thick of the bushveld.
In a single video, the beauty of a mom’s love and the power of an infuriated mother can be seen in full display. Then there is the raw brutality which nature often shows, as the lionesses, which have to eat to survive, leave with the baby animal.
Tarryn shared, “Two days later, the mother was still hanging around the area where her little one had passed on.”