“The previous day I saw (on the Latest Sightings WhatsApp group) that a mother giraffe had given birth, according to participants on the group the calf had been struggling to stand. The next day I visited Kruger for a drive and found the giraffe and the dead calf about 3km from Crocodile Bridge gate.
“It was such an emotional sighting. Giraffes gestate for about 15 months and to lose a calf so shortly after giving birth must be a terrible experience. The calf must have died during the night and this mother giraffe stood there protecting it the whole night, up until the lions arrived the next morning.
“She would bend down to lick the open wound trying to help the lifeless little calf. My heart broke for this giraffe who was just following her motherly instincts.”
“At around, 11 am a lioness arrived on the scene, the mother giraffe still fought her off. It was only after the male lion arrived that the mother decided to give up. Perhaps because her own life was now at risk.
“A lot of people stopped for a few minutes and then left. However, it is always best to have a bit of patience in these situations, you can learn so much from watching animal behavior.”
