Spotting predators hunting is an incredible experience to have on safari, but sometimes it’s difficult to know who to root for. Predators need to eat to survive, but for this an unfortunate animal has to die.
This young giraffe found itself the unlucky target of a lion hunt when its parent left it alone, and it was heartbreaking to see its inexperienced uncertainty when faced with life threatening danger.
Spotted on a drive from the Tlou safari camp, this sighting had all the emotional turbulence of success and failure, as the lion displayed textbook hunting habits, and the giraffe tried its best to get out alive.
A Tense Standoff
Confronted with a lioness, the baby giraffe found itself with very limited options for survival. Adult giraffes might be able to outrun such predators if they had enough of a lead to escape the initial ambush, but a baby giraffe had much poorer odds.
The only reason it had any chance at all was because it had spotted the lion before the big cat had been able to spring its ambush. If the lion had gotten close enough without being seen then it would have been game over for the giraffe very quickly.
Instead, they were both standing completely still, each waiting for the other to make the first move. If the lion’s attention lapsed then the giraffe might have time to flee, but if the giraffe got distracted, the lion could attack before it had time to run.
The Opportune Moment
Whether fear, uncertainty, or just plain inexperience had paralyzed the giraffe, it stood without moving as the lion lowered its head and advanced slowly into the long grass.
Each step closer that it took reduced the giraffe’s possibility of survival. If it got too close, then the lion would be able to attack, leaping so quickly that the giraffe wouldn’t have time to try and escape.
Lions like going for the necks of their prey, and unfortunately for this giraffe, it had a lot of neck. An adult giraffe has the strength to withstand a lion attack, and sometimes even fight back and kill the predator, but this baby was alone without a parent in sight.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
Too Little Too Late
The young giraffe clearly understood that it was in a precarious position, but without the experience of an adult to rely on, it left it too late to try and escape, allowing the lion to get far too close.
As the big cat crept through the long grass the giraffe finally turned its back and began walking away in an attempt to maintain the distance between them, but already that distance was small enough that the lion felt confident it could bring the giraffe down.
Accelerating rapidly, the lion burst out of the long grass as the giraffe finally tried to start running, but it had left it too late, and as the pair disappeared into the bush at the side of the road the lion was quickly closing the short gap between them.
The giraffe’s short time on the planet ended with a sad reminder at how dangerous life can be for these animals, but now that the lion has secured itself a meal, its own survival is doing very well.
